Hannah Beatty

As a Senior Design Manager on some of London’s most high-profile projects, Hannah Beatty combines her passion for problem-solving and artistic pursuits with her experience as an Architect to drive efficiency from the outset. Supporting projects throughout their entire life cycle, Hannah is leading some of the industry’s most transformative initiatives to deliver better and greener buildings.

How did you get into what you do?

From a young age, I loved both the logical problem-solving of Maths and Physics, and the more creative aspects of drawing, sculpting and making that I experienced in the Arts. So, when it came time to choose what to do next, Architecture felt like a natural fit, combining the problem-solving elements of my brain with the underlying desire to be creative. I went to study Architecture at the University of Dundee and, after completing my masters, I moved to London where I worked as an Architect for four years.

However, it wasn’t until my first big project hit the construction phase that I really fell in love with the industry. All of a sudden, I wasn’t just a part of a small design team discussing theory; it was hundreds of people – contractors, subcontractors, and operatives – working together to bring the project to life. I enjoyed the fast-paced nature of the construction phase, and I instantly knew that I wanted to progress my career in construction.

What do you enjoy most about your current role at Mace?

Coming from a design background, I was drawn to Mace because I wanted to work on high-quality projects. Mace is at the forefront of the construction industry and I feel privileged to work on some of the most innovative projects. At Mace, I always feel supported to think outside of the box and push for more efficient ways to deliver projects for our clients. What I love most about working in design is the broad impact it has. Design management involves collaboration with a wide range of people – Architects, Engineers, planners, surveyors, project managers – the list goes on. It’s incredibly rewording to bring all these disciplines together with the common goal of turning a concept into a built reality.

What has been your proudest achievement at Mace so far?

Since joining Mace in 2021, I’ve worked on a number of innovative private sector projects. But a highlight for me has been leading the design of Edenica, a 12-storey office building on Fetter Lane, from tender through to completion. Seeing all the early decisions, collaboration, and problem solving come together in a final building has been incredibly rewarding.

Edenica has been particularly interesting  because it is the first in the City of London to implement Materials Passports, which provide digital documents containing a building's components, characteristics and materials for future re-use as part of a circular economy approach. I feel very fortunate to have worked on such an innovative and forward-thinking project, and I am proud of the legacy it will leave.

How do you redefine the boundaries of ambition?

In my role, it’s about continuously driving efficiency and improvement through design. The key design decisions influence every stage of a project lifecycle – from environmental impact to procurement and the actual build – and in the case of Edenica, how it’s reused as well. The scope to make an impact through design is vast.

I’m also a big advocate for using technology to push these boundaries. I work closely with our digital engineering teams to challenge the way we do things, streamline processes, harness data and ultimately deliver greater efficiency and certainty for our clients. As technology advances rapidly around us, I see it as an exciting opportunity for the industry to redefine how we design, build and manufacture buildings. 

What are you passionate about outside of work?

I love the outdoors. I grew up sailing and skiing, which can be difficult to keep up with living in central London, so I try to get away as much as possible! I also love travelling and am lucky to have family who live all over the world. I try to make as much use of that as I can, and I often travel with friends and family to explore a variety of places.

If you hadn’t got into this line of work what do you think you might be doing?

I actually applied to study Medicine and had a place at the University of Southampton. There are a lot of doctors in my family so, at the time, it felt like the right thing to do. It wasn’t until halfway through my A-Levels, when my school’s headmaster suggested I drop Art to focus on my science-based subjects, that I re-considered. I loved Art and being creative too much to give it up, so I decided Architecture was a better fit and dropped Biology instead!

My Art teacher used to say I would make a good surgeon due to my precision and attention to detail…. but truthfully, I’m not sure I could handle the blood and the gore.