We start now a series of stories to introduce Peikko’s structural engineers from all over the world.
Meet Anastasia Tornesaki from Peikko UK.
Why have you chosen to study civil engineering?
It was a last-minute decision really! I had a lot of interests in various subjects but finally I went for civil and structural engineering because I believed it is a prestigious job with a lot of possibilities and routes to take, focusing on improving people's well-being, living, working and entertaining facilities.
When did you start in Peikko and what is your job in Peikko about?
I started in March 2014 as a Structural Engineer in Peikko UK. I was the first permanent Structural engineer employed for the UK team and was responsible for doing the full design of DELTABEAM® projects and providing technical support for all connection products, too. Almost 3 years later, UK team had already grown bigger, so I got the Team Leader role of Structural Engineering. During 2019 I showed interest to be involved in Sales, so in February 2020 I officially became a Sales Engineer. My main duties have been to visit customers and present seminars on DELTABEAM® and Connections, while still providing technical support and working on live projects' design.
What do you like most about your job?
What I like the most is the variety of the projects I work on and the different people I cooperate every day with. No day is the same to another and this keeps me motivated. I also enjoy travelling which is part of my current role and this changes the routine a bit, too.
What projects that you did in Peikko are you most proud of?
The best feeling in engineering is to see with your own eyes and in real life the building you have been working on! I have been proud for every project I have been involved in, regardless if this is a small one or a very big development, because only I know how much effort and passion has been put in the journey until the building is complete. Right now, and while we are going through the Covid-19 situation, I am mostly proud of Llanfrechfa Grange Hospital in South Wales and Project Capella in Cambridge which have both played a very significant role in research and hospitalisation for Covid-19.
What is the strangest/craziest thing you have had in your work or were asked by a customer?
One day I delivered some Peikko products to a customer in my car, as I was going there anyway and it was the quickest method. Generally we have been asked to design a lot of complicated things in various projects, from extended long balconies to column base connections that carry even 66 storeys above!
What are your biggest interests outside working life?
I love traveling, visiting new places and meeting people from different cultures and backgrounds, also trying different local dishes. Almost every weekend I would be in a different location, either that was a local break within the UK or a short trip abroad. I was born and raised on the island of Crete in Greece, so I love spending most of my holiday over there with the family, while I have been away from home for 12 years. I love nature, and some of the activities I particularly enjoy are to photograph landscapes, go on hikes, spend time on the beach and go fishing.