Beyond the design: Praveen’s journey from delivery to ownership at AtkinsRéalis

What does it take to grow from delivering individual design tasks to taking ownership of projects? For Praveen, the answer has been a combination of challenging work, practical learning, collaboration, and the confidence to look beyond the task in front of him.

His journey at AtkinsRéalis has helped him strengthen his technical expertise, take on greater responsibility, support junior colleagues, and develop a broader understanding of what it takes to deliver quality engineering solutions.

Seeing the bigger picture

One of the projects that has shaped Praveen’s journey is the New Murabba development. Working on such a large and complex project exposed him to new approaches in design and development while requiring close collaboration across multiple disciplines. The experience taught him that successful delivery is about more than having a strong technical solution. It requires people to communicate clearly, coordinate effectively, and work together towards a shared goal. “I was proud to contribute as part of a team that worked together to navigate challenges and deliver well‑integrated solutions.” More importantly, the project changed the way Praveen approached his own role. He began looking beyond individual deliverables and thinking about how his work would ultimately be constructed and used.

Designing with constructability in mind

For Praveen, one of the biggest shifts in his professional approach has been learning to think beyond the drawing board. He now considers constructability from the early stages of design, looking ahead to potential challenges and identifying ways to reduce errors, rework, and complications during delivery. While engineering codes and standards remain fundamental, he believes that good design also requires judgement and practical thinking. The most effective solution is often the simplest one, particularly when constructability and real‑world implementation are considered from the beginning. This mindset has helped him move from simply meeting technical requirements to taking greater ownership of the quality and practicality of his work.

Growing into greater responsibility

Over time, Praveen has taken on responsibilities that extend well beyond his initial role. He now manages his time across multiple projects, takes ownership of deliverables, supports junior resources, and contributes to technical and quality reviews. He has also developed a stronger understanding of BIM requirements and how these influence project delivery. For Praveen, this progression has been about building trust in his own capabilities while continuing to learn from those around him.

Learning together

The people around Praveen have played an important role in his development. He describes his colleagues as respectful, supportive, and open‑minded, with a willingness to share knowledge and consider different perspectives. That environment gives people the freedom to think independently while knowing support is available when they need it. Support and opportunities are always available, but personal growth also depends on each individual’s curiosity, initiative, and willingness to make the most of them. Praveen also believes strongly in giving that support back. By sharing knowledge with graduates and junior colleagues, he helps others build confidence while strengthening his own understanding of fundamental engineering concepts.

A culture that listens

Support becomes particularly important when work gets challenging. For Praveen, knowing that colleagues and managers are willing to listen makes a meaningful difference. Not every challenge can be resolved immediately, but having an open environment where concerns can be discussed and solutions explored creates confidence. It also encourages people to speak up, exchange ideas, and approach challenges collectively. For him, this is an important part of what makes a workplace sustainable over the long term.

Making an impact every day

Praveen believes meaningful impact is often created through small actions. It can be finding a more efficient way to complete a task, improving the quality of a deliverable, helping a colleague overcome a technical challenge, or supporting a junior engineer through something new. These everyday contributions add up. His experience has shown him that engineering excellence is not achieved by individuals working in isolation. It comes from people sharing knowledge, taking ownership, and continuously looking for better ways to deliver.