Meet the Team: Stuart Boneham, Senior Building Services Engineer
Stuart leads one of our engineering teams in the design of systems required to make a building both a functional space and a pleasure to occupy for the end user. As a team leader, he is always making sure we maximise the potential for the sustainable solutions and lean design we prioritise here at LEDA. Stuart is also our Building Information Modelling (BIM) champion. BIM is a government backed initiative to improve collaboration between all members of the building design team, creating processes to share knowledge more efficiently and deliver better results for the client.
Stuart joined LEDA in 2016, coming from an Oil & Gas Technology company where he was a senior project engineer managing design and installation of subsea wells. “I was looking for a role that more suited my values of sustainability and environmentally friendly living, and LEDA was recommended to me by a friend. Building Services was a significant change in career path and industry for me, but has been much more rewarding both personally and professionally.”
What are you currently working on?
My most interesting project is currently the Housing Delivery Program for the City of York Council. This is an ambitious and exciting project aiming to deliver affordable Passive House quality housing which is zero carbon in operation. Our challenge is to deliver the high quality design and modern technologies required to deliver the client’s vision, and also provide the end user with a low cost, easy to use building that they can call home.
What’s important to you about being part of a workers cooperative?
The best part of working for a cooperative is having a say. I think this means it’s important to contribute as much as you can in whatever way you feel comfortable. I participate in two of LEDA’s cooperative subgroups; one to focus on financial management and planning, and another which creates our people management policies. For me, a cooperative workplace is one where people are looked after and feel engaged to work towards goals together. The challenge is to align the values of accessibility, trust and collaboration with the needs of a competitive business.
How does LEDA’s hybrid working model work for you?
Office working and home working have different benefits for me. I like being back in the office, but also really appreciate the flexibility we have at LEDA. I think both company and employees enjoy the benefits of in person collaboration which are hard to replicate remotely. However I’m also a parent, and try to keep a healthy work life balance, so I’m a supporter of our hybrid working approach.
Stuart’s main hobby outside of work is climbing and in particular bouldering, which is enjoying a huge surge in popularity since it became an Olympic sport. He’s also a follower of Permaculture, “which in theory promotes sustainable living, self-sufficiency and working to reduce waste, but in real life I basically do a lot of DIY projects and grow my own vegetables!”
