Discover engineering through workplace experiences
Meet Karl! He discovered his love for fire engineering by trying out lots of jobs and workplace experiences.
Name: Karl Wallasch
Job: Fire Safety Engineer - Director
Company: Trigon Fire Safety Ltd
Why did you choose to become an engineer?
I made the decision to become an engineer after finishing school and doing placement in workplaces. After school I didn't go straight to university, and decided to gain work experience from internships at different companies for a year.
First, I worked with architects, then a structural engineering firm, then a surveying company and civil engineering firm. This gave me the opportunity to meet many different professionals in the wider building industry. I was fascinated about the different work, project type and sizes and career opportunities.
What do you love about your job?
There are lot of enjoyable things about my job! For example, working with other people on real buildings. I know that our work means buildings are safe and sustainable - this is so important now, and in the future. My work influences people’s lives and hopefully makes them safer. Every building project is different, and it’s a really enjoyable and satisfying job.
How did you get started as an engineer?
My 1 year break between school and university helped me try out lots of different jobs and roles in the built environment. After this, I decided to study civil and structural engineering at the Bauhaus University in Weimar (Germany) for 5 years. Then I started my career as a graduate fire safety engineer in a consultancy in London.
I have worked in the UK, but also in Berlin and Madrid. In 2019 I co-founded Trigon Fire Safety Ltd.
How does your work make a difference to peoples’ lives?
Our work influences architects and design teams and changes how real buildings are designed and built. More importantly, my work also has an impact on how people live, work, sleep and enjoy the buildings that we are involved in. Thinking that every building we work on will be used by others – often for a very long time – feels very satisfying.
What was the last exciting project you worked on?
There are so many projects and buildings I am proud to have been involved in!
One recent project is 15 Old Bailey Hotel. It was originally built in 1874 and was the first hotel in London with electric lighting. It was transformed into an office and reopened as a hotel in 2024. We developed a unique fire safety strategy that respects it's historical importance, and used design techniques to support it's amazing architecture. I was invited to the opening and was able to bring my family along with me.
What advice would you give a young person who was considering engineering as a future career?
If you have an interest in engineering, I recommend finding someone you can talk to. It may be someone in your family, a teacher or any engineer. Engineering offers such a wide range of opportunities and exciting roles and jobs. I really believe that engineers can make the world a better place.
What skills and personal qualities are important for being an engineer?
When I interview students for placement or job opportunities, I am trying to find out about their passion. Have a passion. Doesn’t matter what it is, but have something that you are proud of, where you have an opinion, where you invest your time and engineer. Your opinion, your drive and passion really matter.