Helping customers to gain the technology advantage — Tom Rudge

Tom has construction in his DNA. He secured his first job in the sector at the age of 15.

“My passion for construction first started when I was on work experience. I was still unsure at the time what I wanted to do, but once I completed the work experience that changed” says Tom. “I finished my schooling and the adventure began the very next day.”

Tom worked for the firm for three years and by the time he was 17, he was a site engineer on a project with 135 apartments that included an interlinking bridge between four blocks.

“It was a steep learning curve and I came out the other side with more understanding and more responsibility on my shoulders.”

Seeing the value of BIM

Practical involvement on projects was one thing, but Tom wanted to play a role more at the strategic and planning stage of projects.

“I had a real passion for the technology. I remember a project where duct work ran under some big steel horizontal beams and because it wasn’t coordinated efficiently in 2D they had to raise the duct work and ceiling. It cost thousands of pounds to resolve the problem. I thought – this is it; this is where I can help make a real difference by spreading the word about Building Information Modelling, particularly in areas like clash detection, and collaboration between the multiple parties involved in any construction project.”

Tom joined the Symetri (then Excitech) Graduate Training Programme, and has never looked back. He’s now one of our youngest team members but far from being the most junior. Running his studies in parallel with his work life at Symetri, Tom has now gained his Master’s degree in BIM and Digital Technology.

“The thesis topic that I undertook was to focus on analysing the gap between project BIM deliverables and supply chain capability. This included looking into the cost impact and management of BIM in smaller companies to understand more about the issues there.”

The thrill of collaboration

Tom feels that being able to work with clients in parallel to his studies was a real benefit.

“Working with clients enables you to understand real life problems. I was able to combine the practical with the educational side, and everything took on greater meaning. The amount I learned over the three years I’ve worked with Symetri—particularly around the value of collaboration and communication with clients—has been amazing.”

What Tom enjoys most about his work is getting to work with the latest technology to support clients.

“Every day is different. I always need to adapt, think on my feet, and find solutions that really help clients. I see the benefits of BIM and the work we are doing, and it’s a big part of my job to get that across to customers and make sure it pays off for them.”

Learning every day

“When I speak to my colleagues, they still say that they are learning every day. Symetri doesn’t stand still and everybody here is so passionate about what they do. With the technology constantly evolving you have to be open to fresh ideas, new perspectives, and ever-smarter methodologies. The excitement at Symetri comes from us all making these discoveries together. That’s a great environment to be in.”

Are you interested in helping others realise the promise of technology and want to know more about working at Symetri? Don’t hesitate to get in touch.