My Summer Placement Reflection - By Simona Pilmane
I had the opportunity to be part of the Trigon team for 11 weeks during the summer of 2024 as a summer placement. I first met Karl and found out about Trigon during my 1st year summer research project with Hazelab at Imperial, which sparked my interest in fire safety engineering. While browsing the Trigon website one afternoon, I was excited to see the position of a summer placement for the summer of 2024, and reached out to Karl that same evening.
Right from the start my mentor and line manager made sure I was involved in different projects and attending client meetings. During the 11 weeks I spent with Trigon, I had the opportunity to have my input on 33 different projects. My involvement consisted of writing fee proposals, doing mark-ups, drafting technical client emails, presenting in an external CPD and so much more. One of the highlights of my work with Trigon was being trusted with the task of supporting the team with developing the fit-out fire safety strategy for Trigon’s new office. It was my first big task and required me to develop a very good understanding of Building Requirements B1-B5, which are at the core of all fire safety design.
I also undertook a long-term research project looking at egress modelling, and delivered a technical advice note for internal use summarising my findings. Receiving 1-on-1 mentorship and guidance from a highly experienced researcher in the field of fire science taught me a lot about the process of learning and conducting research, but also advanced my skills in presenting and telling a story with the slides I use. I was able to put these skills to the test through opportunities I was given to deliver internal and external presentations.
The Trigon culture is something I really admire. The positive and welcoming office atmosphere is something I noticed from my very first day. I fondly remember my placement kick-off meeting, and the enthusiasm with which my mentor and line manager set out the objectives of my placement such that I would experience as many parts of being a fire engineer as possible. I can confidently say my mentors maintained the commitment to this throughout my placement. Another aspect of Trigon culture I deeply respect is the devotion to working with people that align with the company values. I look up to the directors for always keeping fire safety and quality of work at the forefront of everything they do, turning down clients whose priorities lie elsewhere.
I am about to enter the 3rd year of my mechanical engineering studies at Imperial College London. Contrary to what people might expect, I applied to study mechanical engineering having no interest in cars, never having even heard of Formula 1. Ironically, I am entering the new academic year as “Head of Chassis”, overseeing 50-60 people as a part of the Formula Student team at Imperial College London. The experience and knowledge I have gained from both working on projects and observing my colleagues will be invaluable in fulfilling my responsibilities as a team lead in the upcoming year, and I look forward to putting it all into practice.
I am very grateful to everyone at Trigon for making me feel like an integral part of the team from the very start of my placement. I was able to take on real tasks and responsibilities from the very beginning, largely due to the rigorous quality assurance systems in place. The experience I have gained during my time here is invaluable to me, and something no number of university lectures could replace.