Meet the Team: Matt Branfield, Engineer - Building Smarter Through Collaboration and Curiosity
In the second part of our ‘Meet the team’ series, Matt Branfield, Engineer at Bailiss & Co, talks about what inspired him to pursue a career in engineering and why curiosity and collaboration provide the foundation for delivering successful projects.
Turning ideas into reality
“I’ve always loved building things,” Matt says. “I grew up on a farm, so there was always something to fix, make or mend - whether that was sheds, machinery, or bits of kit around the place. I’ve never been one for sitting still or working in isolation; I like seeing ideas turn into something tangible.”
After studying Architectural Engineering at the University of Sheffield, Matt began his career at Price & Myers, working across complex steel and concrete projects before joining Bailiss & Co in 2023. Since then, he’s taken a leading role in projects ranging from school redevelopments to historic building reuse across London and the South East.
“The work we do at Bailiss & Co is hugely varied,” he explains. “We might be extending a prep school one week, and investigating a century-old structure in central London the next. We never stop learning - every building has a story, and part of our job is to uncover it.”
Curiosity and the craft of problem-solving
Matt describes his approach to engineering as “part detective, part designer”, with much of his recent work involving what the team call ‘building archaeology’ - piecing together a structure’s history through old maps, planning archives and material investigations to understand how it was built, altered and adapted over time.
“It’s a part of the role I really enjoy,” he says. “Starting with an incomplete picture and building up layers until we have an understanding of how the building works and where its capacity lies. There’s something really satisfying about the hands-on problem solving process.”
That curiosity is essential when dealing with existing buildings, Matt explains: “Every project brings a different challenge. You rarely get the same problem twice, which keeps things interesting. It’s about staying open-minded and using both data and instinct to find the right answer.”
Collaboration at the core
Engineering can’t be done in isolation, it depends on coordination between engineers, architects, contractors and clients, particularly when projects move from design to site:
“Teamwork is essential and it’s something that comes naturally to me,” Matt explains, ”I like the buzz of being in a design team where ideas bounce around quickly and everyone’s pulling in the same direction.
“Good communication is what makes projects run smoothly. We try to be the engineers who pick up the phone, keep people informed, and make sure decisions are made collaboratively.”
On site, that approach becomes even more important: “In theory, if you’ve done your job brilliantly, nothing should go wrong on site - but in reality there are surprises on every project. The key is to expect challenges and work with stakeholders to resolve them early, before they become a potential problem.
“We know that clients value our honest and responsive approach - we’ll always give an honest view, even if it’s not the easy answer.”
Ambition, adaptability, and what’s next
Since joining Bailiss & Co, Matt has taken the lead on several technically challenging schemes - including the extension of St David’s Prep School in South London, where tight timelines and a demanding site required creativity and calm under pressure. “Schools are great projects because the deadlines are immovable - the pupils have to be in by September,” he says. “You learn a lot about coordination and problem-solving when there is no plan B.”
Looking ahead, Matt is particularly interested in the rise of retrofit and sustainable design: “Working with existing buildings is where engineering gets really interesting,” he says. “There’s so much value locked up in our built fabric, and it’s great to see clients starting to recognise that. Reuse isn’t just good for carbon, it’s good engineering.”
He believes the structural engineer’s role will only grow in importance as the industry tackles decarbonisation. “Structural design used to be all about efficiency and cost; now we’re adding carbon into that equation. Engineers have a real part to play in helping clients make informed, sustainable choices.”
“Ultimately, every project is different,” Matt concludes, ”But whether it’s a new structure or an old one, what matters most is understanding it properly - and working with good people to make it the best it can be.”
Get in touch to find out more about the team, or head over to Portfolio to see some of the recent projects we’ve worked on.