An Interview With Daria Khachi

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30 April 2018

Written by: Daria Khachi M.Eng., P.Eng.

This article was originally published in GEO Newsletter Issue 9 in April 2018. Read the full publication here.

What attracted you to the field of structural engineering?I have always been interested in “building things”. From a very young age with Legos and building blocks … to tinkering in the garage… to wanting to know how things were wired. I entered university with a desire to pursue electrical engineering for the wrong reasons until I realized I didn’t like it; a 270-degree turn led me back to the basics; and, to finish my undergrad in civil engineering and ultimately get a Masters degree in structural engineering.

What trends have you seen in the structural engineering field over your career and what has changed the most?I’ve been practicing for more than twenty-five years. Obviously, it was a very different world when I started and certainly a discipline that was considered male-centric. One very positive trend, if I can call it that, is that our industry is welcoming more and more talented women to the field than ever before. At DIALOG in fact, our structural engineering teams are more than 25% women. More women choose to join us every year and the diversity and perspective they bring is a valuable contributor to our success.

In your opinion, what are the greatest challenges facing the field?There are many challenges, but globalization and international competition are two that quickly come to mind. Another challenge we face today, including those in nearly every industry or sector, is understanding how more automation, computational design techniques, and artificial intelligence will have on our practice and service delivery. We embrace the use of leading tools and technology, however, the pace of change and desire to adopt can be at times, overwhelming.

What are the top three projects you worked on and why?
I’ve had the pleasure of working on some fantastic projects over the years so it’s hard for me to only pick the “top three”. That said, there are a few that rise to the top:

1. The Bill Fisch Forest Stewardship and Education Centre (in the regional municipality of York, Ontario) remains one of the most
innovative projects I’ve ever worked on. A Living Building Challenge project with all seven performance petals included, it was literally the “prototype of prototypes”. From the innovative use of Cross Laminated Timber, to the collection of solar power and rainwater harvesting, this building was designed to be carbon negative – meaning it gives back to the grid. Our structural engineers were involved as part of an integrated team from the very beginning. This is an extraordinary example of how structural engineers play an integral part of the design-build process from inception to completion. I’m proud to say that this structure has won numerous sustainability awards and is helping DIALOG achieve our commitment to a carbon-neutral future as we have chosen to embrace the AIA 2030 Challenge.

2. The Dartmouth General Hospital in Nova Scotia is an extremely challenging project we’re working on today. Set to be completed by 2020, we’re renovating and adding new facilities to an existing 1970’s hospital that continues to be fully operational – 24/7. A particularly challenging element for the team was discovering the lack of lateral stability elements throughout the hospital. These have essentially been ignored throughout the many renovations over the past 40 years.

3. Lastly, the Heritage Preservation and Masonry Restoration of the Dominion Public Building, in Toronto, Ontario. For this particular project, we empowered many of our more junior engineers to take a leadership role in the restoration of the beautiful Beaux-Arts, neoclassical office building. Our goal was to maintain the intended design elegance from the 1930’s while ensuring it meets today’s standards.

How do you see structural engineering changing in the future?As I alluded above, the world is becoming more connected and the technology is becoming more sophisticated every day. That, coupled with the widespread use of applications that used to be used only by experts, it’s becoming a place where it seems anyone can be a designer. The progression of technology and new tools won’t stop. I think as a field, we need to embrace and harness it in a way that still keeps it human. By this, I mean a focus on how the people using these new tools can further advance their structural design capabilities. Along with technology changes, I think we’re going to continue to see the application and use of many new materials. Each new product that comes to market will mean structural engineers will have to experiment and adapt while keeping energy performance in mind.

What would you like to tell everyone about yourself that not many people know?There are a very select few people who know this; and, my two daughters will be thrilled that I share: I’m a very proud “Dance Dad”.

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