Senior Structural testing engineer
From engineering iconic buildings to rigorous structural testing: Lucy Brosnan has seen both sides of structural engineering – and brings those perspectives to the lab.
As a structural engineer in BRANZ's testing facility, Lucy Brosnan tests building components and systems for compliance with the building code – assessing whether they perform as intended and can withstand structural loads. Her tests range from a single connector to a complete building system, assembled exactly as they would be on site.
Lucy studied civil engineering at Canterbury University, specialising in structural engineering, and spent more than a decade in design consultancy across three continents. Her projects include the 2012 Olympic Stadium in London, the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne, and Robina Stadium in Brisbane.
When Lucy returned to Aotearoa New Zealand, she was drawn to BRANZ by her love of, well, anything to do with buildings. “I love houses and architecture and renovations – starting right or renovating right, I’m always up for the challenge.” The irony of her career change was not lost on her: "I used to design things not to break; now I test them until they do.”
In the testing lab, her years in design consultancy give her a practical edge. She understands how products perform as part of a system, which helps her replicate real-world scenarios – because a product that passes testing on its own may not perform within a building system. And having worked on the commercial side, she’s adept at distilling technical information into practical advice that helps clients understand what they need.
“It’s cool to be able to test things and have that certainty around the performance of products and systems. This is actual evidence-based stuff.”