Building blocks for success

Receiving the iBuildSG Scholarship and Sponsorship helped Miss Lim Mee Mee gain industry exposure to pave her career

By Michelle Chin 

Feb 26, 2020

Miss Lim Mee Mee applied for the iBuildSG Scholarship and Sponsorship in the third year of her undergraduate studies.

She figured it would help in her personal growth and pay part of her school fees.

But the iBuildSG Scholarship and Sponsorship offered more than just these benefits. It also provided her with opportunities and kept her updated on industry trends.

Miss Lim, who is in her 20s, would receive updates from the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) on developments in the sector and was often invited to attend site visits and technical presentations.

The sponsorship also paved the way for her undergraduate internship at CPG Consultants, where she worked with different stakeholders in the multi-disciplinary company in the built environment sector. CPG Consultants is a subsidiary of CPG Corporation.

Such exposure expanded her knowledge and prepped her for the working world.

“The built environment is a physical environment created by people and aimed at improving occupants’ quality of life by making it more comfortable and more convenient for them to be in,” she says.

The iBuildSG Scholarship and Sponsorship programme is offered by BCA, in collaboration with industry firms, to students pursuing courses in built environment at local universities and the BCA Academy.

A fulfilling job

With her sponsorship co-sponsored by BCA and CPG Corporation, Miss Lim served her bond at the latter after graduating from Nanyang Technological University with an honours degree in civil engineering in 2016.

Now a senior civil and structural engineer at CPG Consultants, Miss Lim’s work includes designing structural elements such as walls, beams and columns to provide the support system for buildings and to meet safety requirements.

She also works closely with architects, quantity surveyors and mechanical and electrical engineers to ensure that the buildings are functional and sustainable.

“Seeing how a piece of bare ground develops and evolves into a building structure gives me a great sense of achievement.

“I am also able to provide innovative solutions that will further improve the final design of the building. Playing a part in improving the lives of people through the work I do is what drives me to keep doing what I do best,” she adds.

The nurturing environment at CPG Consultants encourages Miss Lim to improve her skill sets. She also plans to continue guiding and sharing her work experiences with people interested in joining the built environment sector.

What the future holds

In the near future, Miss Lim aims to achieve a balance between sustainability and constructability in her design considerations, in order to improve the overall life cycle performance of a building.

For example, a building designed for office usage could incorporate sufficient structural capacity to cater to possibilities of future expansion or change of usage.

Also, to contribute to environmental sustainability, Miss Lim considers using materials that are recyclable, reusable or may be salvaged upon demolition at the end of the building's life cycle.

This is her challenge to come up with reconfigurable and practical designs to meet these demands of the industry.