Elizabeth Christianson

A shining example of women excelling in the industry, Elizabeth Christianson has brought both ingenuity and enterprise to the Mace Interiors Business since joining in 2019. Elizabeth has had a hand in many iconic building fit-outs since kickstarting her career at Mace, and speaks to us about the emerging digital technologies she is currently driving with her team to create smarter, healthier and more sustainable buildings.

How did you get into what you do?

I’ve been working in the construction industry since I graduated from the University of Hertfordshire. I got an introduction to the world of construction during my final year, when I had a placement with Chapmanbdsp as a mechanical engineering intern. I was part of a team designing and constructing large iconic projects, such as Battersea Power Station and a new educational centre for LSE. I loved the hands-on approach and getting to witness my work evolve. Due to construction being a male-dominated industry, I only applied for consultancy-based jobs at first and was surprised to learn that there was the option to be an MEP Manager - that’s when I landed my job at Mace.

What do you enjoy most about your current role at Mace?

I love the variety my role brings - no day is the same, and with that I’m constantly pushing myself to absorb knowledge and learn new skills and techniques. The diversity and breadth of people I have had the pleasure to work with has also made my experience at Mace even more enjoyable! I started in fit-out and find the projects fun and fast-paced, with a lot of variety. It’s also great to see so many projects completing within just one year. 

In the Mace Interiors business, we are one of the first to have begun trialling new technologies, creating smarter buildings which are able to control air quality, temperature, energy, electricity usage and much more. This means that all systems within a building can be monitored and are capable of learning how occupiers use it to adjust to their needs. These are really useful skills to learn on the job and I look forward to seeing where they will take us with future projects!

What has been your proudest achievement at Mace?

I’m most proud of everyone within my project team, who worked so well throughout Covid-19. As a team, we supported each other through many challenges and this is how we still managed to deliver to the highest quality - ensuring that we’re greeted by a happy client at the end!

What skills do you need to be good at your job?

A huge part of working within the construction industry is about forming relationships. It’s important to have self-drive, confidence, and adaptability - qualities that are key to doing the job well. If you don’t have the determination to achieve a high-quality project or the confidence to push the sub-contractors, you won’t achieve your goals.

What are you passionate about outside of work?

The pandemic helped me realise my love of gardening - I even took it further by enrolling on an RHS course in Horticulture. I’m pleased to say that my green fingers have benefited the project sites that I’ve been working on, and I’ve also introduced house plants to improve people’s wellbeing.

If you hadn’t got into this line of work what do you think you might be doing?

Unsurprisingly, with my interest in gardening, I could see myself owning a garden centre. But maybe this can be a retirement plan in the future!