From inspiration to impact: a career built on safety

From early inspiration to industry leadership, Lydia Edwards reflects on a career dedicated to safer buildings — and explains why today’s engineers face a defining moment as building safety expectations continue to rise.

Lydia Edwards is a Construction Design and Management (CDM) and Building Safety specialist, and a Chartered Fellow of CABE and IIRSM, as well as a Chartered Member of IOSH. Her career in construction and engineering was inspired by her grandfather, a military engineer during the Second World War, whose work designing bridges in extreme conditions sparked her interest in practical problem-solving with real-world impact.

In her current role, Lydia supports design teams in navigating the requirements of the Building Safety Act 2022 – one of the most significant regulatory shifts the UK construction industry has faced. While the legislation has widespread backing, she recognises that many professionals are still developing their understanding of its practical implications. Her focus is on building competence, providing clarity and embedding accountability and safety throughout the design process.

'Seek places where your voice is heard, your identity is respected and your potential is supported'

Lydia is frequently asked to explain the distinction between the CDM Principal Designer and the Building Regulations Principal Designer. Although the titles appear similar, they represent separate legal roles with different responsibilities, and helping organisations understand these differences is central to her work.

What drives Lydia is the opportunity to shape buildings and environments that are not only well designed, but fundamentally safe. She is a strong advocate for inclusive safety, particularly in relation to the evacuation of disabled people during fire emergencies, and continues to call for clearer regulation and meaningful, practical reform in this area.

Looking ahead, Lydia believes the profession’s biggest challenge lies in meeting rising competence expectations amid an ongoing skills shortage, alongside increased pre-construction demands, approval delays and retrospective liabilities for historic building defects. Her advice to early-career professionals is to pursue ambition with purpose, but never at the expense of personal values – and to seek out workplaces that are inclusive, supportive and committed to helping people thrive.

Read the original interview in the latest issue of Building Engineer.