Welcoming Laura Halliday to Crafter Engineering

We're delighted to announce that Laura Halliday has joined Crafter Engineering as Associate, based in our Scotland office. Laura brings with her years of focused civil and structural design experience across some genuinely complex and challenging projects with a focus on temporary works, and she joins us at exactly the right moment as we grow our presence north of the border.

"The varied and dynamic nature of temporary works is what keeps me here".

Laura built her career by immersing herself in temporary works across a wide range of sectors and complexities. What sets her apart is the combination of strong technical capability and a genuine drive to find the best solution, not just a workable one. "The varied and dynamic nature of temporary works is what keeps me here," she says. "Every project brings a new problem to solve, often needing a bit of out-the-box thinking. The pace of delivery is also a huge factor, being able to design something and see it built within days, weeks or months is incredibly rewarding."

That drive is evident across Laura's project portfolio, which spans rail, demolition, and complex city-centre schemes. One that stands out is the Anniesland Train Station Access for All scheme (a tightly constrained live environment with the station fully operational), a main arterial route through Glasgow remaining open throughout, and platforms sitting 4 metres above road level. Laura's involvement from the outset shaped the outcome: "We were brought in early enough to influence the permanent works and design out some temporary works entirely, which meant the best-value solution was carried forward with full support from designers, contractors and the client." It's the kind of result that only comes from engineers who know what they're doing and aren't afraid to lead.

Anniesland Station with upgraded accessibility provisions, worked on by Laura. Source: Network Rail (https://www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk/resources/3rkr2-15739-0mh9x-1nddb-cuapb)

When it comes to team culture, Laura's view is clear: trust, curiosity, and accountability. "Engineers need the freedom to ask questions, challenge assumptions, and learn from each other without fear of looking inexperienced. At the same time, we all have a responsibility to uphold high technical standards and support each other in doing things the right way. When people feel safe to contribute and proud of the work they produce, the team believes in each other and thrives." It's exactly the culture Crafter Engineering are building, and Laura will play a central role in shaping it.

On the task ahead...

Laura is direct about what Crafter can achieve. Temporary works provision in the Scottish market remains limited relative to the scale of the construction sector, and Laura sees a clear path to filling that gap, particularly in energy (wind, battery storage, cabling), rail, and the growing volume of complex building refurbishments coming through the market. "The biggest opportunity is to become the go-to partner for contractors who want fast, reliable, technically sound temporary works support. There's a real gap for a specialist consultancy that's both highly competent and easy to work with. If we can build trust and deliver consistently, the growth potential is significant."

Away from the office, Laura is passionate about food, travel, and  (perhaps less obviously) home renovation. Garage conversions, underfloor heating, wall removals with temporary propping: the problem-solving doesn't really stop when she leaves the office. A piece of advice that has stayed with her throughout her career says a lot about how she operates: "Don't wait to feel ready, step into the opportunity and grow into it."

Crafter Engineering is stronger for having Laura on board. Welcome to the team.