Yu Zhou
Structural Engineer, Dreamcast Group
Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) in Architectural Engineering
He had a keen interest in how buildings are designed and constructed, says Yu Zhou who came to AUT to study a Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) in Architectural Engineering.
“My dream was to make our built environments structurally safe and sound, comfortable to live and work in, and also environmentally friendly. AUT’s Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) in Architectural Engineering covered a mix of the topics I wanted to learn about, including architecture, structures, building services and construction management. I chose this degree as it perfectly met my needs.”
Yu – who is proud of receiving the CIBSE Architectural Engineering Award as one of the top AUT graduates in 2023 – says he had a number of highlights throughout his time at AUT.
“What I enjoyed the most were the resources and opportunities AUT provides to all its students. We were doing teamwork from the first year and I met some of my best friends in life through this. We accomplished many great projects that I still benefit from after graduating. I also had access to some of the most advanced design tools and library resources, and our lecturers were happy to spend hours after class to answer students’ questions.
“One of the highlights for me was the opportunity to be a research assistant participating in the review of a current building standard. I enjoyed using the knowledge I had learnt to repay society and trying to discover things no one knew the answer to yet was exciting. My research supervisor, Dr Shahab Ramhormozian, guided me to discover new knowledge and his words inspired me all the time.”
Turning his interests into his career
Since graduating from AUT in 2023, Yu is now enjoying his new role as a structural engineer for Dreamcast Group.
“I enjoy this role because I was able to turn my interests into my career. It feels good to provide solutions to solve any problems our designers and builders may have.”
He loves the wide scope his role offers.
“I’m responsible for creating building structures that are up to standard. I like that my work is creative as every project is different. Last but not least, I enjoy learning from the projects I’m doing, and like discovering new design concepts and technologies.”
Advice for other students
Yu has some great advice for other students.
“Find your interests and what you love to do. At the end of the day, we come to university to get us on track for doing what we’re passionate about. Remember to fully use the university resources while you’re at AUT; these resources aren’t as easily available outside of university.”
He also has some tips around the first and second-year core courses.
“The Year 1 and 2 core courses may not always feel related to what you want to do in future, but they’re fundamental to your engineering judgements and will accompany you in your life as an engineer. Spend more time on those courses as they will help you when you do your Year 3 and 4 courses.”
