About Us
We are a practice of design focused, talented civil and structural engineers working on a variety of projects from residential extensions to large scale commercial builds.
Experts in refurbishment projects, we can guide you through the process of carrying out upgrades to buildings with efficiency and in a sympathetic way to the existing structure.
With offices in Yorkshire and London we cover most of the UK.
Services
New Builds
New build projects can involve unique challenges that may not be encountered in refurbishment projects such the quality of ground and aspects such as drainage design and flood risk assessments to meet modern planning constraints. Getting us on board early on in the process will help to steer the project in the right direction.
Refurbishments
Empace have extensive experience in the refurbishment of buildings. We know that the key to a successful refurbishment project is to get an intimate understanding of the existing structure and early investigations can be crucial for this. Sometimes early decisions based on knowledge of the existing structure can potentially translate to tens of thousands of pounds in savings and reduce our carbon footprint as a bonus! We’ll handle this and liaise with any third parties on your behalf if specialists need to be brought in for aspects such as testing.
Residential
We have worked on numerous residential projects from small domestic work to large multi-million pound conversions. From period properties to modern construction methods, we will work with you through the design and construction process to ensure it goes smoothly.
Commercial and Industrial
Commercial and industrial work can be complex we have the experience and capability to be see projects through from conception to completion. We have a collaborative approach and early involvement form us can ensure efficient design which can sometimes translate to large savings and, on occasions we have been able to inform early decisions which have led to direct reductions in material and labour costs in the tens of thousands of pounds. This could be as simple as how and where to brace the structure.
Railway Asset Protection Services
In addition to design consultancy services, Empace can save you abortive costs, help break down barriers and support you in delivering projects adjacent to the railway. This includes liaising with Network Rail on your behalf on the following requirements:
- Basic Asset Protection Agreement (BAPA)
- Risk Assessment and Method Statements (RAMS)
- Provision of a Contractor’s Engineering Manager (CEM)
- Competence checks on CRE-D and CRE-C Nominations
- Technical and Commercial Clearance
- Drafting of Form A, B and C
- License Agreements
- Possessions
- Track Monitoring Plans
- Glint and Glare studies
Contractor services
Contractor services are complementary to our primary services. we can provide various contractor design services such as temporary works and steelwork fabricator design elements such as connections, balustrades and stairs. We have access to industry leading packages such as Tekla and IDEA Statica. Please contact us for rates.
Other Work
We also carry our structural surveys and assessments are particularly interested in investigating structural problems with existing structures. These can be as simple as investigating cracking in a small domestic property to defects in large structures. Other services include basement structural design (and basement impact assessments), SUDs drainage and flood risk assessments, as well peculiar and interesting structures such as art installations, pavilions and other unique installations.
Key Metrics
Our Talented Team - You’re in good hands!
Ummer DarazBEng(Hons) MSc DIC CEng MIStructE
Founder, Managing Director
Ummer leads the practice, working primarily in our Bradford studio but also regularly working in London.
A Master’s graduate from Imperial College London in Structural Engineering, Ummer also holds a First-Class Honours undergraduate degree from the University of Bradford in 2012.
Ummer is a Chartered member of the prestigious Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE) and has the privilege of a profile page on their website:
Ummer also takes a keen interest in the education of engineering students and provides input at the University of Bradford in their delivery of programmes.
Kieran WalkerBEng(Hons) IEng IMIStructE
Senior Engineer
Kieran Walker is an Incorporated Engineer (IEng) and an Incorporated Member of the Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE) and has over 10 years experience in the industry. Kieran is based in our Bradford office and oversees project delivery, reporting directly to Ummer.
Ummer Khattab
CAD Technician
Ummer brings to Empace a wealth of experience in the building profession together with training in draughting. His experience of construction and his training in draughting gives him a unique perspective when it comes to helping deliver projects at Empace. Ummer works from our Bradford office
Nana BioCEng MICE DIC
Associate Consultant
Nana is a Chartered Engineer, a registered mentor with the Institution of Civil Engineers and holds a Master’s Degree from Imperial College. He has over 17years of experience delivering railway infrastructure projects involving bridges, buildings, platforms and retaining walls amongst others
Richard ColleyMEng(Intl.)Hons CEng MIStructE
Consultant Engineer
Richard is a consultant engineer at Empace. An accomplished engineer, Richard attained his Master’s degree from the University of Leeds in 2010 Working alongside some very well-known names in the architectural world Richard has contributed to high profile projects such as the ‘Devonshire Square’ redevelopment and ‘King Abdulaziz Science City’, giving him the experience to navigate through some of the most complex projects out there.
Tony HoldbrookBEng(Hons) CEng MIStructE
Consultant Engineer
Tony is a senior consultant at Empace. Previously a founding partner at Parmarbrook, he helped to kick start and grow the business to a highly successful premier consultancy based in Shoreditch.
Tony has over 20 years experience in the London market and has seen most of the industry, from highly challenging basement projects to large scale multi-million pound commercial developments. Based in London Tony provides valuable higher level support to our projects.
Delano BurrelBA Arch
Consultant Project Manager
Delano graduated from The University of Greenwich with a BA in Architecture in 2008. Following this he has worked for a number of practices on a variety of projects ranging from commercial and mixed use to high end residential with significant focus on sustainable design. Following a passion for holistic design, Delano further attained a HND in Civil Engineering. Delano provides coverage to our London projects.