Helen McGarry

As a Associate Engineer and Sustainability Lead at Design ID, Helen drives the practice’s sustainability strategy while continuing to lead engineering projects across a range of sectors. Since joining in 2024, she has championed sustainability as a core design principle, ensuring it is embedded from the earliest project conversations and translated into practical, achievable outcomes for clients.

With more than 12 years of international experience, Helen has worked in Dublin, Hong Kong and London with Arup, and in London with Expedition Engineering before joining Design ID’s Hillsborough office. She is a Chartered Member of both the Institution of Structural Engineers and Engineers Ireland.

Helen brings a pragmatic, technical and research‑driven approach to low‑carbon design. Her recent work has focused on accelerating decarbonisation across UK infrastructure, particularly within the concrete industry. Helen is an active member of the UK Low Carbon Concrete Group and leads the annual updates to the LCCG Market Benchmark. In 2024, she co‑authored the concrete chapter of Materials: An Environmental Primer
(RIBA Books).

She is also exploring the application of Circular Economy principles and regenerative design thinking to help the construction industry better understand and enhance its environmental and social impact. Helen is motivated by projects that deliver meaningful, lasting value to people, places and the planet.