Whitby Wood Associate Director Robert Mills is a chartered structural engineer with in-depth experience of working on retrofit, change of use, adaptation, refurbishment and new-build projects in a wide range of sectors, often on constrained inner-city sites. He leads engineering design teams — putting sustainability at the heart of the work — and is proactive in supporting clients in the maximum possible retention of existing building fabric, and the adoption of circular economy principles. Robert enjoys the realisation of tangible solutions to structural challenges. He works with many different materials, including mass timber and exposed concrete, and has done pioneering work on the reuse of steel. Key to his track record in the delivery of complex retrofit projects is his deep understanding of structural systems and building fabric, old and new. He has a passion for sustainable design and Whitby Wood’s ongoing development of its Route to Zero targets. He is currently working with European partners on an ‘Optoppen’ project to develop and promote the timber vertical extension of buildings as city-scale carbon sinks. Robert also sits on the steering group and is a founding member of the Engineers Reuse Collective, a knowledge sharing forum between structural engineers that aims to improve communication to maximise reuse opportunities between projects.