Garrick Sze

For Garrick Sze, the practice of engineering is a life pursuit that provides him with both a sense of personal achievement and of contribution to his community. It is his dedication to this idea that has enabled him to rise through the ranks of PB Asia-Pacific during his 17 years with the firm, from his start as a young engineer to his current position as Vice President and Director of Business Development for South China.

His keen interest in science steered him toward engineering at the University of Hong Kong, from which he graduated with a bachelor's degree in engineering in 1987 (he would later add a master's degree in building services engineering). One year later Garrick joined PB, and he has been with the company ever since.

Garrick has served as Project Manager on a variety of prestigious projects throughout the Asia-Pacific region, ranging from information technology/telecommunications and building services projects to rail and tunnel systems. His expertise lies in electrical and electronic systems, including high- and low-voltage power distribution and lighting systems.

His vast project experience includes the Kadoorie Biological Sciences Building, a 10-story, 10,000-square-meter (108,000-square-foot) laboratory situated on the main campus of the University of Hong Kong. PB was responsible for the design of all building services systems for the facility, which was named the "best designed educational building in Asia" in 2001 by the journal World Architecture.

Other examples of Garrick's success on a diverse array of projects include the KCRC Ma On Shan Rail extension in Hong Kong, where PB provided mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) services design for eight of the line's nine stations and structural services for three stations; Hewlett-Packard's Beijing headquarters in China, where PB provided owner's representative, design consultancy and construction administration services; and Global Crossing Cable Landing Stations in Hong Kong, Korea and Taiwan, where PB provided full turnkey lead consultancy services.

His current efforts include serving as Project Manager on Sun Hung Kai Properties Ltd.'s Lujiazui development in Shanghai, China, a 465,000-square-meter (5 million-square-foot) commercial complex located in the heart of the city's Pudong business district. The development will feature a five-star hotel, a 40,000-square-meter (430,600-square-foot) shopping mall, and a 30-story office tower. Among the services PB is providing are full MEP design; construction supervision of the MEP systems; and system testing, commissioning and hand-over.

Garrick says that working on such a cross-section of projects has enabled him to have a wider vision of engineering development. "Although the functions of these projects are all different, the engineering requirements at the back are quite similar," he says. "For example, the stringent requirements on power supply in railway and telecommunications projects are now widely used in office buildings."

But that doesn't mean these projects are without their challenges, Garrick says, particularly in China. "PB works for many international clients in China. These clients expect the process of realizing their vision to be the same as in their home countries-however, engineering practice, regulations and procedures in China are quite different than those of the United States and Europe. PB needs to build a smart, skillful bridge with clients in order to ensure that both parties understand the process."

And now as Director of Business Development, Garrick has to expand his engineering understanding even further, tackling day-to-day tasks involving finance, contracts and management.

Patrick Lun, Deputy Chief Operating Officer at PB Asia-Pacific, says, "Garrick is a true professional who can seamlessly apply his strong technical expertise and project management skills on a variety of project types. This, coupled with his competence for business development and client relationship management, is why Garrick is so valued by colleagues and clients alike."