Engineering the world’s grandest architectural projects

UK firm Newtecnic is using engineering know-how to turn architectural dreams into reality

Tucked away in the heart of Cambridge’s city centre sits the R&D department of one of the UK’s most interesting engineering firms.

Founded in 2003, Newtecnic is behind some of the world’s grandest civil projects, from the Heydar Aliyev Cultural Centre in Baku, Azerbaijan, to the Grand Theatre of Rabat in Morocco. Working alongside clients including Zaha Hadid Architects, it is helping to shape the public spaces of undeveloped regions across the globe.   

“We provide the engineering design for ambitious, large-scale projects, which are usually

high-profile projects,” Andrew Watts, Newtecnic’s CEO, told The Engineer.

According to Watts, Newtecnic’s role is to understand the architectural vision but also be sympathetic to what engineers and contractors can feasibly achieve. With a combination of cutting-edge design tools, building techniques and materials, the company is challenging the boundaries of modern construction.