Kamran Moazami is the man behind many of the most iconic high-rise buildings around the world. Today he speaks to Infrastructure Intelligence about leaving life in Iran 50 years ago for a career in sky-high engineering across the globe.

Think of the buildings that have changed the face of London’s skyline in recent decades.

Striking developments such as the Shard, 22 Bishopsgate, London South Bank Place, Strata Tower, One Blackfriars, Canary Wharf’s catalogue of new buildings, leading the client monitoring team on Leadenhall Tower – affectionately known as the Cheese Grater - or One Undershaft, the next tallest building in London.

They all have TWO things in common. They’re all stunning high-rise developments, but Kamran Moazami has been chief engineer of them all.

Moazami is managing director, property and buildings (UK) at WSP. With a career spanning 45 years, he has made a deep and lasting contribution to the architectural landscape.

A world-renowned expert in structural engineering, he has re-shaped London’s skyline and worked on major projects around the globe. But he’s also a champion for his profession, a mentor to many and a passionate advocate for careers in engineering.

His incredible career was recently recognised at the Consultancy and Engineering Awards 2024 held in January this year and organised by the Association for Consultancy and Engineering (ACE). He received one of two coveted Lifetime Achievement awards presented on the night - the other going to Dinesh Patel, Arup Fellow.

But where did Moazami’s story start?

Born and raised in Iran, he headed for New York in 1975 to study civil engineering gaining his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Columbia University.

With construction booming in Iran, his plan was to complete his education, head home and start his career. Then the plan changed.

“I’d graduated, given up my flat and was ready to go home,” says Moazami.

“Then the war in Iran started. So, I called my dad and said, ‘what am I going to do?’ He said, ‘get your PhD and don’t come back’.”

While he did apply for a PhD, industry was beckoning. “I wanted to work” he explains, “I wanted to gain experience.”

A contact from one of his professors led to an interview and as Moazami says, “the rest is history”.

Making his mark on Manhattan - and beyond

Moazami’s passion for high-rise engineering was fuelled by his time in America.

“I love New York because of the skyscrapers” he explains. “There I was working in the city and looking at these buildings thinking ‘can I one day work on one of these’.”

Moazami spent the first few years of his career at structural engineers Cantor Seinuk, working on prestigious buildings such as 7 World Trade Centre, 450 Lexington Avenue, 101 West End Avenue, Manhattan Mall, the Miami Performing Arts Centre and the Trump Riverside development. 

Work them brought him to London for Canary Wharf’s development. Leading the opening of its London office, he then as a partner with Cantor Seinuk, saw the business sold to WSP in 2000.

“We decided that by bringing the two teams together we could make a difference.”  And what a difference that has been.

Forging a new future with WSP

Moazami has been responsible for the design to completion of more than 30 million square foot of building projects across the globe, many with innovative engineering solutions.

These projects include London landmarks The Shard, 22 Bishopsgate and Barclays Bank Headquarters which was the first tall building in the world designed post 9/11 for collapse prevention in the case of an extreme event.

Other projects include Newfoundland Tower, One Blackfriars Road, Bank of America, The Credit Suisse Building and 60 Threadneedle Street.

Outside of London work has included Beetham Tower in Birmingham, the Manchester Hilton and Lumiere in Leeds. 

The Shard – western Europe’s tallest building – reflects Moazami’s passion for innovation and ambition to create future-ready buildings that captivate the public imagination.

As the project’s chief structural engineer, he pioneered the concept design that made Renzo Piano’s masterpiece a reality. By using a unique hybrid structural system and finding a way to act against wind-induced sway, he enabled additional floors to be accommodated, making the project financially viable.

He adds: “The Shard was actually one of the very few buildings in the world that at the time was designed for hybrid construction and for progressive collapse.”

But vertical building in already crowded city spaces also means being an expert in managing complicated site conditions. 

Newfoundland Tower at Canary Wharf – also known as the Diamond Tower – stands over two Jubilee Line tunnels. The building's design incorporates a diamond-pattern steel exoskeleton, which helps to distribute the load and support the structure above the underground tunnels. 

Engineering and environmental impact

Such ingenious innovation and efficiency are a hallmark of his work. At 22 Bishopsgate, in the heart of London’s financial district, he took on a challenge deemed too difficult by others - reusing all the foundations from an abandoned project on the existing site to create the capital’s second-tallest building. His solution resulted in 30% more lettable area and a 70% reduction in embodied carbon.

But while Moazami may be known for is high-rise developments, it’s finding an engineering solution that is his real passion.

“I got a reputation in the UK for tall buildings, but I've worked on all kinds of buildings - stadia, aviation terminals, any kind of building. My personal passion is about not just tall buildings but about multidisciplinary. Total solution work, because I believe in that.

“Buildings should be designed holistically and as one and it’s not about the best structure engineering or best mechanical engineering. Most of the newer jobs we are winning are about total solution and it's about making sure that you use the existing structure as much as possible.

“If there is an existing building, you use it as much as possible before you demolish it and you make sure that the combination of all the engineering specialists that you use can create a holistic solution which is not only sustainable but architecturally pleasing, compatible with the environment and uses the minimum embodied and operational energy.”

Planning and policy

When it comes to the infrastructure sector, Moazami says there is much recent change to be welcomed. The importance of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill to simplify and speed up the delivery of projects and the increasing importance of the environmental impact of how and where we build are just two examples.

But changes in other areas, such as introduction of the Building Safety Act, have created bottlenecks to contend with.

So, while planning approval may happen more quickly, projects may stall further down the line waiting for reviews and checks.

Moazami believes state-registered professional licensing for engineers, seen in the US, is something that could speed up the process in the UK.

“In the US for every building you have a licenced professional engineer signing and sealing the structural drawing and you have a licenced professional architect signing and sealing all the drawings saying, ‘I take responsibility for coordinating this building, my name is on it’.

“They are the engineer and architect of record who are responsible for the jobs. Let the responsibility lie with the professionals.

“I'm a licenced professional engineer in the US and when I worked in the US on all these buildings that I'm talking about I signed and sealed the drawings, and I made sure I checked it.

“But here if I do the job and somebody else comes in and checks my job and somebody else checks the checker, ultimately who is responsible?”

Engineering's next generation

While Moazami has championed engineering across four decades, he’s also incredibly passionate about inspiring the next generation with his leadership and infectious enthusiasm inspiring countless engineers across WSP.

“It’s an exciting time to be joining the industry,” he says, “the technology is moving so fast. There are so many brilliant engineers in the UK all excited about what they do.

“Bring the best of technology and best of the ability of people to manipulate technology together along with depth of experience for the best results.”

He adds: “Everything is about sustainability now. All big corporates are thinking sustainability. So, coming up with new materials, new ways of doing things, using existing materials and not wasting them - it's really an amazing time for our industry.

“Most young people want to be part of the sustainability story. They come up with solutions and use innovation, different techniques and tactics to make things more efficient and sustainable. They have passion for it, which is amazing.”

As for the future? Moazami continues to build skywards.

Among his next projects are One Undershaft and 100 Leadenhall, the next two proposed skyscrapers in London's City district. WSP is involved as a multi-disciplinary engineer on these projects, working with other consultants on various aspects of the building.

On completion One Undershaft will become the tallest in the City of London and joint tallest in Western Europe, matching the height of the Shard.

Whatever engineering ingenuity is required to make the project a reality, it will be a challenge quickly accepted by Moazami.

“Solving problems is my passion, it’s about coming up with ideas together with the team.

“So, I never take credit for me doing it. It's about us doing it together and coming up with the idea.”