Bas Pilar

Bas made a life-changing decision to leave his home country of Spain and to study in Liverpool. After receiving his English language test results, he wasted no time and promptly booked his flight and made the move to the UK to start his studies at LJMU.

Bas said: “It was a nerve-racking time, as leaving your home country to study abroad in a different language is difficult, to say the least. However, no risk, no reward, and it all worked out in the end!"

His journey to Liverpool was influenced by a heartwarming connection made through online gaming with a group of Scousers. “They were some of the friendliest and most hospitable people I had ever met, and they even invited me over to visit them for Christmas back in 2016. After being shown Liverpool, trying a Greggs for the first time, and having the most unreal roast dinner ever (that my friend's mum made for us), I decided I had to move here.”

Bas studied for a master’s in architectural engineering and was recognised for his outstanding work through his final year of study. He was awarded the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) President’s Prize, given to the best building services undergraduate for his final year project, “Making the most out of heat pumps” which proposed an innovative combined system of heat pumps and boilers for the refurbishment plan of LJMU's James Parsons Building.

The project's design used state-of-the-art modelling tools provided by LJMU and used costing and technical information made available by his professional network. The system was optimised to reduce as much carbon per pound spent as possible, balancing capital investment and operational carbon emissions with precision. The CIBSE judges were impressed by the project's relevance, depth of research, and alignment with key elements of design.

Bas didn’t just impress in his final year of study; he was an active class representative resulting in him receiving a full scholarship for a four-week technological exchange at the University of Shanghai for Science and Technology (USST) in China. He also received the Allan Hill Memorial Prize and the CIBSE Laurence Thistlewood Prize, in addition to the previously mentioned CIBSE President's Prize.

As part of his sandwich year programme, Bas also worked at Consolux M&E, a local consultancy where he gained great experience in mechanical design and thermal modelling, working on various high-profile projects in central London.

After graduating in 2022, he took on a graduate mechanical engineer position at Taylor Grace Air Conditioning Ltd, looking after the design and installation of complex mechanical systems for some of the largest international companies, using his keen interest in heat pumps, boilers, and energy efficiency to make a difference to the industry’s Net Zero targets and plans for a more sustainable future.

He also has interim Chartered Engineer (CEng) registration and is working towards full Chartership with the CIBSE. “In the near future, it would be great to achieve full Chartership with CIBSE, as it's something I've always had on my mind. After that, maybe being a director of my own M&E consultancy. To quote what Dr Raj Shah said to us in our second year, ‘Everybody wants to be a manager’.”