Mechanical, electrical and design advisory services at Xburo continue to be strengthened by the addition of new team members.
Joining us over the recent period has been Scott Thomson, as an Associate Electrical Engineer; Hardy Hamilton, Mechanical Engineer; and Samuel McCrossan, Electrical Design Engineer.
Scott joins as an Associate Electrical Engineer, experienced in design, technical advisory, project management and asset management services. In design and client advisory roles, he has led multidisciplinary teams across the residential, commercial and industrial sectors, working on major schemes valued from £100m to £1bn. He has worked in design and client advisory roles across the UK and internationally, including a period in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, before joining Xburo.
Samuel has a strong foundation in onsite electrical installation and commissioning. His practical knowledge gives him a robust understanding of real-world construction which are relied upon to build collaboration between design and construction teams. He recently completed City & Guilds Level 3 Awards in Initial and Periodic Inspection and Testing of Electrical Installations.
Hardy joins the Mechanical Engineering team as part of strategic growth, specialising in design and co-ordination mechanical building services where he works closely across our portfolio of clients in healthcare, defence, leisure, residential and commercial fit-outs.
The appointments continue to strength our team of engineers as Xburo continues to deliver its expert services to clients on a number of leading projects throughout Scotland and the rest of the UK.
Recruiting the Next Generation of Xburo Apprentices.
Xburo delivers expert Mechanical and Electrical (M&E) Engineering services. We attract, develop, and nurture talent—bringing highly skilled professionals to the marketplace who make a meaningful contribution to projects, the built environment, and the world around us.
Xburo is recruiting apprentices to join the team, building on a successful initiative established in 2023. We’re now welcoming applications for Mechanical and Electrical Engineering apprentices, as well as early‑career roles across our wider professional teams. From your first day, you’ll work on live projects, learning and earning as you build your career.
Our apprentices combine on‑the‑job training with formal qualifications.
You will be supported to:
Study at college and complete an HNC in Building Services Study at university, completing a BEng (Hons) at Glasgow Caledonian University
Gain hands‑on experience working across professional services teams, building a deep understanding of how we support our clients
Visit live project sites to see our work in the built environment alongside our fully qualified Mechanical and Electrical experts
Xburo Experts – Your Apprenticeship Programme
When you join Xburo as an apprentice, you become part of our structured Xburo Experts Programme, designed to combine education with hands-on industry experience.
What Qualifications Will You Need?
We welcome school leavers and college students who are passionate about pursuing a career in engineering. To give you the best opportunity to succeed, we are looking for candidates who have achieved—or are on track to achieve—Highers, A-levels, or equivalent qualifications in core subjects.
Essential Requirements:
Highers (or equivalent) in: Maths, English and one science-based subject
Strong numeracy, literacy, and basic computing skills
A willingness to learn and work collaboratively as part of a team
What Happens Next?
Our internal training programme follows a clear timeline, allowing you to combine part-time education with on-the-job training across our Glasgow or Edinburgh offices (dependent on location).
How Can You Apply?
We accept applications all year round, with our main intake taking place in the summer months as pupils and young people move on from school.
We are currently recruiting apprentices for our Glasgow and Edinburgh offices.
Get in Touch
To apply, simply email admin@xburo.co.uk with the following information:
A short introduction about yourself
Your current or predicted qualifications
Why you’re interested in a career in Mechanical & Electrical (M&E) Engineering
If your application is successful, we’ll invite you to attend an interview and will be in touch with next steps.
We look forward to hearing from you and helping you take the first step towards a career with Xburo.
A roundup of another brilliant year for our company – thank you to everyone who has played a part in continued success.
In 2025, we entered our 7th successful year, building on our company’s impactful growth. Reflecting on the year past and achievements, it wasn’t just engineering. Growth has been steady, thoughtful and strategic as we continued to build our team from within.
Starting with a trio of promotions for Jack Hannigan, Liam McAdie and John Duncan-Anderson as they each stepped up to take on the role as Senior Mechanical Engineers. Joe Viola was also promoted to Senior Electrical Engineer in recognition of the role he plays within the company.
Under the stewardship of our senior team – Thomas Brady, Michael Gribben, Ian Menzies and Andrew Lyons – we saw continued growth in our business.
During 2025, we are delighted to be well embedded and collaborating on a number of frameworks across the UK. We have been appointed to framework agreements with Babcock, HIAL and SSE, and we are enjoying working with these organisations.
The world of rugby and the world of business aligned this year with one of the most significant developments for Xburo being the appointment of Al Kellock, as a non-executive director. Al was approached to strengthen the performance of the team in an advisory role. He lent his expertise at our recent Away Day demonstrating what drives successful teams.
Under the mantra that individuals drive success but teams drive significance, Al like the whole team has been instrumental in bolstering the team’s performance and challenging the directors to drive a winning team. From our mechanical and electrical engineers to our financial controller, Caroline McAdam, and our office administration, Lauren Nelson, each member of our team is critical to the expert project delivery synonymous with our name; Xburo.
We were incredibly proud to see Josh McIvor take his next steps in his career through our apprenticeship programme which we launched. Recruited straight from school, Josh is now at Glasgow Caledonian University having graduated from North Kelvin College as he continues to learn and earn beside his colleagues.
Partnership was central to our strategy this year as we supported Glasgow Caledonian University’s School of Computing, Engineering and Built Environment through student sponsorships. Our scholarship programme provides financial support to help future engineers reach their potential while strengthening ties with the UK’s No. 1 Modern University, ranked in the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2026.
And, of course sport, arts and charities continued to be supported by our engineers. Our commitment to amateur golfers Jayla Kepler and Megan Docherty continued within our sports sponsorship programme and GHK Rugby player Leo Finlay.
There were too many projects to mention, too many late nights and early starts, and teams throughout Scotland and the rest of the UK that helped us to delivery our expert project services.
Lastly, thanks to everyone who has been on the journey with us and to those who have worked with us, past and present, and to our clients who rely on our expertise to deliver their projects. We wish you a Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year.
Apprentice Engineer Josh McIvor takes his next step in his career
Xburo recruited school-leaver Josh McIvor straight from school when he responded to an apprenticeship advert, beginning his journey toward a career in Mechanical and Electrical Engineering.
A love of maths and problem solving sparked his interest and through the support of his schoolteacher, Josh was successfully recruited onto our apprenticeship engineering programme.
Our programme has allowed Josh to learn and earn where he spent one day a week at North Kelvin College and four days in our offices or on sites learning from our team of experts.
Josh began as an apprentice in 2023 and successfully passed his HNC in Building Services. Now Josh has enrolled on the BEng (Hons) in Building Services at Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU), which is a four-year programme that will give him all the qualifications necessary in the industry.
Thomas Brady, Founder and Director of Xburo, said:
“As a product of an apprenticeship scheme (many years ago!), I am very proud of everything that Josh has achieved to date. He has mixed well with the team and flourishes under the pressures of our fast-paced and professional environment.
“I am an advocate of the apprenticeship training model as it is important that M&E consultancies like ours offer school leavers opportunities to enter the industry. Josh has been fully integrated into the team and has experienced the real challenges that our engineers take on.
“Supporting Josh in developing his career has been a team effort as each of our engineers have assisted him in his learning through practical advice and training support.”
Josh said: “Joining Xburo straight from school was a significant step, but it’s been an incredible opportunity. The apprenticeship programme has allowed me to learn on the job while studying, which really suits me because I enjoy practical problem-solving. Passing my HNC was a proud moment to share with my family, and now starting my BEng at Glasgow Caledonian University feels like the next big milestone. I now know that I really want to be an engineer and to keep building my skills and learning from others, and then I will see where my career takes me.”
Congratulations Josh from everyone in the team!
“Interested in following Josh’s path? Xburo’s apprenticeship programme reopens next summer—stay tuned for details!”
Rugby leader to share his expertise with Engineers as firm continues its expansion plans
Xburo is teaming up with Al Kellock to bring his leadership and high-performance skills to the growing engineering firm.
The Managing Director of Glasgow Warriors and a former Scotland captain will see him tackle the world of the engineering as he joins Xburo as a non-executive director.
Kellock was approached by Xburo to strengthen the performance of its team as it has seen exponential growth since its launch in 2018. The company has grown from two to twenty employees in that time.
The firm started by Thomas Brady and Michael Gribben first reported a lockdown boom in 2020 with contracts worth in excess of £100milllion and five years later, business is not slowing down with projects worth in excess of £300million in 2025.
Kellock’s appointment at Xburo sees him take up an advisory role where he will lend his expertise to the company on what drives successful teams as the firm continues to expand. His position will see him challenge directors to drive the team forward during this acceleration period.
Since taking over as Managing Director of Glasgow Warriors, Al has instilled a culture of a values-driven organisation with the motto whatever it takes leading the change on and off the pitch. This has led to an increase in self-generated revenue growth and a renewed approach for strategic investment.
He said: “The world of rugby and business are very much aligned. Individuals drive success but teams drive significance and grow collectively. Xburo has strong foundations as a company, and we want to build on this success as the company evolves and grows.
“Cultural and environments are crucial to the success of any team, and we see this in sport and in business. High performance allows team to keep pushing for success in a competitive marketplace and through my experiences, I will be working alongside the team to capture winning behaviours to allow the team and the company to adopt a culture of success by driving each other on to succeed.”
Xburo has a portfolio of clients throughout the UK and leads significant projects including acting as NEC3 supervisory at The Baird Family Hospital and The Anchor Centre and works on the multimillion development at Ocean Terminal in Edinburgh. Recent appointments have included a number of educational projects alongside Strathclyde Water Park as well as a significant major framework win with a major defence contractor.
Director Michael Gribben reached out to Al Kellock to bolster the team’s performance and challenge the directors to drive a winning team.
He said: “Al brings with him business acumen and a winning desire. We see that the world of engineering and sport united in their aims to do whatever it takes to succeed. His appointment will challenge each of us to drive high performance to an exceptional level as we enter the next phase in our growth trajectory. Business and the power of sport are already in our foundations as an engineering firm that sponsors, supports and is committed to the challenging the status quo. At Xburo, our expertise sets us apart and our unique partnerships and perspectives have afforded us some great success in recent years. We want to continue to foster this and grow strategically through our alliances.”
The team has grown in size with 20 employees located throughout the UK with offices in Glasgow, Edinburgh and London. A recent recruitment drive for all levels is underway in mechanical, electrical and sustainability roles.
Trio of Promotions at Xburo and opening of apprenticeship scheme
Trio of promotions in Mechanical Engineering as Xburo relaunches its apprenticeship programme again.
We have a number of new promotions in our Mechanical Engineering department with Jack Hannigan, Liam McAdie and John Duncan-Anderson advancing their careers to become Senior Mechanical Engineers at Xburo.
Jack joined Xburo to work on a number of healthcare and defence projects, advancing his experience under the leadership of Thomas Brady and Andrew Lyons. He has worked on a number of our leading projects including various defence projects at HMNB Clyde and also healthcare projects with NHS Western Isles, Lothian and others.
Liam’s appointment was part of our strategic growth due to his wide range of experience within building services. Notable projects where Liam has played a pivotal role are Ocean Terminal, Edinburgh Quay and Primrose Lodge. He is also experienced in carrying out a wide range of technical due diligence for clients, including condition surveys, asset collection, planned preventive maintenance (PPMs) and dilapidations surveys.
John joined Xburo shortly after its inception and is a huge personality in the office. He has a background in mechanical and environmental engineering and has specialised in a number of school projects with the responsibility for maximising energy efficiency of electrical and lighting simulations within the buildings.
Michael A Gribben, director of Xburo, said: ““Promotions announced today reflect the strong performance of these individuals in bringing their expertise to Xburo and our clients. To see the growth of our engineers is rewarding and to advance their careers at Xburo is advantageous to our clients and to our business. This also presents us with an opportunity to recruit to bring in new talent as we see the progression of the engineers in our business.”
2025 has been a busy period for Xburo as we deliver on a number of leading projects having secured a significant framework win with an infrastructure organisation and various educational projects alongside Strathclyde Water Park.
We are recruiting for all levels in Mechanical, Electrical and Sustainability roles. We are also opening up our apprenticeship programme again for a trainee to join us from school.
There are few consultancies in Scotland and the UK that can offer exposure to the same workstreams that Xburo can offer between commercial real estate support, technical advisory and design.
If you are interested please get in contact with Michael, Tom, Ian or Andy.
Jayla Kelper, our sponsored amateur golfer, has been selected to represent Scotland at a tri-nations event in Ireland.
The school pupil from Clydeview Academy is one of only ten of Scotland’s rising stars to be chosen and one of four girls.
The announcement was made by Scottish Golf that Jayla will head to Ireland next month to face the host country and Wales in a tri-nations event on a course described by six-time Major winner Sir Nick Faldo as ‘the most challenging dunes in links golf’.
Jayla Kelper plays out of Greenock Golf Club and this will be a first for Jalya at a national level. The fifteen-year old has been supported by Xburo since 2023 as part of our sports sponsorship programme.
Xburo Director Michael Gribben said: “To be selected for a national team is an incredible achievement. She has a winning mentality and we have witnessed her drive, commitment and tenacity through our sponsorship and enjoyed her most recent success. We are proud to support amateur golfers and we wish Jayla a successful tournament – congratulations Jayla!”
Already Jayla has broken records by becoming the first junior girl to clinch the Greenock Golf Ladies’ Championship in 2024, having only taken up golf four years earlier after watching it on TV and deciding to give the sport a go.
Jayla is one of two golfers supported by Xburo including Megan Docherty from Bishopbriggs who is in the United States pursuing her dream of making it professionally.
Xburo’s work transforms the built environment and goes beyond the 9-5, and by supporting Megan and Jayla, we are making a positive impact on individuals and their ambitions.
At the event in April, the nations – Scotland, Ireland and Wales – will play each other twice over the course of the three days in a mixture of foursomes and singles matches.
Clare Queen, head of performance and pathways at Scottish Golf, said:
“This is always a great way for our juniors to start the season. I’m sure the matches against Wales and Ireland will be, as always, keenly contested and played in a great spirit. The boys and girls have been working hard over the winter period with their own coaches, but some of the team have been involved in the Scottish Golf programme working with the national coaches.
“These sessions in the regions and, for some, at a national training camp in Spain, are designed to help them with all aspects of their game so that when they step outside their comfort zone, they are ready to embrace new challenges.
“Travelling to compete on unfamiliar courses against new opponents is all part of the learning curve.
“We’re striving to give our most talented young players everything they need to reach their full potential and trips such as this one to Ireland will help them on that path.”
Xburo starts 2025 off with a series of new projects and announcements following a busy 2024 year.
A Director’s update from Michael Gribben
Following a robust 2024 year, we look ahead to the next few months with plans to make significant announcements for Xburo in the year ahead.
2025 highlights so far include: Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion in Edinburgh; as independent testers, led by Thomas Brady; appointed to complete 177 Bothwell Street fitout – one of the most sustainable developments in Scotland – led by Andrew Lyons; refurbishment and landlord works at G1 Building in George Square, led by Ian Menzies; and we continue to support the NHS partners and respective health boards across Scotland.
2024 highlights included:
In London, a number of projects including Lloyds Avenue, where we completed refurbishments as well as portfolio conditioning inspections for acquisition
Progress on Ocean Terminal in Edinburgh as Mechanical Public Health Engineers (MEPH) continued on this transformational project and the reimaging of the shopping centre, waterfront and community complex
Baird Family Hospital and Anchor Centre in Aberdeen, a £261.1 million building development for NHS Grampian, we are providing supervisory and quality monitoring services
Acquisition projects included the George Hotel in Edinburgh and design work 124-125 Princes Street, working alongside PMP & HK Surveying & Design LLP
Our work at Coulport continues at the Naval base as well as a number of other projects around Glasgow and the West
At Clyde Gateway and Buchanan Street we conducted technical due diligence
Supported one of the biggest deals of 2024 with the acquisition of 122 Waterloo Street, comprising of 157,000 square-foot Grade A offices space let to Morgan Stanley
Across the offices, it has been a strong performing year and 2025 is not slowing down with encouraging signs in January.
Xburo continues to attract talent to the company with the appointment of Andy Lyons providing that steady, guiding hand as we continue to grow. Look out for our apprenticeship scheme opening up again soon to applicants ready to leave school and pursue a career in engineering.
We look forward to the months ahead with new framework wins that will announced shortly as well as a number of new project wins which we are starting with our industry partners.
2025 is underway with the year kicking off to a great start…more announcements to follow.
Celebrating success at Glasgow Caledonian University as Xburo lends its support as an industry sponsorship donor
Xburo supported the Annual Celebration at Glasgow Caledonian University’s School of Computing, Engineering and Built Environment.
This is the third year Xburo has supported the event which celebrates the best performing students and brings together industry leaders, students and staff to recognise outstanding achievements.
Xburo is proud to establish a partnership with one of the UK’s leading civic universities as an industry scholarship donor.
Andrew Lyons, Design Director of Xburo, attended the event to hand over the prize to the Best Level 3 Student Elliot Coyne who is currently studying an BEng in Electrical Power Engineering.
Elliot said: “Industry support is crucial to the success of students in finding work placements, making connections and taking the next step into the world of work. It was a great surprise to receive the award, and thank you to Xburo for the support.”
Elliot is one of a number of students that Xburo is supporting through the University’s scholarship programme with successful applicants expressing their gratitude for the profound impact which financial support lends to students juggling studying and working.
Previous award winners Xburo has supported in Electrical Engineering prizes are Graham Calder and Craig Minto.
Director Michael A Gribben said: “Our ambition has always been to strengthen our partnership working with the University, recruit the best mechanical and electrical engineers, and support the next generation in our industry. Our relationship with the University has grown since we started and we are proud to be supporting more students than ever to help them to realise their potential. It’s important to us that the industry give back to those who educate our future leaders.”
The celebration was hosted by Sarah McMullan, a Glasgow Caledonian University alumna and experienced broadcast journalist known for her work on BBC Scotland’s Reporting Scotland and The Nine. During the evening, Sarah led engaging discussions with graduates Mark Diamond, Georgia Milton and Chloe McAdam, each of whom exemplified the benefits of industry engagement during their university journey.
Professor Joanna Lumsden, Dean of SCEBE, said: “As one of the leading modern civic universities in the UK, we thrive on ideas, support innovation and value the importance of social responsibility and the Common Good. Our dedicated academics provide industry-aligned courses that deliver real impact and we are proud of the extensive partnerships that enhance student experiences and career outcomes. We also celebrate the formal recognition of SCEBE’s gender equality initiatives with the Athena SWAN Institutional Silver Award.”
Congratulations to all the prizewinners and good luck in your future.
Apprentice Engineer & Director reflect on first year of our apprenticeship programme
We caught up with our apprentice engineer Josh McIvor & Director Thomas Brady more than 15 months after we took on Xburo’s first apprentice.
When Josh joined us last year he was straight out of school where we had recruited him. A year on, Josh is now 18, at College, driving, and has far more tattoos. He is a well-loved member of the team, quietly determined to get the job done and is well on his way to a career in engineering with Xburo.
Here’s our Q&A to find out how he can help more pupils like him join our apprenticeship programmes:
Looking back over the back year, what has it been like at XBuro?
“This is my first job, so I can’t compare it to other companies, however what I can say is that coming into an engineering firm is so different from being at school, in a good way.
The pace of work at school is much slower and whilst the general pace in the office is often fast, as a trainee, I am lucky to be given time to think and the space to do it alongside colleagues. Looking back when I was at school, I would never have imagined the amount of time needed to solve problems when designing buildings, I just thought it happened magically! That for me has been one of the biggest learning curves.”
What attracted you to the apprenticeship programme?
A love of maths and problem solving sparked my interest at school and so when Ms Malone at my school (St Maurice’s High School) circulated an advert on the apprenticeship opportunity, I replied. I wasn’t sure what the programme would be like but a year on, I can see the direction and the opportunity for me to become an engineer.
Tell us about the programme?
I’m full time at Xburo and I attend North Kelvin College where I am undertaking the HNC in Building Services Engineering on a day release basis. The HNC is a two year programme and I am now in the second year. While the programme has been challenging, I’ve studied hard and got through it, with a little help from my colleagues. Looking forward, when I finish the HNC, I will go to the School of Computing, Engineering and Built Environment at Glasgow Caledonian University where I will enrol on the BEng (Hons) in Building Services Engineering course. This is a four year course and I will be 22 when I finish and by that time, I will have five years of working in engineering and the experience of sitting alongside engineers every day.
From school to the office, what’s that like?
Since it’s my first job in anything – not just engineering – it was strange at first having to adjust to the longer days but it’s an opportunity that I wanted. Going straight from school into work has allowed me to earn and learn at the same time. Hearing and picking up conversations in the office and having colleagues that will take the time to explain what they’re doing helps me to understand and get a better grasp of what the college lecturers are describing. I’ve been lucky to have Tom and the others to help and guide me in the transition from school to the office.
What hopes do you have for your career?
Now that I understand the process and career path, my ultimate aim is to gain recognition as a Chartered Engineer, after that who knows. I am aware that this is several years away, however in the short term its up to me to knuckle down, listen, learn and gain as much knowledge and experience as I can.
What would you say to someone who was thinking of the apprenticeship route?
Go for it. It is a great way to get your degree without incurring student debt.
Thomas Brady, Founder and Director of Xburo, said:
As a product of an apprenticeship scheme (many years ago now), I am delighted that Xburo is in the fortunate position to offer school leavers the opportunity to do the same. As an advocate of this training route it is great to see an ever increasing number of M&E consultancies offering school leavers the opportunity to undertake design apprenticeships too.
We have approximately 50 or so M&E design consultancies operating in the Scottish Market. In addition to the full-time graduates, imagine the available talent pool in 5-10 years if a third (or more) of these firms were to take on an apprentice every year, or every other year.
Not only would there be a significant increase in skilled professionals entering the field, we would have a more robust workforce with a diversity of ideas and approaches that can drive innovation within the industry. In addition, the increase in part-time student numbers would be a welcome boost to the various colleges and universities across Scotland.
The question is, is it going to be left to a select number of practices to drive this or will others become involved?
Watch out for our next apprenticeship opportunity – we welcome applications for hardworking young people ready to leave school and be supported in the first stages of their career, applications CV and a cover note to info@xburo.co.uk
Xburo makes key appointment as it brings in experienced engineer Andy Lyons to lead the Design team.
Andy Lyons joins the firm as design director with more than 20 years’ experience in engineering. Andy, previously an associate director with environmental consultancy Atelier Ten, was attracted to Xburo to take charge of its portfolio of design work and to mentor and develop its growing team of engineers.
Andy joins the senior leadership team which includes founders and directors Thomas Brady and Michael Gribben and Regional Director, Ian Menzies.
The company works in the spheres of healthcare, defence, commercial, residential, education, logistics and transport landing some major deals in recent years including delivering engineering services at Ocean Terminal’s Shopping Centre which is part of a £250m investment in Leith’s waterfront.
Xburo recently supported investment firm Iroko Zen in detailed design and technical due diligence (TDD) leading to one of the biggest deals of its kind in Scotland this year with the firm acquiring the city’s landmark Morgan Stanley building.
Andy Lyons said: “The decision for me to join Xburo was based on a desire to have a hands-on approach to design. This move will give me the opportunity to bring my experience to clients, to projects, and fundamentally to engineers that I will be mentoring.
“The high levels of expertise required by the industry needs to be backed up by experience to allow for greater collaborations between engineers and our design partners; this will be my focus as xburo continues to strategically grow and develop as a specialist and highly sought after mechanical and electrical engineering consultancy.”
Asset engineering, design energy and technical advisory are core to the services as founder and director Michael Gribben explains:
“We set up Xburo to go beyond a traditional mechanical and engineering company and to drive the route to net zero for clients. Having worked previously with Andy, his abilities, expertise and values align closely with Xburo. Our teams of engineers can rely on his experience and he will be an asset to us and our company as we continue to evolve.”
This year the team has represented Iroko Zen in its acquisition of two sizeable commercial properties in Glasgow for a combined total of £65million and continue to deal with their requirements.
In addition to this work in a vibrant commercial sector, the team continue to represent a number of healthcare providers, education institutions, and defence projects.
Recent new instructions have included Baird and Anchor supervisor project in Aberdeen and various projects between Coulport and Faslane.
We present our xburo 2024 Golf Day – The Kingsbarns edition.
We Present our xburo 2024 Golf Day – The Kingsbarns edition.
From expert engineers to green screens, starring Chris Richardson, we couldn’t do it without our star golfers!
A scoring system devised by Michael A Gribben that ‘only Carol Vorderman’ could understand led to an infamous tie-off on the green with Chris Richardson and Steve Johnstone, (BSc Hons, MRICS, APMP), aka Steve ‘Showtime’ Johnston, with Chris scooping the win.
Congratulations to our winners and those who turned up!
Nearest the pin won by Andreas Papadolambakis
Longest drive won by Duncan Esplin
Winning team was Chris Richardson, Alastair Kellock, Stuart Gray Kevin Bradley and the turning up prize went to Scottish rugby legend, Alastair Kellock.
The New Boclair Academy – a state of the art educational facility – NEC3 supervisory services
The completion of a new educational project – Boclair Academy – saw an invested of £20million in the build of a new secondary school to provide state-of-the-art learning for 1,500 learners over an 18-25 month period.
xburo worked in partnership with Doig+Smith to deliver Nec 3 supervisory services on behalf of East Dunbartonshire.
Delivered by Director and Chartered Engineer, Thomas Brady, and Associate and Electrical engineer, Ian Menzies, with the support of the whole team, our expansive industry knowledge, due to our advisory position, meant we had the advantage of seeing a wide range of best practice which we bring to our clients.
Watch our interactive film which showcases what goes on behind the scenes into providing a building that is fit for purpose and ready for this generation of learners.
xburo was commissioned to design Cat-A and Cat-B fitouts on Edinburgh Quay
Featuring some of our work at xburo by our mechanical, electrical and sustainable engineers.
xburo was commissioned to design Cat-A and Cat-B fitouts on Edinburgh Quay to navigate the path to net zero for our client as part of its strategy and masterplan for the future.
Our experts worked with the design team to develop the Mechanical and Electrical engineering elements of the build and to ensure the services and the building were improved for the wellbeing of tenants as well as addressing the future requirements for Edinburgh Quay.
Our work is to boost the buildings’ performance through a number of tactics as well as undertaking a full dynamic thermal modelling of the buildings to drive the energy strategy and sustainable aspirations of the build.
In addition to this work, xburo has carried out operational energy and carbon assessments to give the client and its tenants a clear and defined route map towards decarbonisation in line with the ambitions to be net zero.
Our relationship continues as we assist the client and the contractor during the construction phase through to completion. xburo will also provide commissioning assistance on the MEPH installations.
Read what our clients say about us:
“Against the background of global warming & climate change, the property industry has a responsibility to limit the impact of its physical assets. The projects xburo are designing, managing and delivering on our client’s behalf in Edinburgh, aim to marry the needs of our occupiers with a targeted reduction in carbon usage to deliver a high performing building fit for the future.” Daniel Hall
xburo sponsor charity match in an effort to raise money for local girl
On Saturday players at Cambuslang Rugby Club supported coach Gavin Blackburn in his efforts to raise money for an East Kilbride girl with spina bifida.
The veteran rugby coach reached out to businesses like xburo to support his efforts to raise as much money as possible to allow Amber’s parents to make suitable modifications to their home to ensure it is a more accessible space, and we were delighted to help where we could.
The efforts are to help five-year-old Amber to access a wet-room and living space downstairs in her home following more than 20 operations, most recently undergoing an operation posterior vault distraction to relieve the pressure on her brain.
This was one of a number of challenges that Gavin has taken on including a 24-hour walking challenge which raised more than £3,000 with companies like xburo now coming in to support through sports sponsorship.
Director Michael Gribben said: “Gavin has been excellent in his leadership to bring companies and people on board to support a young girl and her family. Rugby creates a community ethos and we were keen to get involved in lending support when Gavin and John McLaughlin shared Amber’s story and her family’s journey. It takes a team to help people when there is a need and getting involved in some small way is worthwhile.”
We are recruiting a Senior Mechanical Engineer to join our team of award-winning experts.
As part of plans to scale up and deliver our expert services, we are looking to recruit a highly experienced Senior Mechanical Engineer who can work in a fast paced environment and who enjoys problem solving and will bring expertise to our team.
As an award-winning team – named Best Small UK Consultancy by the Association for Consultancy and Engineering – we are looking for the right candidate that will join our team.
Listen in to Director Michael A Gribben on the role, responsibilities, the rewards and all about xburo.
Sponsorship helps to raise funds for charity challenge
xburo is supporting Cambuslang Rugby Coach Gavin Blackburn in his efforts to raise money for an East Kilbride girl with spina bifida. Gavin will run from Ayr to East Kilbride on Saturday, March 24, to raise money to allow Amber’s parents to convert the bottom on their home into a more accessible space.
Gavin has also arranged a rugby match at Cambuslang’s Coats Park on 11 May, which will be a great way to awareness of Amber’s journey and some money to support her and her family.
The efforts are to help five-year-old Amber to access a wetroom and living space downstairs in her home following more than 20 operations, most recently undergoing an operation posterior vault distraction to relieve the pressure on her brain.
Already Gavin has undertook a 24-hour walking challenge raising more than £3000, and he is hoping that his latest efforts increase more money through his JustGiving campaign. This is one of a number of challenges Gavin has set himself to help the family out. xburo was delighted to lend its support to Gavin’s efforts through sports sponsorship.
Director Michael Gribben said: “Rugby and the rugby community are a huge part of xburo and in particular how we strive to create an elite team ethos, so when Gavin and John McLaughlin shared Amber’s story, we were keen to lend what support we could to his efforts. It takes a team to help people when there is a need and getting involved in some small way is worthwhile. We wish Gavin all the best in training and run, and of course, we hope that Amber gets the home she needs.”
Gavin will take on his latest challenge in March and has been in training six days a week. To find out more or to give, go to
On International Women’s Day, we turn the spotlight on Sarah Peterson and her career as the theme of the day turns to #InspireInclusion.
Our Director and Head of our Edinburgh operation is designing the road not only to net zero but for female engineers, today and every day.
With a career spanning more than 20 years, Sarah Peterson joined xburo last year and already in that short time, she has led our Energy and Sustainability division and been instrumental in the team winning Best Small UK Consultancy at the Association for Consultancy and Engineering (ACE) as well as being shortlisted for CIBSE’s Building Performance Awards.
Sarah has been instrumental in advocating to persuade women to join the profession throughout her career through mentorship, talks and presentations, and in her role as Chair of ACE Scotland.
Sarah said: “Marking International Women’s Day continues to be an important necessity as we inspire inclusion particularly within the world of engineering which continues to be male dominated. We know statistically that in 2022 women make up 16.5% of all engineers and although this number has continuously improved, we still have a long way to go to achieve equality of opportunity for girls and women in this country.”
“Accepting that more needs to be done is an ongoing issue and I see this in my work across industry to convince more young women that there is a place for them in what can be an exciting and rewarding career.
“We each have a role to play here whether it be getting into schools, joining industry bodies to be representative or engaging better with our universities. For me, ultimately it is showcasing the work that women are doing across the industry as part of large or small teams and speaking to young people about their contribution to net zero and what they can bring to the workplace. It is also important to recognise that inspiring inclusion is improving but the pace needs to pick up to change the statistics and the outcomes for women.”
And the pace is quickening for Sarah and her team as they have picked up a number of new projects lately with a pipeline of work focused on energy, sustainability and net zero.
As the company scales and grows following its recent success at recognised industry awards, xburo has sought to go beyond engineering and to reach out to individuals, organisations and groups to help them to reach their potential through mentorship of young female engineers, intern opportunities and sport sponsorship including amateur golfer, Megan Docherty and Jayla Kepler.
“As we scale and grow, xburo is looking to inspire inclusion. There were several people that inspired me during my career, from teachers to pioneering female engineers who forged a path in the industry and I am aiming that companies like ours will be just that for future engineers and we will continue to see an advancement in women engineers across the board where there is room for all voices and a seat at the table for the best engineers in every design team.”
The xburo team is nominated for the CIBSE Building Performance Awards at this year’s annual Awards ceremony.
The event will bring together industry experts to celebrate the best people, projects and companies from the world of engineering and the built environment – and xburo is among the nominees.
This nomination recognises xburo’s work in energy efficiency and the operation of buildings where we have demonstrated an outstanding contribution to delivering buildings that have high levels of measured building performance and user satisfaction through its operating life.
xburo is named alongside 13 other engineering practices from throughout the UK, recognising initiatives that use energy efficient operation and design to achieve #netzero targets.
The nominees shortlisted for Best Building Performance Consultancy (up to 50 employees) category including xburo are: Bennett Freehill, BSE 3D, Cyclone Energy Group, Energenz Consulting (NV5 Net Zero), FairHeat, grfn, Inkling, Lawler Group, Ruane Construction Design & Consultancy, S | Sealey & Associates, SRE, Sustainable Construction Scheme and Twenty One Engineering.
“To be recognised in providing solutions in building performance is credit to the work of the team and the projects which we deliver. Good luck to all those nominated within Consultancy of the Year category, it’s an honour to be once again recognised for our achievements as we continue to scale up and deliver for our clients.”
Colin McLatchie has joined xburo to drive forward a number of projects as an industry expert.
Senior engineer Colin McLatchie has joined xburo to further bolster the team as xburo scales up.
On the back of being named Best Small UK Consultancy at the Association for Consultancy and Engineering (ACE), we are delighted to have attracted Colin McLatchie, an experienced Mechanical and Electrical engineer, to our team.
The Senior Engineer will be instrumental in xburo’s strategy to scale up in its delivery of expert services.
Colin is a senior engineer with a career spanning more than 40 years in building surveying as a Mechanical and Electrical Engineer.
His experience ensures that our projects and the services we deliver are led by senior engineers, part of our commitment to clients and our strategy to delivery expertise, excellence and experience.
Colin is working closely with our team of mechanical, electrical and energy & sustainability experts. In addition to Colin’s design experience, he is an asset to the team as he fully understands the complexities of engineering services design, surveying and reporting, and the commercial impact of engineering services within the built environment.
Experienced in 3D scanning and BIM modelling, Colin will drive forward a number of our projects as his experience includes work on a number of NHS hospitals, commercial builds, defence projects and schools and universities.
Commenting on the appointment xburo director, Michael Gribben, said: “Colin’s appointment is key to our strategic growth as we continue to scale up our operations in 2024 as we build on the company’s recent success.
“To be named Best Small UK Consultancy at the Association for Consultancy and Engineering (ACE) is a pivotal point in our company’s history and we are delighted to attract talent like Colin to help us to continue to drive the business forward and to deliver the expertise synonymous with our name.”
Colin McLatchie added: “Joining xburo is an opportunity for me to work on a number of leading projects that the firm has secured. I look forward to passing on the knowledge that I have gained in my career within the company as well as having a focus on driving forward xburo for our clients as experts in our field.”
