Ava Ghasemi

Building Engineer with experience in energy modelling, building performance, sustainable design, life cycle assessment, and decarbonisation strategies across Italy, the Netherlands, Ireland, and the UK. Skilled in dynamic energy simulations using IES VE, building physics, energy performance optimisation, and environmental analysis across commercial, residential, industrial, retail, warehouse, bank, luxury brand, and data centre projects. Experienced in LEED and WELL certification, including LEED assessments for data centres, advanced daylight and visual comfort analysis, CRREM analysis, net-zero pathways, building code compliance, and multidisciplinary design coordination.

Additional experience in life cycle assessment (LCA) for buildings and luxury brands, supported by specialised LCA training through the OnClick LCA Autumn Bootcamp. Strong interest in applying technical engineering and sustainability expertise to the energy transition and developing further experience across renewable energy generation, storage, and infrastructure projects.

Sustainability Consultant in Climate & Sustainability Services at ARUP (2023-05 – Present)

• Develop advanced building energy models and performance simulations in IESVE for residential, commercial, hospitality, sports, industrial, warehouse, data centre and mixed-use developments, supporting low-carbon design, electrification strategies and operational energy reduction.
• Lead technical assessments of renewable energy integration, including photovoltaic feasibility studies, minimum PV capacity requirements, energy yield optimisation and compliance with national renewable energy obligations.
• Contribute to net-zero and decarbonisation strategies for new and existing assets, evaluating building Energy Use Intensity (EUI), operational carbon emissions and asset performance against CRREM 1.5°C and 2°C pathways, identifying retrofit measures and long-term carbon reduction opportunities.
• Support the energy transition of building portfolios through analysis of electrification pathways, HVAC decarbonisation, renewable energy deployment and operational performance improvements.
• Delivered energy and sustainability analysis for large-scale developments across Europe, supporting design decisions that reduce energy demand while maximising renewable energy contribution and regulatory compliance.
• Performed detailed building physics and façade performance assessments, including thermal bridge modelling, condensation risk analysis, solar gains, overheating mitigation and passive design optimisation to reduce operational energy demand.
• Support RIBA Stage 2, 3 and 4 data centre developments, contributing to LEED certification, energy strategy development, PV integration studies and multidisciplinary design coordination between architectural, electrical and mechanical teams.
• Developed complex engineering calculations for evaporative cooling and water-demand assessments, supporting the evaluation of low-energy cooling technologies and resource efficiency strategies for mission-critical facilities.
• Conduct advanced daylight, solar and visual comfort analysis using sDA, ASE, UDI, illuminance and glare metrics, optimising façade design and passive environmental strategies while supporting LEED and WELL certification.
• Delivered daylight analysis for eight high-rise towers in Madrid and an office development in Amsterdam, supporting LEED and WELL certification and contributing to three certification points through daylight performance; for a major banking development in South Africa, evaluated over 50 simulation scenarios to optimise façade design, shading systems and occupant comfort.
• Support LEED, WELL and Fitwel certifications, including energy modelling, sustainability assessments and site inspections. Contributed to achieving approximately 10% energy savings for a development comprising 11 residential towers in Milan.
• Collaborate with architects, façade consultants, mechanical and electrical engineers to integrate sustainability, renewable energy systems, energy performance and regulatory requirements into complex projects across Italy and Europe.

Freelance Energy & Building Performance Analyst at Geraghty Energy Consultants Ltd. (2025-10 – 2026-03)

• Delivered dynamic energy modelling using IES VE 2025 (Apache, VistaPro) for 10 retail units within a shopping centre in Kilkenny, an industrial warehouse in Dublin, and a residential flat in Dublin.
• Modelled energy consumption for heating, ventilation, lighting, fans, destratification units, and equipment, including natural ventilation scenarios using air changes per hour (ACPH). Assessed solar gains through rooflights and skylights, including the impact of glazing G-values, to inform building performance assessments.
• Benchmarked predicted energy performance against CIBSE TM46 for a storage warehouse/depot and reviewed compliance with Irish Part L requirements.
• Prepared benchmark tables, energy intensity metrics (kWh/m²), and comparison charts for client reporting, collaborating with senior engineers to validate simulation outputs and align results with industry benchmarks.

Building Energy Analyst – Retrofit advisory and assessments; site inspections at O.M.E.G S.r.l. (2022-03 – 2023-03)

• Conducted 200+ site inspections of refurbished residential buildings to verify post-retrofit performance.
• Evaluated heating systems, thermostats, windows, insulation, and building envelopes (air gaps, thermal bridges).
• Issued official Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) in compliance with Italian regulations.
• Analysed energy data and provided recommendations to improve efficiency by up to two energy classes.

Master of Science in Building and Architectural Engineering – Politecnico di Milano (2023-05)

Bachelor of Science in Architectural Engineering – Azad University of Sari (2018-10)