Eckersley O’Callaghan at 20: A Look Back with Brian and James

29 April 2025

As we mark two decades of Eckersley O’Callaghan, we’re celebrating more than just a milestone. We’re reflecting on the journey that’s brought us here, one that began not with a fixed blueprint for success, but with a shared curiosity about how engineering could serve design in more meaningful ways.

The video below, featuring co-founders Brian Eckersley and James O’Callaghan, offers a personal look back at the ideas and moments that have shaped our practice. From our earliest days working on the Apple Fifth Avenue Cube to pioneering timber-hybrid towers and restoring modernist landmarks, theirs is a conversation rooted in purpose, ambition and problem-solving.

In many ways, our growth has mirrored the evolution of the built environment itself. A shift towards global collaboration, circular design and a deeper commitment to climate resilience. While iconic projects like the Steve Jobs Theater, Apple Zorlu in Istanbul and Apple’s Fifth Avenue store helped define our global reputation, they also laid the foundation for our future. While our early collaboration with Apple gave us a global platform, it also required us to scale quickly and operate internationally from the outset. This experience helped define our ability to stay agile and maintain close involvement in our projects, regardless of location, something that remains central to our approach today.

Expanding into facade engineering in 2011 was another key turning point. It opened new doors and deepened our ability to deliver holistic solutions. From restoring the Jean Prouvé 1970’s modernist UNESCO HQ facade in Paris with the sensitivity of a heritage project to delivering high-performance structural and envelope solutions at London South Bank University and Keble College in Oxford, we’ve remained focused on marrying technical rigour with design intent.

And our investment in timber speaks to a long-term belief in its potential. With Vitsœ, The Black & White Building, and now the 45-storey Atlassian Central in Sydney, we’re showing what’s possible when materials are used thoughtfully and with courage. That same city has also given us the chance to work on the new Sydney Harbour Bridge Cycleway, another project that blends structural clarity with public impact.

Through it all, we’ve remained agile. Our ten global offices were never the product of a top-down strategy. They emerged from trusted relationships, talented people and shared ambition. Each is led by local experts, supported by our global network, and bound by a consistent culture where leadership stays close to the work and technical excellence is always grounded in collaboration.

That culture has helped us grow to over 160 people across the world, representing more than 30 nationalities. Our focus on sustainability and digital innovation has only strengthened, with investment in tools and technologies that help us optimise designs and make smarter, low-carbon decisions. But for all the progress we’ve made, our success still comes down to people, curious minds with a passion for making buildings better.

As James and Brian reflect in the video, the next 20 years will demand even more from engineers. More ingenuity, more adaptability and more clarity in communication. But the core of what makes EOC unique hasn’t changed: a commitment to thoughtful design, deep technical insight and a shared belief in the power of great engineering to shape a better, more resilient world.