In February 2023, we welcomed two new interns aboard the team here at the
Duke Voyagers Shipyard.
Our first intern, Alireza Pourmamihamamlou, obtained his Bachelor’s degree in
Architecture in his home country of Iran. Following this, he completed a Masters
Degree in Construction Engineering Management at UEL, graduating in
September 2022.
Alireza has always had a keen interest in architecture. As a child he would
admire buildings, longing to know how they had been constructed. For Alireza
there is a real thrill in being able to turn designs and ideas into a physical
reality. He loves that these creations will live on in societies to come.
In his 4 month long placement at the DVS, Alireza is working closely with
company director, Tony Duke. At present, Alireza is modelling the elevations of a
low carbon shipyard which will be used to build the prototype yacht “Molly D”.
Alireza is working on both the interior and exterior views of the shipyard,
finding the balance between sustainable practicality and aesthetics.
Though working on the design is a first for Alireza, he is eager to take on the
new challenge and diversify his skill set. On his new role at the DVS, Alireza
commented:
“It is an exciting new experience. In the past, I have worked on commercial and
residential buildings. This job is completely different! I expect it to be
challenging but I am very excited to gain experience in the marine sector.”
The demands of the building industry are changing rapidly in the UK, with the
dawning of significant net- zero policies. In 2019, the World Green Building
Council reported that buildings were responsible for 39% of global energy
related carbon emissions. The aim for 2050, is to ensure that the embodied and
operational carbon of all infrastructures will be net-zero.
Prior to working at the DVS, Alireza had not worked for a company that had
sustainability at its core. It was this that attracted Alireza to the role. He hopes to
utilise the skills developed at the DVS to influence his future career. Alireza
commented:
“I look forward to delivering high quality work to help the DVS achieve their
mission. Changing the way we build is very important for the sake of our planet.
The work of the DVS proves that these changes are possible. I hope to establish
myself as a prominent individual in the architectural industry.”
Francine Curran is the second intern to join us at the DVS. She is in her final
year of education at UEL, working towards a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology. She
has joined the team as our copywriter.
“A massive part of my course is about studying the challenges facing local,
national and global communities. And rightly, our environment one of the
greatest concerns at the moment. My new role here allows me to combine my
various aspects of sociology with my love of writing.”
Francine has always enjoyed fictional writing, often producing stories and
poems in her free time. However, after gaining some previous experience in the
marketing sector, she discovered a passion for communication and copywriting
on a corporate scale.
She sought to gain further experience in creative opportunities and on
discovering the internship on offer at the DVS, she was attracted to the ethics
and innovative spirit of the company.
“With a project like the DVS, raising awareness is so important. In the
technological age that we live in, digital communication is our new currency. I
genuinely believe that the DVS are doing excellent work in proving that a
greener future is very much possible! It fills me with pride to play a part in
sharing their story”
Here at the DVS, Francine is responsible for creating various pieces of content,
such as social media posts, blogs and articles. She regularly conducts research
for her copy and for wider company purposes. So far, Francine has been
regularly reporting the developments of our company as well as raising
awareness for our mission through both internal and external channels.
On her new role, Francine said:
“I have really enjoyed working for the DVS. With the company being in an early
stage, it have provided me with a good amount of freedom in the work that I
produce. I’ve had an awful lot to learn about the maritime industry but it’s
always good to have a new challenge”
In her aspirations for the future, Francine wants to continue working in copy
and content creation. Through working for the DVS, she hopes to demonstrate
her skills as a writer and establish the Duke Voyager’s Shipyard as pioneers in
net-zero sailing.