Cyrus Lau, P.Eng., M.A.Sc., I.R.P., is a Water Resources Engineer at Binnie since 2018. Cyrus’s primary roles and duties revolve around stormwater modeling work for various projects in BC, from storm sewer systems to river modeling. Additionally, he performs climate change and infrastructure resiliency assessments to ensure the company’s projects are robust in the face of extreme weather and environmental challenges.
If you ask Cyrus about a particularly memorable project, he will tell you that he is particularly fond of the Granville Island Infrastructure Study project. For this project, Cyrus and his team modeled and assessed the water, storm, and sanitary systems on Granville Island, both in existing and future conditions. Though only a planning-level study, this project lays the groundwork for future improvements to Granville Island, a major tourist spot and destination for locals alike!
Cyrus’s journey to his current role was influenced by his love of math and science subjects. Though he initially intended to become a mechanical engineer to design prosthetics, he changed his mind after a few courses and embarked on the path toward water resources engineering. Binnie was his first job once he finished his Masters. Since then, Cyrus has broadened his scope of work to include climate change assessments and he has obtained his “Infrastructure Resilience Professional” designation (I.R.P.) from the Climate Risk Institute (CRI), originally launched by Engineers Canada.
Cyrus’s father played a significant role in shaping his mindset toward learning, instilling in him the importance of understanding how to get to the answer rather than just getting the right answer. He credits this lesson for his development and his ability to keep asking questions throughout his life.
At Binnie, Cyrus enjoys the camaraderie of his colleagues and the opportunities to participate in fun activities such as the Smash Bros tournament held by the Young Professionals (YP) Group. Additionally, for him – the most rewarding aspect of his job is when a project design comes together, working with all the different components and constraints.
When he’s not working, Cyrus enjoys making his own bacon and reading books by Brandon Sanderson, his current favorite author. His personal motto, inspired by Samwise Gamgee, is “There’s some good in this world, Mr. Frodo… and it’s worth fighting for.”
Cyrus’s most influential lesson learned at Binnie is never to be afraid to ask questions and to admit when you don’t know something. His advice for anyone in his field is to work to live, not live to work. (We agree!)