Hi! My name is James D’Ambrosio, BSc, MEng, GIStructE. I am a Structural Engineer based in Penryn, Cornwall. After several years of working in reputable engineering firms in Dublin, London and Cornwall, I set up my own practice: Ordinary Structures.
Beyond my Masters of Engineering, I passed the Institution of Structural Engineers’ Certificate in Structural Behaviour Exam, in 2023, and I have been able to use the professional designation ‘GIStructE‘. I have been a Graduate Member of The Institution of Structural Engineers since 2022 (student Member 2015 – 2021).
PURPOSE
Structural Engineering is both an art and a science. At its heart, it is about making sure buildings don’t fall down. This means designing buildings and structures that are safe for people to use and fit for purpose. But the duty of caring for others also means considering the impact of our built environment on our climate, it means caring about our ecological landscape, it means caring about those most affected by climate change across the globe.
Ordinary Structures was founded on the principle that every project is carried out with utmost care for people and planet. It operates in the belief that technical precision, economical consideration and environmental responsibility should never be mutually exclusive. It exists within the tension of the question:
“What if, in our work designing buildings, towns and cities, we could not only minimise harm to the environment but actively contribute to its healing and regeneration?”
Question taken from The Regenerative Structural Engineer, by James Norman and Oliver Broadbent, published 2024.
APPROACH
- Working Together
- Choosing the Right Materials
- Built for the Real World
- Building for the Future
- Finding the Simple Solution
- Celebrating local craftspeople
- Every project offers the opportunity to refine and develop experience gained or to explore something new.
PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND
Experience
- Ordinary Structures
Penryn, Cornwall. December 2025 – Present - MBA Consulting
Truro, Cornwall. February 2024 – August 2025 - Castria
Pool, Cornwall. February 2023 – February 2024 - EngineersHRW
London, United Kingdom. November 2021 – December 2022 - Waterman Moylan
Dublin, Ireland. January 2020 – August 2020
Education
- ME Structural Engineering with Architecture
University College Dublin, Ireland. 2019 – 2021 - BSc Structural Engineering with Architecture
University College Dublin, Ireland. 2014 – 2019 - Baccalauréat Scientifique
Lycée Bernard Palissy, Agen, France. 2012 – 2014