Take 5 with Nick Dixon - Senior Technical Services Manager

24th July 2025

Nick Dixon, Senior Technical Services Manager at BW, takes five to reflect on delivering performance-led spaces, what he looks for in a technically complex brief, and why you’re most likely to find him either nodding to electronic music or chasing after his three kids.

  1. Let’s start with you – what first drew you into the industry and what’s kept you here?

I started out with an electrical apprenticeship while studying engineering, then worked my way up through the commercial fit out world. Along the way, I spent three years in Sydney delivering commercial projects focused on data centres and critical services, a brilliant experience and a real eye-opener.

Since 2016, I’ve been back in the UK delivering a variety of projects across London, from high-end residential and cut-and-carve refurbishments to sports centres, broadcasting studios and commercial fit outs.

I joined BW in early 2023, and it’s honestly been a highlight of my career. The culture is genuinely people-focused, and I’ve found the versatility of the projects and the collaborative nature of the teams to be a perfect fit. You’re encouraged to bring your personality to the table here, and that really resonates with me.

  1. Describe your career so far as a film title – no pressure.

True Romance – a love affair with projects, services and people… with a few rollercoaster scenes thrown in!

(Although if my wife reads this, I’d probably say Ten Years a Slave… to her!)

  1. You’ve worked on everything from studios to server rooms – what’s one project that really sticks with you and why?

A recent standout is Super Group in Camden, which we handed over last month. It had everything, a fully aligned team from day one, with great collaboration across the design team and supply chain.

There were some brilliant features like the new staircase, bleacher seating and a high-end lighting scheme running throughout. It all looked incredible at handover.

Another project I loved was King’s College’s new sports centre in Wimbledon. From an engineering perspective, it was next level, a competition-grade swimming pool, specialist water treatment systems, and complex ventilation for each unique environment across the pool hall, sports halls and exercise studios. The architecture was amazing too, and it was a ground-up build, which made it even more rewarding.

  1. What’s the first thing you do when handed a technically complex brief?

First step is to get stuck into the detail, reviewing the specifics, the ERs and any interfaces involved.

Take something like a studio ventilation plant. You’re thinking about criteria, plant lead times, logistics, installation, access for future maintenance, acoustics, commissioning, and how all the different services interface.

Everyone’s got their specialisms, but it’s vital to collaborate and look at the bigger picture with your team. For me, that means working closely with design managers on the technical side and construction leads for buildability and sequencing. It’s about staying calm, knowing the process, and drawing on the right minds around you.

  1. And finally, when you’re not solving technical challenges, where are we most likely to find you?

Right now, 90% of my life outside work is spent in the trenches with my three amazing kids (they’re six, five and one – so yes, it’s full-on).

The other 10% of my time is divided between:

  • Buying, mixing and nodding along to electronic music

  • Socialising with friends

  • Travelling whenever I get the chance

  • And of course, supporting Tottenham Hotspur (for better or worse).

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