86. The Hidden Values of Engineering: Why the Future of Infrastructure Depends on People, Purpose, and Legacy with Felicity Furey

About this episode

Felicity Furey discusses the need for engineering to reconnect with human values and community impact.

In this episode of Building Doors, host Lauren Karan sits down with award-winning engineer and author Felicity Furey to unpack the powerful ideas behind her upcoming book and her mission to transform the engineering profession from the inside out. Felicity shares how engineering’s DNA, inherited from the Industrial Revolution, has shaped the way we design, solve problems, and even unintentionally overlook the people those designs impact. She reveals why modern engineering must go beyond efficiency and output, and instead reconnect with values like well-being, community connection, and legacy. Through personal stories of burnout, motherhood, and rediscovering purpose, Felicity shows why engineers are not just technical problem solvers. They are inventors, creators, and community shapers whose decisions influence how society feels, moves, and thrives. Whether you are an engineer, a leader, or someone passionate about the future of our cities, this episode will challenge you to rethink what is possible. What You’ll Learn in This Episode: Engineering’s Hidden Values and Blind Spots: Why engineering still operates from industrial era assumptions. How designing for the “average” person…

People in this episode

Host: Lauren Karan

Guest: Felicity Furey

Topics covered

• engineering values
• infrastructure
• human impact
• community connection
• legacy
• burnout
• purpose

Keywords

• engineering
• infrastructure
• well-being
• community
• legacy
• design
• burnout
• purpose

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: upcoming book

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