How many of us can say that members of the general public truly know about or care what we do in our jobs?

Half the time it’s hard enough convincing your boss that you don’t actually spend all your time sitting in a comfortable chair surfing the internet. But if you are an engineer, there’s every chance that you’ll find yourself working on jobs that most of the country – or even big swaths of the world – will have heard of.

Emily McDonald, an associate at Buro Happold, is working on the Cutty Sark conservation project – a London icon that had a high profile even before the ship was severely damaged by fire last month. “I’m a born-and-bred Londoner,” the structural engineer says. “I’ve been going to the Cutty Sark since I was about 5. [Its fame] does bring an extra element because it’s something that everyone you talk to is aware of. I’m really committed to making sure that it will be saved for the next generation.”

She describes the old tea-clipper’s renovation as a “completely unique” project. Even before the fire, the project was about much more than simple restoration; it also involved improving the facilities for visitors and creating a conference and function area that could generate income to support the ship’s upkeep. “While sometimes we do have to focus on the technical side we always have to be aware of the big picture as well,” she says.

Mike Purvis, a senior structural engineer at SKM Anthony Hunts, started work on the Eden Project in 1997 when the garden complex was little more than an idea and a disused quarry, but it wasn’t long before he could see how big things could get.

“Even at the beginning of the project it was obvious how popular it would become,” he says. “When part of it opened in 2000 there were three quarters of a million visitors just to watch the construction work. That’s a rare thing.”

Despite the audience, Purvis’s job was the same as on any project. “It’s a case of number crunching and calculating loads and making sure that the foundations can support the buildings. It’s no different from a day-to-day point of view, but you are aware that you are working on something a bit special.”

Sarah Haughton, a structural engineer and associate at Arup, has also been involved in a big project right from the outset. In her case, it’s Heathrow Terminal 5, which is scheduled to open towards the end of next year. “Working on such an iconic job is really nice because when I talk to people they know what I am talking about,” she says. “Normally you say ‘I’m working on an office block’.”

She is also aware that, however well known the new airport structure will be in this country, it will also be seen and commented on by millions of international visitors. “It’s a gateway to the UK. When people fly in to Heathrow it is the first thing they see, their first impression of the UK. It’s amazing to work on something like this.”

It’s even possible to get experience on high-profile projects before you’ve qualified. David Dalgado, who is just about to graduate from Imperial College London as a civil and environmental engineer, spent 12 weeks working on Terminal 5 on a summer placement in 2004.

“I was working for Amec, one of the contractors, which meant that I was there making it happen,” he says. Part of that involved documentation work, but he also got his hands dirty. “I went out there and tied some rebar [used for reinforcing concrete] as well as writing the method statements,” he says.

He and Haughton are both looking forward to using the terminal as travellers when it opens in late 2008. “I will have to get a flight out so that I can come back into it,” Haughton says. “And I will be taking my mum as well.” Dalgado doesn’t have plans to take family but he does expect to take pride in his involvement. “I will be on the plane pointing it out to the people sitting next to me and saying that I helped to build it.”

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