Roger Olsen, Artus Founding Fellow
When did your interest in invention begin?
My fascination with invention began at a young age. I was always interested in how things worked and really liked machines as a child. But I would really pinpoint it to a gift presented to me by a lovely uncle who recognised my destiny early on. He said to me: “Roger I think you’re going to be an inventor one day” and gifted me a book that I still treasure to this day. It was called: ‘The story of great inventions’ and was filled with pictures and stories about some of the greatest inventors and what they had created. I loved this book and my interest was piqued.
Which invention inspired you most?
I was so interested in the Victorian era and the impact of the industrial revolution. The invention of the steam engine by James Watt was a particular favourite, as well as the rail or track gauge and the passenger locomotive by George Stephenson. I was also fascinated by Edison and not only the birth of electricity, but also the idea of patents and protecting inventions and ideas.
Frank Whittle, who invented the jet engine, was still alive when I was small, and I thought that his invention was so remarkable too.
I suppose I liked physics and engineering quite naturally, but it was the way these people thought about things that really inspired me. They were looking for ways to bring about change in a positive way, but they also changed market economics and the way we live today. Their impact was enormous – but I suppose it has not all been positive from an environmental perspective in the longer term.
What drove you to invent the Artus solution we have today?
Beyond my innate love of invention and my interest in engineering I had another pivotal moment when I was studying for my exams, aged about 16. I was working on a project focusing on threats to mankind (a fairly broad topic indeed) but one of the things that really interested me was the concept of the greenhouse gas effect and carbon dioxide going into the atmosphere. There was some work done by fossil fuel companies in the 1950s and 60s looking at the impact of fossil fuels, but not much more was then done about it. It is fair to say this was not a commonly known, discussed or even proven issue at the time. Prince Charles (as he was at the time) was talking about it although it was still to remain a theory for many years, but one that I was deeply interested in. This concept of the greenhouse gas effect stuck with me all the way through university where I studied engineering science, and into my career in consultancy at Arup.
I was at university in Durham in the north of England, a region of the UK which had a history for being a powerhouse of invention: for example, George Stephenson and Isambard Kingdom Brunel, who designed the Clifton Suspension Bridge, the Great Western Railway, and other significant infrastructure projects were all born and invented there. Studying in this location with its historic and innovative connections really inspired me.
After Durham I undertook a Masters degree at the University of Glasgow, which is where James Watt, the inventor of the steam engine, studied and his prototype is in the museum there. His big emphasis was on the energy or coal saving made possible by the efficiency of his steam engine design. He is ultimately my inventor hero.
When I joined Arup as a consultant my ability to invest time in invention was limited. However, in the 1990s there was an increasing emphasis across the built environment to consider air conditioning systems and I began thinking about how it heating and cooling could be done differently, and better. I felt there was a gap in the market. I started to develop some sketches and had a basic idea for Artus in approximately 2007. At this time I was working in Japan. I took a day and half leave and just worked on the idea non-stop, drawing sketches at home on my sons desk. The first sketches I made are different to what we have today, but it was a good first iteration.
I pitched the idea properly to Arup in 2010. It didn’t go as well as I had hoped, but my ambition wasn’t lost.
In March 2012 I attended the Arup annual conference and heard a talk from an Arup fellow – David George – and he was encouraging people to be brave and have ideas. He handed out notebooks to write down our ideas. I was inspired and on the train home I began drawing furiously. It was bumpy but these sketches were the first proper Artus concept.
In March 2013 I entered the Arup Ventures competition with the Artus design. Out of 79 entries from across Arup’s global offices I came first. And ultimately, then Artus was born.
That is a fairly long period of time from the initial idea to winning the Arup Ventures competition – what kept you going?
I have always believed in creativity and innovation. I really wanted to do something different that was also addressing a market need, but fundamentally was part of my own belief in addressing climate change – which by this stage of my life was a proven risk and not just a theory. It was an extracurricular activity, born out of passion and personal interest, but to address a real market requirement.
Where did the Artus name come from?
Artus means compact in Latin and we thought that resonated well considering the slim design of Artus. Although, we were tempted with the suggestion of ‘LeanMeanCoolingMachine’!
Why in your view is it important that innovation happens and importantly, is encouraged?
Everything that we see around us on a daily basis is someone’s innovation. It is intrinsic to our race and progress, and it is going to be even more fundamental to our planet and environment in the future. Innovation with sustainability at the forefront, I believe, is essential to all invention now and in the future.
When I think about my hero inventor James Watt – he made power practical and affordable – which was the foundation of the industrial revolution. An unexpected side effect, unfortunately over time has been global warming. In that respect it has gone full circle, and it means we need more inventions and inventors to work out how to address those impacts.
What are your ambitions for the Artus solution Roger?
Since my teens I have always been interested in saving carbon and throughout my consultancy career, projects I led were largely focused on energy savings. However, whilst consulting, my work also highlighted the need for comfort, wellbeing, and experience in spaces.
That is both from a cooling and heating perspective, and this has become even more essential as the climate changes, and we see more extremes of weather. My ambition for Artus always was and remains to address both of those factors – comfort and carbon – in its design, development and implementation.
When the pandemic hit, we also saw the increased emphasis on health and the importance of clean air. As most people live indoors it is essential that we look to see what we can do to support clean air. That is going to be a really important part of the Artus focus on innovation moving into the future and something I’m really excited about.