Wellington Structural Team

When something’s a hard rockin’, do come a knockin’ – on Robin Xie’s door.

The Northern China-born engineer specialises in seismic assessments of commercial buildings, but he is also a long time fan of hard rock music, and says his taste has got “worse” as he has got older. Of course that depends on your perspective, but these days he likes Signs of the Swarm as well as high school favourites, Metallica, Linkin Park and Slipknot.

Robin moved to Christchurch when he was 12, and has been in New Zealand since. He enjoyed sports at school including taekwondo, basketball, and football. He studied at the University of Canterbury, where he received a Bachelor with Honours in Civil Engineering, and then went on to a PhD in Structural Engineering.

Robin joined Envelope’s Wellington office in 2023, quickly fitting in with the relaxed office vibe, and enjoying the opportunity to learn from senior colleagues. As well as the seismic assessment work, he has some construction monitoring responsibilities.

He likes to stay active with trips to the gym, though an injury has curtailed his passion for Thai boxing. When he’s not out getting exercise, he enjoys his down time watching crime shows on Netflix or exploring yet more new music or considering getting another tattoo, while one of his cats prowls around seeking his attention.

Robin is also a ‘car guy’ - of sorts. He collects model and Hot Wheels cars. Mixing some serious smarts with a ‘big kid at heart’ attitude makes him a great fit for Envelope.

He likes his coffee black, and his beer to be craft. His favourite place is the wide open, stunningly beautiful spaces of Fiordland. And his dream holiday would be among the mountains of Peru, or on safari in Africa. Just so long as he can “do life” wearing his latest band tshirt, as Metallica would sing, Nothing Else Matters.

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