Chantilly, Va-based Engineering Consulting Services (ECS) is working with Engineers Without Borders USA and its Northern Virginia Professional Chapter to restore an impassable roadway in a remote village in East Africa.

The geotechnical, construction materials, environmental and facilities engineering firm ranked 66th on ENR’s Top 500 Design Firms with $453.8 million in revenue is working to improve a road in the village of Kaseye, located in northern Malawi. The village is cut off from the nearest hospital, schools and churches during the rainy season.  

In April, Bryan Layman, senior vice president and subsidiary regional manager at ECS, was part of a team of the engineers that spent a week in Kaseye to complete the project’s assessment phase, which included conducting GPS surveys over a four-mile stretch of road, meeting with community members and local leaders, consulting with regional contractors and collecting data to inform drainage and road design improvements. 

The work now moves into the engineering evaluation, hydrologic analysis and phased construction planning. The design team is working to design durable, cost-effective improvements that are locally sustainable and respectful of regional conditions and governance. 

“This is a deeply human project,” Layman said in a press release. “EWB-USA has allowed me to apply my engineering, problem-solving and leadership skills to serve communities that are often forgotten. I’m proud to contribute to a project that could dramatically change the quality of life for the Kaseye villagers.”  

ECS was named the ENR Southeast Design Firm of the Year in 2022 and the ENR MidAtlantic Design Firm of the Year in 2018. 

To learn more about how to contribute to the ECS Foundation and EWB-USA project visit EWB-USA’s website and ECS Foundation.