2011 Symposium

The first of planned series of the built environment research symposia was held on Friday 23 September 2011 on the Albany Campus of Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand. The theme of the inaugural symposium was on collaborative built environment research and education in New Zealand. The symposium kicked off with participation by four universities: Auckland, AUT, Massey and Unitec. Unfortunately, Victoria University could not participate due to involvement in a US design competition. Other New Zealand universities were expected to join the group at a later stage.

Overall, the symposium offered opportunities for postgraduate research students and the university academic staff to make known their research projects, especially to the industry and to receive useful feedback. It also provided a forum for researchers to network with the construction industry practitioners, policy makers and government agencies with a view to understanding the priority research needs of the industry. Public and private sector participants comprised representatives from the Building Research Association of New Zealand (BRANZ), the Department of Building and Housing (DBH), Auckland Regional Council, property developers, real estate agents, directors of construction companies and building materials suppliers.

Dr Jasper Mbachu – convenor of the event – hinted that this and other symposia to follow were aimed at challenging the silo mentality amongst researchers in the New Zeaalnd built environment; adding that, “given the multi-disciplinary nature of the built environment research, the focus is on promotion of collegiality and awareness of research efforts in this area, within the New Zealand tertiary institutions”.

At the workshop session, a panel comprising academics and industry practitioners considered the challenges faced by postgraduate research students and staff and offered experience-based solutions to resolving them. Discussions at the workshop session were documented to provide a compendium of typical constraints and solution to guide current and prospective research students and staff in their research efforts.

Appreciations go to the following and others not mentioned for supporting the event in one way or another: FutureIntech for sponsoring this event; Pieter Burghout – BRANZ CEO – for supporting the symposium with his presence and presentation; Adrian Bennett (DBH), Kevin Golding (Winstone Wallboards), and Daiman Otto (representing Ron McDonald of Hawkins Construction) for attending and participating at the workshop session. The supports of the heads of the built environment programmes at The University of Auckland, UNITEC, AUT and Massey are also gratefully acknowledged. Hosting of subsequent symposia will be rotated amongst the participating institutions. Host for the next symposium will be advised in due course.