Building closer ties with research and construction

Building stronger connections amongst researchers and with the industry was the overarching theme of the second New Zealand Built Environment Research Symposium held at Massey University’s Albany campus recently.

The symposium brought together industry professionals and academics to discuss built environment research currently being undertaken in New Zealand universities.

Symposium convenor and senior lecturer at the School of Engineering and Advanced Technology, Dr Jasper Mbachu, says the symposium was a great opportunity for academics and industry to share their work and also to identify where the greatest need for ongoing built environment research appears to be.

“In the past, university research projects in the built environment areas have been conducted in silos, with little or no collaboration amongst institutions. By working closely with the Building Research Association of New Zealand (BRANZ) and the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE), we’re able to share ideas with all the key players in the industry. This way, we are able to facilitate progress towards making the New Zealand building industry more productive and sustainable.”

The seven educational institutions participating in the symposium have been researching a vast range of topics within the building industry including construction productivity and performance; disaster management/resilient organisations with a socio-economic focus; sustainability and the environment; housing affordability, weather tightness and indoor air quality and earthquake engineering/ seismic retrofitting of building structures. The February 2011 earthquake in Christchurch and the on-going challenges faced by the community have provided a rich seam of research topics.

“Hosting this symposium also provides opportunities for up-and-coming researchers to gain valuable feedback and interaction with industry experts and academics on the key challenges they face with their research projects,” says Dr Mbachu.

“If industry and academia work together effectively, we can avoid repetition or overlaps in research efforts, and offer constructive information to improve New Zealand’s building industry.”

At Massey University, students interested in built environment studies can opt for the Bachelor of Construction (BConst) with majors in quantity surveying or construction management, or the Bachelor of Business Studies (Valuation and Property Management) (BBS). The Bachelor of Construction includes a cadetship in the building industry, and there are also graduate diplomas and post-graduate study options. Graduates with these degrees work as professionals with construction, building, real estate, local government, developers and facility management practitioners.