Ara-Te Pūkenga Bachelor of Architecture student in top industry prize win

_{Tess Epston (pictured with one of her teammates Jason Webb) was inspired by her fellow competitors}

Tess Epton has taken on some serious challenges this year - and in the latest she’s come out on top.

As well as completing her Bachelor of Architectural Studies at Ara-Te Pūkenga, Epton signed up for the intense BRANZ (Building Research Association of New Zealand) ArchEngBuild challenge hosted by Auckland University.

Her team of three from different tertiary institutes and across the three disciplines of architecture, engineering and construction management took out the win.

“It was incredibly difficult, I won’t lie! I spent most of my time in front of my laptop trying to get as much work done as possible in the timeframe given,” Epton said reflecting on how she met her team-mates, heard the brief, and delivered the project pitch to a panel of judges – all in just 50 hours.

_{The winning design}

“What made the competition though was the talented people I met. My teammates were incredible and kept me sane throughout - but all the other competitors were amazing, driven people, all there for the same reasons.”

The ArchEngBuild challenge involved a real-life client brief (reflecting the host city’s aspirations and issues) and offered students the chance to experience true cross-disciplinary collaboration. They are encouraged to use the latest building materials, innovations and technology in their designs.

_{The competition draws in top students from all over the country.}

Ara-Te Pūkenga Head of Department for Engineering and Architectural studies, Robert de Roo, says the well-respected BRANZ event is known for providing top students with a tough challenge and an opportunity to work with others from across Aotearoa on solving a key problem while being mentored by industry professionals.

“On behalf of Ara and the Architectural team here we are immensely proud of what Tess has achieved,” de Roo said.  “We take great pleasure to see our learners applying themselves and doing well, whether it is in these types of competitions or finding exciting careers on completion of their study.”

System Transformation Planner at BRANZ, Hannah Fillmore, said it was great to see the competition take place again this year – the first since 2019.

“Thirty of New Zealand’s top architecture, engineering and construction management students attended the event over the three days - so it was a significant win for Tess and her team,” Fillmore said.

_{(Far Left) Chelydra Percy, CEO BRANZ with the winners alongside Pamela Bell, Chief Executive, New Zealand Institute of Building}

Epton, who came second in the Student Architecture Network of New Zealand 24-hour design competition earlier in the year, said the BRANZ event was equally fun but definitely more technical being a real-life brief.

“I was so proud of the work my team achieved, but I felt the level of work from everyone was so high that surely someone else would win. When they called our names, I was so shocked, it didn’t sink in for ages after. I am still in a state of disbelief about the whole thing.”

Still deciding whether to study further or step into the industry, Epton says the competition has only made her feel even more passionate and driven about the field of architecture.