Industry backs collaborative ConstructLab challenge at Ara

Industry mentors and judges have praised the quality of student work produced during the inaugural ConstructLab competition at Ara Institute of Canterbury, with one mentor contributing additional prize money after being impressed by the standard of entries.

Delivered by Building Institute Aotearoa and supported by the Building Institute Aotearoa Charitable Education Trust, the three-day challenge brought together ākonga from architecture, architectural technology, construction management and quantity surveying to develop proposals for a hostel accommodation complex.

Working in multidisciplinary teams they were tasked with developing a sustainable and adaptable housing system that could be replicated in communities across Aotearoa, using an inner-city Christchurch location as a test case.

In just over 50 hours teams produced concept designs, renders, floor plans, feasibility studies, cost estimates and construction programmes while responding to the brief.

_{Some examples of the work produced in the 50-hour window}

Building Institute Aotearoa Southern lead James Woods said ConstructLab was designed to reflect the increasingly collaborative nature of the construction industry.

"This competition is grounded in technical expertise and teamwork. Successful projects don't rely solely on design. They are successful because they're well costed, well managed and well built, with a team respecting each other's expertise and working together to achieve better outcomes for clients."

Woods said the competition mirrors the multidisciplinary environment students will encounter in industry.

"You might work for an architecture firm but straight away you're going to be liaising with builders, quantity surveyors and project managers in a multidisciplinary environment. Projects are successful because of great teams."

He thanked HRS Construction for its sponsorship, the Ara kaimahi (staff) involved and the many industry mentors who'd worked closely with ākonga throughout the event, offering guidance and feedback as teams developed their solutions.

Architectural designer Rachel Mechem of RM Designs said she was impressed by the progress teams made in a remarkably short timeframe.

"The difference from those fledgling ideas on day one was incredible. It's fantastic because it's real life. The test of workflow and working together has been really beneficial."

First Principles Constructors director Andy Rowden was so impressed by the standard of work that he contributed an additional $1,000 in prize money during the competition to fund two industry awards.

"I was blown away. The quality of the drawings and thought processes was outstanding. It was a big building with quite a detailed brief and not a whole lot of money, so they had to work hard and smart. Some of the ideas they came up with were incredibly bright," Rowden said.

"It's not too dissimilar to the real world. A sprint to a design-build solution isn't that different from what happens in industry. It's a great format because students have to work together and figure out how the different elements fit together."

Creative Constructs claimed first place and the $3,000 top prize, with judges praising the team's feasibility planning, costing, detailing, structure and construction programme. Second place went to Four the Win, while Team Xcentric took third place.

Additional industry awards sponsored by First Principles Constructors recognised Team United Nations for its response to the client brief, while Four the Win impressed judges with its response to a surprise budget blowout scenario introduced during the final presentations.

Ara Dean of Applied Technologies Peter Sauer said the competition demonstrated the value of bringing students and industry together.

"This has been a fantastic opportunity to stretch our ākonga. Many who started the week as strangers came together to tackle a complex challenge and produce work of an exceptionally high standard."

"We're grateful to Building Institute Aotearoa, the Charitable Education Trust and our industry partners for creating opportunities like this. They give our learners the chance to build connections and learn directly from industry professionals."

Building Institute Aotearoa hopes the success of the inaugural Christchurch event will pave the way for ConstructLab to become a regular fixture, creating further opportunities for students to work alongside industry mentors and build valuable industry connections.

_{The winning teams:}

_{(Top left) Creative Constructs with judge Kirsty Hopewell from Naylor Love.}

_{(Top right) Four the Win with judge Phil Grey from Warren and Mahoney}

_{(Bottom left) Xcentric with Ara Applied Technology Faculty Opertions Lead Kirsty Robertson}

_{(Bottom Right) Team United Nations with Ara Faculty Applied Technology Dean Peter Sauer}