Building challenge win for WITT ākonga

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Teamwork, bold ideas, and sleepless nights paid off for WITT construction ākonga Francis Orendain who was on the winning team at the ArchEngBuild Challenge in Christchurch this month.

The event organised by BRANZ (Building Research Association of New Zealand) is designed to bring together the industry’s future leaders.

Francis, enrolled in the New Zealand Diploma of Construction (Level 6), was among Aotearoa’s top 30 architecture, engineering and construction students taking part in the intensive three-day competition to solve a real-world issue facing the industry.

This year, students – organised into teams of three - were asked to design an affordable and sustainable housing development in the heart of Ōtautahi Christchurch. The teams’ mission was to enhance the environment of the host town or city while also demonstrating effective inter-disciplinary collaboration.

Concrete reality

Francis, who is studying part-time while working as an Estimating Manager for Taranaki Reinforcing (a company that supplies and installs reinforcing steel for the region and wider North Island) worked with his team mates on a design for a residential housing complex. It incorporated dwelling spaces that can be adapted to diverse needs of multiple generations, as well as community gardens and shared outdoor areas with spaces for retail businesses too.

Teams were judged on how well they collaborated to achieve the best design possible using their combined skills. His team included Ella Knapton, Architect from Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington, and Douglas Goncalves, Structural Engineer from the University of Auckland.

The challenge was “fun and fulfilling”, says Francis, adding that the experience highlighted the value of collaboration to achieve the best results. His team worked together over two full days and were each up till 3am working separately finessing the details of their contributions to the project.

One of the challenges they faced was the use of concrete. Though cheaper, its manufacture is responsible for eight per cent of global CO2 emissions. They used concrete for the base foundations and lower structural frame to meet earthquake strengthening standards and cross-laminated (CLT) and glue-laminated (Glulam) timber for the remainder.

“We had to make a call and compromise on the concrete aspect to make the structure safe while maintaining the sustainability and adaptability side of it,” he says. His team won the $10K first prize, with the money divided between three.

Francis plans to work in the construction sector here and is keen to use the knowledge he’s gained from his study to improve and streamline construction contracts on large-scale projects. He sees a need and says this would improve efficiency and safety.

The challenge

ArchEngBuild brings together New Zealand’s future industry leaders so they can work together to deliver a concept design in response to a project brief that addresses issues faced by industry. It allows the students to come up with creative and innovative solutions. Their designs are showcased at the awards evening, allowing current industry leaders within the sector to view and network with the students.

 Caption:  Francis Orendain (centre) with winning team members Emma Knapton and Douglas Gonclaves, and Claire Falck (BRANZ CEO) and Hon Chris Penk (Building and Construction minister).

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