The annual ArchEng workshop continues to go from strength to strength, thanks to co-operation with industry associations such as HERA.
A CCANZ initiative that began in 2011, it expanded this year to involve the timber and steel sectors. Now that all three major building materials, concrete, steel and timber, are involved, ArchEng is poised to incorporate building components in 2016 and evolve into ArchEngBuild.
Sponsored by BRANZ in association with the concrete, steel and timber industries, the genesis of ArchEng has hinged on the phrase “good design is good engineering”.
It brings together the best students from New Zealand’s final year Architecture and Engineering schools to experience the value of cross disciplinary collaboration. The students work in partnerships on a design challenge over three days. A cash prize of $5,000 is awarded by a judging panel for the winning result.
Twenty-two students participated this year at the event hosted by Victoria University. Responding to a simple brief to design, ‘an iconic waterfront project’.
Inspiration came from keynote speech by Sean McGuiness of construction company LT McGuiness, about the construction challenges associated with the Clyde Quay Wharf development.
A subsequent site visit was conducted by the project designers, Martijn van der Tol of Athfield Architects, and structural engineer Hamish McKenzie of Holmes Group. Martijn and Hamish impressed upon students that a successful project is founded on effective collaboration.
The prize-winners were Simon Gouley (Architecture, University of Victoria) and Ashley Jones (Engineering, University of Auckland). They created The Outcrop, an extraordinary movable floating walkway designed to extend 150 metres into the Wellington harbour.
The Hon Jo Goodhew, Associate Minister for Primary Industries, hosted this year’s prize giving at Parliament House on July 10th. Associations represented at the event included HERA, IPENZ, NZIA, the NZ Timber Society, the Wood Manufacturers Association, Engineers Wood Products Australasia Timber.
