CanConstructNZ team accepting their award at the RICS Awards in Auckland.
The CanConstructNZ research team attended the annual awards dinner at the Park Hyatt Auckland on Wednesday 26 August. CanConstructNZ was a multi-organisational research programme that ran from 2020 to 2025 and was valued at just under $10 million.
The programme focused on building capacity and capability within Aotearoa New Zealand’s construction sector. Hosted and led by Massey University, it was funded through the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) Endeavour Fund and involved collaborators from across the construction research sector, including the Building Research Association of New Zealand (BRANZ), Auckland University of Technology (AUT), the University of Auckland and the University of Canterbury.
The award recognised the CanConstructNZ team’s efforts to better understand construction-sector workloads and the industry’s capacity and capability to deliver planned construction projects. The programme culminated in the development of a smart system that supports in-depth comparison of construction demand and supply, scenario planning, and more informed decision-making that is now available for New Zealand’s construction sector.
The RICS Awards are held annually to recognise outstanding achievement across the construction, infrastructure, land and real estate sectors. They celebrate projects, initiatives and people making a positive contribution to the built environment and the communities it serves, while also promoting the role that the profession has in making projects a reality.
The New Zealand awards recognised 12 award winners and eight highly commended entries for their contribution to shaping the future of New Zealand’s built environment. This year’s entrants have been responsible for some of the biggest projects New Zealand has seen to date – including bringing investment into the commercial sector, essential infrastructure and leading the fight against climate change.
There are 20 RICS awards events, judged by more than 200 industry experts, held across New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, China, Australia and South and Southeast Asia.
Professor Monty Sutrisna, Head of the School of Built Environment and CanConstructNZ Programme Lead, accepted the award alongside several team members and says the team can be proud of its achievements.
“This award from a globally respected professional body is very significant as we reach the conclusion of the CanConstructNZ programme. It is recognition of our research work with the sector and for the sector, as well as the outcomes we have delivered that we hope will be used for years to come. We are very happy to receive this award, and I would like to thank and recognise the entire research team, including my co-leaders Professor Suzanne Wilkinson from AUT and Rod Cameron.”
RICS is an international accrediting body and leading professional organisation representing those working in the creation and protection of built and natural environments, seeking to advance knowledge, uphold standards and inspire current and future professionals. Established more than 150 years ago, it sets educational and professional standards for more than 130,000 members operating in the development and management of land, real estate, construction and infrastructure across more than 140 countries globally.
Massey University’s School of Built Environment is ranked joint first in New Zealand and among the top 150 schools of architecture and the built environment globally in the QS World University Rankings. Its qualifications are accredited by RICS, the New Zealand Institute of Quantity Surveyors (NZIQS), the Pacific Association of Quantity Surveyors (PAQS) and the Illumination Engineering Society of Australia and New Zealand (IESANZ).
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