As New Zealand begins one of the biggest rebuilding projects in its history, the demand for skilled and qualified tradespeople will increase substantially. In this second part of our education feature, we talk to a lecturer and two students at Unitec, in Auckland.

The lecturer

Douw Van Zyl, Architectural Technology Lecturer

Douw Van Zyl has spent over a decade teaching architecture in New Zealand and South Africa.

What do you teach? National Diploma in Architectural Technology. Graduates are employed as technical support staff in the offices of design consultants, architects, engineers, construction firms and sometimes manufacturers of building components. The course attracts students who have an interest in design and the built environment, as well as those interested by the diversity of employment opportunities available to them on completion of their studies. The professions are undergoing rapid change at the moment and a significant shift towards building information management systems (BIM) is occurring internationally. As part of this change we foresee a rising need for technically skilled BIM modellers who are able to work well in multidisciplinary environments.

What are the key skills students learn in the qualification you teach?

• Modelling buildings in 3D using industry-leading software.
• Producing technical documents, typically in the form of contract documentation sets for building contractors to build from.
• Studying the technologies involved in constructing buildings.
• Studying the environmental performance of buildings.
• Study the legal environment as it relates to building contract and the building code.
• Study the science of building materials and their behavior.
• Overview of design theories, including the history of architectural and technological evolution.

What existing skills should students have when considering studying the qualification you teach to get the most out of their studies? No specialised skills are needed to commence this programme of study, although basic computer literacy could prove to be quite useful. An interest in technology and science is a useful attribute, as well as in design and the built environment. As the industry is increasingly reliant on computers for most 3D building modelling, experimenting with simple modelling software such as SketchUP would be a useful way of testing your interest in this field.

What do you think education in the field you teach offers students, compared to learning ‘on the job’? What are the career benefits? Due the complexity and integrated nature of BIM models it is difficult to acquire this expertise in the industry. As the nature of the task requires the integration of technological and scientific data into information models, our studio-based teaching practices provide the ideal environment. We believe this diploma provides an ideal and affordable springboard to a wide range of employment opportunities, including exciting new specialisations such as information modelling specialists who produce information models for specific purposes. For example, construction companies employ models to simulate a range of construction methods and sequences to optimise the construction phase, while quantity surveyors require models that are optimised for cost planning and value management. Building owners increasingly require facility management models intended for use over the life of the building, which integrate with operational manuals and maintenance schedules. These skills are in demand internationally and our graduates are finding employment in a wide range of professions overseas.

What advice do you give graduating students? The world is your oyster, your learning has only begun and we trust that we have given you the skills and attributes to become a fast learner in this rapidly changing and dynamic environment.

The students

Emily Morrison completed a Bachelor of Construction in 2010 at Unitec’s Mt Albert Campus. 

At graduation earlier this year Emily and her husband Callum (who studied a Bachelor of Construction specialising in construction management) were both awarded senior scholar awards. To be eligible for the awards they needed to achieve an A grade average. Emily completed her degree in three years, rather than the usual four, and worked at Fletcher Construction while studying. She also has a Bachelor of Science in Biology and Environmental Science.

What did you study and why did it appeal to you? A Bachelor of Construction specialising in Construction Economics (Quantity Surveying). It appealed to me because it was a practical subject to study with good career opportunities. I had previously worked for a subcontractor in the US and enjoyed doing take-offs, which is what introduced me to the field.

How did you choose a course from those available? Unitec seemed to have a good programme, it was a convenient location, and the programme was set up well to allow students to work while studying. For the first half of the degree I studied two days a week from 8am to 5pm and worked the other days, and the last half of the degree was done through block courses which allowed me to work full-time.

What are the most valuable skills you learned studying? For my current position as a quantity surveyor, I think the most valuable topics studied include measurement, pricing, contract law/administration, and construction practices. I also think learning to use CostX (estimating and measurement software) was a valuable cutting edge skill to learn that will hopefully be used more and more as BIM (building information management systems) and electronic tools of measurement become more established.

How did your qualification help you in your career? I found the programme to be extremely practical. Shortly after I began at Unitec I started working for Fletcher Construction as a cadet. The skills I learnt at Unitec helped me at work and vice versa. I’ve worked on a few interesting projects including the construction of Datacom’s Orbit Data Centre and Stonefields School in Mt Wellington, and I am currently involved in the development of a new AUT building in the CBD. 

What advice would you give someone hoping to get into your field of work? I think it’s a really interesting field to be working in and there is a lot of demand for good quantity surveyors so I would encourage people to consider getting into this area. There are many opportunities to become part of some very exciting projects. It was hard work studying and working at the same time, but I would recommend trying to work in the industry while studying to get some practical experience, which also helps with understanding what you’re learning.

Craig Jaensch graduated in April 2011 with a National Diploma in Architectural Technology from Unitec. Craig has been employed at Rowe Baetens Architecture in Auckland since February as an architectural technician. Rowe Baetens Architecture works on both residential and commercial projects and specialises in one-off individual projects.

What did you study and why did it appeal to you? I’ve had an interest in drawing and design since I was quite young and spent quite a bit of time drawing house plans when I was at school. I also did tech drawing at school and did well at this and really enjoyed it. Once I finished school I worked for ten years as a gib fixer and I learnt a lot about the construction industry through this process. One of the things I picked up was the importance of accuracy and attention to detail which is important as an architectural technician.

How did you choose a course from those available? I looked at my options and decided I was quite interested in the architecture field. I spoke with Auckland University who advised me that it would be a good idea to do an architectural technology course if I wanted to get into this area. I looked at the different education institutions and I had a personal connection with Unitec as one of my friends had studied there and liked it and decided that the Unitec course was the best option for me.

What are the most valuable skills you learnt while studying? I think the most valuable skills I learnt while I was studying were to think analytically and critically and also develop my problem solving skills. During my second year we worked on a project in a group and our lecturer assumed the role of an architect. We were briefed on the design concept and received some concept drawings and then had to do the computer modelling for the design in a Revit programme. This reflects what happens in the real world when you work for an architect. It was a steep learning curve but a really useful exercise – we had good lecturers that helped us so it made it really easy to learn. I’ve been working at Rowe Baetens – I really enjoy my job, it’s great.

How did your qualification help you in your career? My Unitec qualification definitely got me the job I have now. I couldn’t have gotten into the workforce without my qualification. As an adult student I was quite nervous about getting back into the workforce, but having completed my qualification and done a lot of practical work made me feel more confident about entering a new field. I contacted Rowe Baetens Architecture after I’d finished studying and they asked me to come in for an interview. One of the directors was impressed with the layout of my residential designs. I’ve been working for them since February as an architectural technician.

What advice would you give to someone hoping to get into your field of work? I would say that the training is really useful but to make the most of the opportunity you need to put in additional effort into learning your field and seek out opportunities to learn everything you can.