Andrew Rowden is a man who knows where he is going. He has a clear path ahead of him, but this wasn’t always the case.  After finishing high school in Christchurch, Rowden went on to complete a bachelor of arts and a certificate in contemporary policing at the University of Canterbury, with the idea of working towards a career in law enforcement. 

But when he approached a friend who owned a building firm for part time work while he was studying, it quickly became apparent that construction was where he was headed. So, while completing his degree, Rowden worked two days a week and finished a carpentry apprenticeship shortly after graduating. “I really enjoyed building and it evolved into something that I became quite passionate about. To be able to construct buildings from a pile of raw materials is very rewarding.” 

In 2003, armed with his new qualifications, he packed his bags and headed for Australia, where he landed a job with Bovis Lend Lease and started work on the Australian Institute of Sport facility in Canberra. “That was my first taste of commercial construction. I was still mainly on the tools then but managed to get the attention of senior management and was offered positions in the management area.” The curved roof of the facility is one of his proud achievements, and one he worked closely on, managing a team of roofers.

A few months later Rowden relocated to Melbourne where he worked on Australia’s first six star Green Star building, Bovis House.  This project introduced him to building sustainably, a new passion for Rowden. Back in New Zealand in 2004, Rowden accepted a position with Mainzeal at Burwood Hospital in Christchurch. “I was a leading hand there, so I was still on the tools, but I managed a small team of carpenters,” he said. 

“Then I got my first real taste of site management at Ryman Healthcare, working on a $35 million retirement village. The project suffered from a high staff turnover and I put my hand up to join the management team in a truly sink or swim situation.”  Rowden admits this was a steep learning curve, but said he had plenty of support from the company and the project was a success.

This management experience was invaluable for Rowden, who now manages multi-million dollar construction projects. His goal in the short term is to take on an upper management role, and in the long term to manage a commercial construction firm (he’s in the process of completing his MBA in preparation for this). 

In 2008 he joined Hawkins Construction, where he is still employed. “I first worked on the Club Tower, a $20 million development in the Christchurch CBD, one of the few high-rise developments to endure the earthquakes.” The Club Tower building earned a five star Green Star rating, which set Andrew up for the ultimate challenge on his next project, the Christchurch Civic Building (CCB).  

Andrew joined the CCB team shortly after they started on site and was placed into a unique role as an assistant project manager. The CCB project targeted both design and built Green Star Ratings, which meant Rowden and the team were instantly required to delve into significant research about sustainability and sustainable products, igniting what would turn into a long-term passion for Rowden.

“We worked really closely with the New Zealand Green Building Council. It was the first six star Green Star building to be constructed in New Zealand, which made the project really interesting,” he said. “Sustainability has since become something that I am very interested in. I want to see sustainable choices being made throughout the building process that don’t increase costs for the end-user. We need to learn to build as sustainably as possible to continue to reduce our environmental footprint.” 

Rowden’s drive looks set to see him continue on his path to success in the sector.  He is currently project manager at the South Island Blood Centre, an $18 million project for Ngai Tahu Property. “I am passionate about being involved with the some of the large-scale projects that are to be delivered in Christchurch over the next five years, and when the time is right, my ultimate goal is to manage a construction firm.” 

Despite Rowden’s determination and dedication to construction, he always maintains a good work-life balance – next year he has his sights set on competing as an individual at the South Island’s 243km Coast to Coast multi-sport race. “As soon as you hop on a bike or head off for a run, everything just disappears from your head. For me, it’s a great way of zoning out. But I’ve got to have something to train for. At the moment I’m also rowing in a corporate team, so it’s up at the crack of dawn and on the water by 6am. It’s something different, and a great way to start a day.”