Ara ākonga part of winning team at ArchEngBuild 2026

_{Set to celebrate: Sophie Chen following the ArchEngBuild win}

Ara Institute of Canterbury Graduate Diploma in Construction Management ākonga Sophie Chen was part of the winning team at ArchEngBuild 2026, a national built environment challenge hosted by Ara and led by BRANZ.

This week's event brought together 40 students from architecture, engineering, construction and related disciplines.

Teams of four spent 72 hours tackling a pressing housing challenge: how to design affordable, high-quality homes that can be adapted to communities across the country.

Sophie, who is studying construction project management, was one of four Ara ākonga selected to participate.

Sophie's team, which also included Konstantinos Antonopoulos of Victoria University of Wellington, Joshua Rentoul of the University of Canterbury and Yuetong "Yvonne" Wang of the University of Auckland, secured the overall win with Connected by Community, a concept that impressed judges with its consideration of the entire housing journey, from design through to long-term liveability.

_{The "Connected by Community " team in front of the judging panel and then accepting their award}

BRANZ Board Chair Nigel Smith said the students had responded thoughtfully to a complex challenge.

"The housing sector needs solutions that can work in different communities without starting from scratch each time," he said. "The students responded to that challenge by developing thoughtful housing proposals that balanced competing priorities while remaining adaptable to different communities."

For Sophie, the challenge was an opportunity to build on her studies and gain practical experience in the construction sector.

"I'm passionate about the construction industry and I want to gain as much knowledge as I can in this field," she said.

After completing a Bachelor of Science in Economics some years ago, she was attracted to Ara's Graduate Diploma in Construction Management programme.

"I was looking for a one-year graduate diploma. I know that Ara has a lot of industry connections and provides a good foundation for students to actually enter into this industry. I thought that's what I was looking for."

While the winning ArchEngBuild result was a highlight, Sophie said working with students from different backgrounds was equally rewarding.

"My team was amazing. We were from different academic and cultural backgrounds, but we were able to really communicate with each other and create something collaborative."

_{The winning team with judges and BRANZ representatives at the ArchEngBuild 2026 prizegiving at Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū. (Left to right): Rob Gaimster, Chief Executive, Concrete NZ; Claire Falck, Chief Executive, BRANZ; Joshua Rentoul, University of Canterbury; Yuetong (Yvonne) Wang, University of Auckland; Konstantinos Antonopoulos, Victoria University of Wellington; Sophie Chen, Ara Institute of Canterbury; Nigel Smith, BRANZ Board Chair. (Photo BRANZ)}

Ara Principal Academic for Architecture Bernadette Muir represented the judging panel at the prizegiving event and said all the teams needed to be congratulated for making judging so difficult.

"The standard was exceptionally high, with innovative thinking and thoughtful responses to complex problems and design challenges. The evidence of collaboration was inspiring."

"Whether you received an award or not, you should be very proud of what you achieved. We see some bright futures ahead."

The event marked ArchEngBuild's return to Ara for the first time since 2014, providing an opportunity to showcase the institute's specialist architecture facilities while strengthening connections between students, industry and tertiary providers from across New Zealand.

Sophie said the experience reinforced the value of hands-on, industry-connected learning.

"It's a great opportunity for students in this field to really exercise their knowledge and skills. I would really encourage anyone to try it."

Looking ahead, she's excited about where a career in construction might take her.

"I want to be an expert in construction. I'm starting here and who knows where this career will take me."