The 2025 edition of the ArchEngBuild Challenge was held in Auckland at the University of Auckland on 1- 3 July.
The competition challenged students to work collaboratively to push the boundaries of what’s possible in designing buildings that don’t just withstand disaster, but adapt and thrive in the face of New Zealand’s unique environmental challenges.
The challenge
This year’s brief was to design a resilient, sustainable and affordable community building concept that safeguards people from hazards like flooding, earthquakes, fire and high winds. It also needed to be adaptable to different family needs and quickly reinstated if disaster struck.
The winners announced
The winners were announced by BRANZ Board Chair Nigel Smith at a prizegiving event at the University of Auckland.
“This event wasn’t just about meeting a brief—it was about reimagining the future of resilience in our built environment.
“The competition challenged students to work collaboratively to push the boundaries of what’s possible in designing buildings that don’t just withstand disaster, but adapt and thrive in the face of New Zealand’s unique environmental challenges.
“This focus is critical—not for some distant future, but for projects that urgently demand fresh thinking today,” said Nigel Smith.
Architecture student Enoch Shi contributed the winning result to strong teamwork and a clear focus on community at the core of their concept.
“When we started the project, we asked ourselves – what does resilience mean to us? It can mean different things, but for us it really meant creating communities that protect and serve each other. Research shows the communities that are more bonded together are much more prepared in the face of disaster,” Enoch said.
The judges were impressed by the strong interdisciplinary collaboration under intense time-pressure pressure.
Theme of the year
“The main theme this year was resilience. It was about building for hazards, but the winning team understood that it is about community at its heart. Their project provided a great base for a diverse population and a healthy community a mixture of housing technologies like medium density and townhouses,” said Ferdinand Oswald, Senior Lecturer of Architectural Technology, University of Auckland.
Overall, the judges were impressed with all of the students’ optimism and creativity in solving some of today’s biggest challenges – including resilience, sustainability and affordability in our buildings.
These are key focus areas for BRANZ through its independent research and testing to support better buildings in Aotearoa New Zealand.
“These students are going to change the building industry,” said BRANZ Chief Executive Claire Falck.
“They are hitting the real world with the right attitude and focus on collaboration and innovation to overcome the significant challenges facing our industry and communities.”
The winning students
- Enoch Shi, University of Auckland architecture student
- Beatrice Hong, Otago Polytechnic, construction management
- Bella Mercardo, Victoria University of Wellington, sustainable engineering
- Shivam Bansal, University of Auckland, structural engineering
The 2025 judging panel
The panel included:
- Ferdinand Oswald - Senior Lecturer of Architectural Technology at The University of Auckland
- Craig Hopkins - CEO of Generation Homes
- Ana Petrovic - Senior Structural Engineer at AECOM
- Anne Carrington - Senior Associate with Warren & Mahoney Architects, and
- Andrew Norriss - Landscape Architect Director – HoneStudio
Sponsorship for 2025
BRANZ is proud to fund ArchEngBuild, through the Building Research Levy, along with industry sponsorship from:
- Concrete New Zealand
- Metals New Zealand
- Timber Design Society
- Southbase
- The Sustainable Steel Council (new sponsors this year)