Running a major building programme is not part of the skillset required for most university management teams. But programme success requires an informed client that can contribute as part of the project team.
Emergency repairs or long-term solutions?
Emergency repairs need to happen quickly, before strategic decisions have been made about the future of existing buildings. They will often involve a significant investment of effort and money and so may become a permanent fixture of eventual brownfields projects.
Great expectations: Managing end user input
End users should contribute to the design process. This allows specialist requirements to be incorporated and improves end user ownership of the completed building. However, end users are not building experts, so the architect should take the lead on this process.
International consultants, differing perspectives
After the earthquakes, our construction market was upscaling at super speed. People were coming in from other countries at all levels, bringing with them ways of operating which could be different to New Zealand expectations, and different to each other.