Student takes part in national challenge

An OPAIC Construction student was among Aotearoa’s top Architecture, Engineering, and Construction Management students who took part in the ArchEngBuild 2024 challenge recently.

Mandi Lobar was selected for the challenge which took place at the University of Canterbury in July.

Students collaborated at the event to design a resilient, affordable, and sustainable urban housing development suitable for a site in the heart of Christchurch.

The event also included a site visit to Tūranga, Christchurch City Library as well as expert presentations and mentoring over the course of three days.

Mandi says the highlight of the event was the opportunity to work with a team on a design challenge and apply her knowledge. 

“We were a diverse group with different levels of experience and skills and it was wonderful to get to know the other participants better,” she says.

“We are all entering the job market relatively soon and it's quite likely that we may be collaborating with one another as we move into the construction industry post-studying.”

Mandi says she was blown away by the quality of designs by her fellow students.

“There was a genuine desire, amongst all competitors, for each team to succeed and, despite competing, we helped one another where and when necessary.”

She also appreciated having the opportunity to meet industry professionals as well as Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk.

Mandi comes from Cape Town in South Africa and worked in Project Management before coming to New Zealand.

“I worked for Virgin Active in the property department where we were responsible for finding new sites, designing and building new centres with our architects and contractors, and renovating existing centres to keep them to a world-class standard.”

After she completes her studies, she plans to work as a Quantity Surveyor in the Construction industry.

Mandi was joined in the ArchEngBuild 2024 challenge by Jacky Lu of Future Skills and Hunter Dale and Timothy Turnball from Otago Polytechnic’s Dunedin Campus.