The ultimate team challenge – Ara hosts ArchEngBuild 2026

_{Game on: ArchEngBuild competitors take a close up look inside One New Zealand Te Kaha stadium. Photo Wannabee Productions} 

Ara Institute of Canterbury is delighted to be hosting the 2026 ArchEngBuild Challenge, which began today on campus.

Created and led by the Building Research Association of New Zealand (BRANZ), ArchEngBuild brings together final year ākonga (students) from architecture, engineering, landscape architecture, building science and construction management programmes across New Zealand for an intensive three day design challenge.

Last held at Ara in 2014, the event has its home base this year in the stunning Kahukura building on the institute’s City campus.

The event was opened by Ara Dean of Faculty for Applied Technology Peter Sauer and Principal Academic for Architecture Bernadette Muir.

_{A brief opening and keynote address were held before the challenge teams were revealed.}

Muir said it was a pleasure to welcome ākonga from nine other tertiary providers across Aotearoa to Ara’s architecture studio spaces.

“This event celebrates fresh thinking and collaboration, and it’s exciting to see our emerging professionals ready to rise to the challenge,” she said.

Ralf Kessel, Head of Architecture at ConcreteNZ and co-organiser of the event, said Christchurch offered an exceptional backdrop for students to explore new ideas.

“It’s fantastic to bring ArchEngBuild back to Ara. The campus, the facilities and the surrounding city projects create an ideal environment for students to immerse themselves in the challenge,” he said.

“There’s a real sense of energy and possibility here and you can also feel a sense of pride from the Ara students when showcasing the excellent studio facilities they have to study in.”

The event kicked off with two inspiring field trips - a Superhome site in Somerfield by Bob Burnett Architecture and the One New Zealand Te Kaha right next door to Ara’s City campus.

Then, around 40 students were placed in multidisciplinary teams to respond to a real-world brief on an urban site adjacent to Ara’s campus.

While the site was specific, this year the challenge asked students to consider how their design solution could be applied across different locations and communities at scale.

“The brief reflects a growing need within the sector to move beyond individual projects and towards system-based housing solutions that can respond to New Zealand’s housing challenges,” Kessel said.

The designs will be assessed in four core areas: affordability, quality, sustainability and resilience.

The annual ArchEngBuild is supported by BRANZ and a network of sponsors who champion innovation and capability-building across the sector.

The challenge will conclude with a prizegiving event to be held at the Christchurch Art Gallery on Thursday night where the winning team will receive $15,000 in prize money in recognition of their creativity, technical skill and collaborative approach.