A report into the future of New Zealand’s built environment has been released by building research company BRANZ.
The report, Building the Future, outlines a number of scenarios which illustrate the type of business environment the construction industry may operate within in 2025.
It will help inform the research agenda of BRANZ so that it best meets the industry’s requirements. But it also aims to stimulate a discussion within the industry about how it can ensure New Zealand’s built environment serves the needs of the wider community.
BRANZ chief executive Pieter Burghout says the report’s authors consulted widely across the industry with architects and urban planners to property developers and government departments, to create scenarios which took account of key drivers of potential change in the industry.
“The question that we started from was, what will the built environment look like in New Zealand in 2025?” Mr Burghout says.
“We identified some critical factors which could influence this, such as new technology, government regulation and the environment, and sought the views of a broad cross-section of respected individuals working in the industry.
”From there, we came up with some stories that describe what the future for the industry might look like in 2025, what challenges it might face and what sort of place New Zealand might be like to live, work and play in.”
Mr Burghout says these scenarios aren’t predictions as such, but plausible depictions of what might happen should certain combinations of circumstances eventuate.
Following breakfast meetings to discuss the report’s contents in Wellington and Auckland, construction industry leaders have committed to continue work on developing a framework which will facilitate ongoing discussion about what the industry needs to do to secure its future.
“We’ve had great feedback from those who attended the launch of Building the Future, and clearly there is an appetite across all sectors of the construction industry to work towards a unified vision of what the built environment should look like in 2025.
“I think this is a very positive development for the industry and for the whole country. After all, the built environment underpins every aspect of all our lives, so it’s critical we get it right for everyone’s future.”
Wellington property developer Ian Cassels, managing director of The Wellington Company, applauded the initiative being taken by BRANZ to forge a vision for New Zealand’s built environment.
“Our homes are a national asset. If they’re poorly built and have to be replaced every 20 years then that’s a cost to the nation,” Mr Cassels says.
“We need to understand in New Zealand that good planning and good investment generates wealth, so this report’s forward-looking approach is very timely.”
The Building the Future report, in full-length and summarised versions, is available for downloading from www.branz.co.nz/building_the_future.
