Te Herenga Waka–Victoria University of Wellington’s new Professor of Advanced Construction and inaugural Sir Mark Dunajtschik Chair in Construction, Pamela Bell, brings both deep industry experience and a people-first perspective to her new role. Reflecting on lessons from across the construction sector, she emphasises that success is shaped as much by collaboration and curiosity as by technical skill.
“I’ve learnt that the construction industry is about the people behind the projects,” she says. “The fundamental technical skills you learn, whether in education or on the job, need to be balanced by your social capital. The people you meet along the way are who you need to collaborate with to deliver the built environment for building a better Aotearoa New Zealand. Advanced digital skills are critical to support collaboration, reduce project risk, and adapt to modern methods of construction.”
As construction education evolves to meet industry transformation, Professor Bell believes students must start building their professional networks early. “My advice to ākonga [learners] would be to start building your social capital before graduating,” she explains. “This means bringing questions, curiosity, and ideas to network with construction industry people through events and exchanges over multiple coffees. In particular, I suggest connecting over LinkedIn with subject matter experts and asking for a coffee meeting. And always end the conversation with a thank you and a request for three more names of people to connect with. One way to get started is by joining an industry association (such as Building Institute Aotearoa) and attending their events.”
Looking ahead, Bell sees a sector defined by integration, digitalisation, and sustainability. “The future looks integrated, holistic, and collaborative,” she says. “We will be doing more with prefabrication and cool tools like robotics and digital twins. Graduates with advanced skills in sustainability, waste reduction, and design for a circular economy will be in huge demand as we shift to more modern methods of construction.”
She points to the growing importance of understanding the interconnection between disciplines. “All construction people need to understand the breadth of the roles that deliver projects from design through construction to operations and management,” she explains. “The construction leaders of the future will understand the connections between the three disciplines or the ABCs of architecture, building science, and construction. Together, these three disciplines span the professional roles that deliver the full lifecycle of a construction project, from initial planning through to operations, to create a built environment that is future-focused and resilient. This complete lifecycle and long-term approach is key and there are insights from mātauranga Māori that weave in here.”
Digital literacy, she adds, will be the foundation of that future. “The good news is that these digitally literate learners will be valuable to the construction industry as it moves to integrate more digitally led processes in the way we deliver the built environment. There is a lot that our graduates have to offer in the built environment sector in Aotearoa.”
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