Massey University, School of Built Environment (SBE) - CIOB Accreditation

The School of Built Environment (SBE) at Massey University is delighted to announce that our Bachelor of Construction and Master of Construction Programs are now accredited by the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB). The CIOB has also awarded CIOB Accredited Centre Status to Massey University. SBE are especially grateful to Laura Stirling (Accreditation Manager) and Maricel Cavestany (Regional Manager – Oceania) who assisted and supported us during the accreditation and review process.

We are proud to welcome CIOB’s CEO, Caroline Gumble, to visit our school in Auckland in December 2022. This will be an excellent opportunity to strengthen the ties between the two organisations.

Launched in 2019, SBE is a global leader in teaching and research for quantity surveying, construction and facilities management, lighting, digital and sustainable built environments. SBE has a well-established administrative structure, people and culture platform, and many essential building blocks to achieve excellence in learning and teaching, research, internationalisation, and engagement with industry, academia, and community. SBE’s intention to become a Tiriti-led school is manifested in the portfolios of each of the school’s functions.

SBE’s overarching strategic vision in construction and the built environment is:

• To be a world leader in research;
• To be the leading education provider in New Zealand and beyond; and
• To take proactive leadership in engaging with local communities, domestic and international society, and industry.

SBE’s learning and teaching, research, internationalisation, and engagement are supported by a strong people and culture, business management, and our professional accreditation bodies that are closely linked to each other and therefore such a close relationship with CIOB is critical to our success.

Our school champions learning through research and inquiry so that our teaching practice and curricula are underpinned by up-to-date evidence-based research. Drawing from our research strengths, teaching tradition and expertise over the years, we have developed expertise in the areas of:

Lighting: fully supported by our flagship lighting lab, the school has built a reputation as the main provider of education in this particular niche area within the built environment.

Quantity surveying: this is another specific area of expertise which is constantly in high demand in the construction industry, and we have an excellent reputation as the main provider in New Zealand.

Construction management and project management: even though there are several other providers in New Zealand, we have developed a good reputation in educating future construction and project managers.

Construction technology: fully supported by our construction materials lab as well as indoor air quality lab and also sound lab, the school is an emerging provider.
Construction law, contract and procurement: this is a true niche area within built environment that SBE has been developing in the last few years.

Digital built environment: We set up a new virtual/augmented reality and building information modelling lab in 2019 and are in the process of adding more capabilities to form an integrated digital built environment lab to support our vision to become the main player of digital built environment in New Zealand and beyond.

Facilities management (FM): From the beginning of 2021 we introduced the new Diploma and PGDip in FM to serve industry needs in this area.

Sustainable built environment (SBE): Our Masters in Sustainable Built Environment equips building practitioners with current strategies and techniques of sustainable       
design, construction and management that hinges on the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This evidences our leadership in the development of sustainable built environments and zero-carbon built environment industry  
initiatives. 

The built environment at Massey University as a domain for research is rated 5 stars and our Built Environment and Architecture research is currently ranked 151-200 in the world by the QS World University Ranking. Since the school’s establishment, the research capacity has been significantly expanded through external grants, and internal investment including conversion of a storage area for research lab spaces. Our research philosophy follows the Triple Helix model that advocates a close partnership of academia, industry and government in co-creating and driving innovation through research and development suitable for a knowledge-based economy. An excellent example would be the success of a team of researchers in our school that were awarded $ 9.96M (incl. GST) by the Government of New Zealand to help solving the construction sectors’ capacity and capability problems. This five year research project is one of the largest research investments of its kind in New Zealand and brings together academia, industry and government in New Zealand led by our school.

Despite the pandemic and other challenges facing our society, our relatively young school continues to grow and punch above its weight. Our vision and mission to continuously advance New Zealand and its people is always at the heart of everything we do.