The NZ Building People Awards 2023 took place on Friday 18 August at a gala dinner at Te Pae in Ōtautahi | Christchurch.
Along with the winners of the awards being named the NZ Institute of Building also took the opportunity to honour three of our members by naming them as Fellows of the Institute.
The three Fellows named at the 2023 Awards were: Graeme Earl, Malcolm Fleming and Robyn Phipps.
The Fellow Award is to recognize members who have made a significant contribution to the development of the construction industry. These awards are decided by the National Board – they are only given out to members who have been full members for at least five years and recipients generally have more than twenty years of experience in the industry having reached an influential level.
Congratulations to our newly minted Fellows – you can read more about them and why they are being recognized below.
Graeme Earl
As well as being active in his local community, Graeme is committed to developing the construction industry through his active involvement across many channels.
He served as the Canterbury President of the Registered Master Builders Association from 2008 to 2013, Chair of the Apprentice of the Year Central-Southern Region from 2008 to 2013, NZ Institute of Building Regional Committee Chair from 2017 to 2021, and an Institute National Board member since 2018.
It is not surprising with that record of service that Graeme was also recognised by the Southern Region with the Regional Honor Award in 2021. Graeme’s continues to be dedicated to the Institute and in moving us all forward.
Malcolm Fleming
Malcolm first joined the NZ Institute of Building in 2012 and served as a National Councillor until 2015. He also led the Central Region as Chapter President during this time. Malcolm then took up the Chief Executive role at the Institute in March 2015. He worked tirelessly throughout the subsequent seven years to elevate the Institute's profile and effectiveness as an industry stakeholder and strengthen its financial resilience. Working in partnership with successive Councils and Boards, Malcolm delivered a long list of accomplishments for the Institute.
Today, the Institute is recognised as an essential resource to Members and to the industry, largely due to Malcolm's effectiveness over his tenure. Alongside his current role as Chief Executive of New Zealand Certified Builders Association, Malcolm Chair’s the New Zealand Construction Industry Council, and he was recently appointed to MBIE’s Building Advisory Panel.
This award recognises the great service Malcolm has provided to the Institute and the results achieved in strengthening its foundations for the future.
Robyn Phipps
Robyn is the Dean of the Faculty of Architecture and Design Innovation at Te Herenga Waka, Victoria University of Wellington.
Throughout her career, Robyn has been committed to improving the quality and sustainability of our built environment. She has been very active in researching low-cost solutions for healthier homes and schools, including undertaking projects that focus on indoor air quality topics such as healthy heating, solar air heaters, and construction health and safety.
Her research is multidisciplinary involving materials suppliers, designers, environmental engineers, building physicists, and most importantly building users. She is also focused on increasing diversity, equality and equity in the Built Environment sector and promoting less traditional career pathways.
