Building success
Samoan-raised and educated in the Samoan school system, Philip Penn had a lot of adjustments to make when he came to study at Victoria University of Wellington in 2010.
Now he is graduating with a Master of Building Science and his research has contributed to the development of a tool that calculates the potential environmental impact of all aspects of building.
Before moving to Wellington, Philip had only visited New Zealand a few times when he was younger. After his older sister graduated from the University, Philip’s parents decided it was the best place to send him to continue his studies. He had already completed a Certificate in Science at the National University of Samoa.
“My strongest subjects were chemistry and technological drawings so like any kid new to university, I put together my strengths and found a subject where I could use these to my advantage. I found myself drawn to Building Science in the School of Architecture, where I was able to take a more scientific approach to building design.
Moving to New Zealand and studying in a new schooling system, while also getting acquainted with the New Zealand construction industry he was studying, hasn’t always been easy, but Philip has accessed the multitude of support services the University has on offer to ease the pressure.
The University’s Te Rōpū Āwhina programme, which provides on-campus whānau support for Māori and Pasifika students within the Faculties of Science, Engineering, Architecture and Design, supported Philip during his undergraduate and postgraduate years. When they temporarily shut down in 2015 as Philip was commencing his Master’s, he lost his way.
“I was struggling with a thesis idea and without the Āwhina support system I emotionally and mentally lost focus on my work. Fortunately, my university highlight came later in 2015 when Nigel Isaacs, a senior lecturer in the School of Architecture, was appointed as my supervisor. He took the time to understand and review my thesis ideas. I regained my confidence and pushed forward with my thesis.”
Philip’s thesis investigated BRANZ’s Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) tool developed by Brian Berg, also a Master of Building Science graduate from the University. BRANZ is an independent research, testing and consulting organisation that encourages the building and construction industry to provide better buildings for New Zealanders.
The tool calculates the potential environmental impacts of building materials, building elements, and whole buildings. It looks at the production, use and disposal of building products and supports building design by showing the magnitude of environmental impacts and where they occur in the life cycle.
Philip’s thesis explored how the tool worked and ways to improve it for wider use. Because the tool is still in its infancy having only been developed in 2017, Philip’s thesis also investigated simple means that the LCA could be calculated using of a third party software. Philip has shared his thesis with BRANZ in the hope that they will put the research into practice.
In 2016 Philip was awarded a Sanitarium Pasifika Scholarship to help him meet the costs of his student fees and halls of residence. “When I received the news that my application was successful, it was the best news I had ever gotten at the time.”
Philip’s supervisor, Nigel Isaacs, said he and Architecture programme director Kevin Sweet had enjoyed working with Philip to develop his research ideas.
“The shift from the Samoan education system to dealing with the complexity of postgraduate research requires a thirst for knowledge. Philip quietly went about learning the many different aspects of his research topic, bringing them together to help develop a new and valuable tool for the New Zealand construction community,” says Professor Isaacs.