Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington

Inaugural Lecture by Professor Pamela Bell

New Professor of Practice, Pamela Bell, shares five life lessons from a career spanning architecture, Olympic snowboarding, and entrepreneurship. These learnings provide the foundation for the new Construction Programme at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington in 2026. Globally the built environment is at a turning point, suffering from low productivity, low pipeline investment, and low uptake of technology—it is ripe for transformation. Future construction will benefit from increased use of digital, manufacturing techniques, and sustainable innovation. Collaboration at the construction site emphasises team wellbeing and greater understanding of indigenous methods. The new Construction Programme delivers both fundamentals and futureproofing through active learning at live construction sites, industry partnerships, and creating a learning culture of curiosity and critical inquiry. Bio Professor Bell joined the School of Architecture at Te Herenga Waka in late 2025. She was previously Chief Everything Officer at Building Institute Aotearoa (formerly the New Zealand Institute of Building), where the focus was on supporting the people behind the projects and growing building capability through professional development, recognition, and rewards.