Bob Hall FNZIOB began his journey in the built environment not in a lecture theatre or on a construction site, but in a history classroom in the United Kingdom. An innovative teacher chose to look beyond dates and battles, instead exploring the history of architecture and how the built environment developed over time and shaped communities. For a young Bob, it was a revelation that would define his entire career. “I was hooked and still am!” he says.

Bob is a past President of the Building Institute, a current member of the Constitution Committee, and one of the founding members of the New Zealand Institute of Building, now known as Building Institute Aotearoa. In those formative years, he and fellow pioneers shared a clear ambition: to see the New Zealand building industry and its people recognised as true professionals. “I believe the NZIOB has achieved that and more,” he reflects with quiet pride.

Now Managing Director of RJHA Limited, Bob’s career includes a number of Wellington’s most notable projects, including Te Papa, Wellington Regional Stadium, and the new Archives Building. Each was high-profile, technically demanding, and required strong leadership.

Yet when asked about the moments he is most proud of, Bob looks beyond landmark buildings. Instead, he points to his work in social housing in Wellington. “The greatest joy for me has been working on social housing in Wellington and seeing the transformative effect warm, dry and contemporary homes have on the tenants and their families. Not glamorous, but very rewarding work.”

At 73, Bob had planned to slow down and ease into semi-retirement. The reality has been somewhat different. “I was looking to slow down and enter semi-retirement and that is yet to happen! My paid work has, as planned, significantly reduced; however, I’m just as busy working on some interesting pro-bono assignments and mentoring on several fronts.”

“Mistakes happen and we all make them, and the people I trust the most are those who put their hand up. Integrity is everything.”

One aspect of the built environment that often surprises people, Bob says, is the diversity of skills and people required for success. “One of its greatest appeals to me was working with a diverse cross-section of people from all walks of life, each of whom has a significant contribution to a project’s success.” He points to the crane driver, working alone high above the site, whose skill and precision are so critical that those below can work safely and with confidence.

For those starting out in the industry, Bob’s advice remains unchanged from when he first received it himself: “Never stop learning and be open to change, for change is inevitable, and it brings the opportunity for the next generation to improve on and create new benchmarks.”