Revised 25 September 2025



In 1967 I left Bayfield High School a year early to start a Bachelor of Science degree at Otago University in Dunedin, New Zealand. I dropped out of university in mid 1968 to work as a technician at a radio station in Invercargill where I stayed for one year. In 1969 I returned to Dunedin to work at Dunedin Electroplaters and as a labourer on building sites.  After getting married in 1970, I decided to complete my BSc degree as an extramural student. I worked as a postman for two years, swimming pool manager and coach at Balclutha for a swimming season, and then as a relief high school teacher and professional swimming coach upon my return to Dunedin. I completed my BSc degree with an A+ major in Physics in 1974 and was subsequently awarded a Senior Scholarship in Science. In 1978 I completed a Bachelor of Architecture degree with Honours in Auckland while working as a part-time professional swimming coach in my first year of studies. A cadetship with the Ministry of Works enabled completion of my BArch degree as a full-time student and I served out my five-year bond with the Ministry of Works as a graduate architect gaining registration as an Architect in 1981. In 1985 I joined the private sector working at several major architectural firms in Auckland. During this period, I became one of the first CAD Managers in New Zealand. In 1993, I completed an empirical PhD titled The Mortality of New Zealand Housing Stock and then worked as a Senior Lecturer for 11 years in the Department of Property, The University of Auckland, teaching Building Economics, Property Economics, and Construction. In my Construction and Building Economics courses I taught the principles of sustainable design and husbandry of buildings. My research on the dynamics of sustaining an expanding versus steady state New Zealand housing stock can be viewed on ResearchGate and citations of my research under my published name of Ivan M. Johnstone can be viewed on Google Scholar