Team 1 - Things we learned from our Presentations

Sarah Hollis was the first to present in our team. We learned about the history of automated design. It was enlightening to learn about the world before Autocad and Revit existed. She walked us through the way Autocad broke into the world of draftsmen and eventually evolved into a comprehensive, 3D model. Before Autocad, she said that designers would try NOT to change designs because it would simply take too long for the draftsmen to propagate the changes throughout the drawing sets!

Dung Tran presented about his Revit model of the Glass House, where he modeled with immense detail each of the systems within his building. Dung explored some extensions of Revit such as the structural analysis that we had never seen before. He was also very thorough in modeling subsystems such as the plumbing!

Brad DiGiovanni and Cody Johnson gave a super interesting presentation on laser scanning and BIM. They gave an overview of the applications of 3D scanning and the benefit of generating a point cloud. It was crazy to see how 3D scanning can survey, in one day, a space that would have otherwise taken multiple weeks to survey. The point cloud is super accurate - and they were discussing the future potential of putting 3D scanners on drones.

Zac and myself presented on our interdisciplinary model that we constructed in Revit based on our AE 391 design. Building a Revit model as we progressed through the design phases helped to visualize how the various systems interacted in 3D, and definitely helped to identify conflicts as they arose.

Overall, all the groups walked away with a better understanding of modeling processes. We received the whole gamut of knowledge about modeling. We started with the origins of Autocad and Revit, saw two projects utilizing the interdisciplinary capabilities of Revit, and also learned the ways that 3D scanning can be integrated with BIM to incorporate detailed, field information.

Team 3 - Group Project Reflection

As a group, we learned that people bring different ideas to the table; these ideas can be influenced culture, geography, and other outside factors.  We also learned the importance of stating your definition and expanding on the idea you are speaking about.  As a group, we all had different definitions of intelligent and green buildings, and your definition may take your project or paper in a different direction than someone else's.  Technology can be defined differently depending on the time period.  Technology is constantly evolving and influencing the design, construction, and operational phases of a building's life cycle. 

Reflection

As I look back on what I learned in this course the two main topics I feel will apply to me the most are the BIM and Database topics. I am pursuing more of a career in the construction industry and it is almost a staple in and General Contracting company is to have a Revit model. The Revit model helps the general contractor to estimate, detect any problems with the plans easier, and to also show the owner a pretty picture of their building. This helps streamline the process once the model is built in Revit. Building a model in Revit can take anywhere from a few days to over a month depending on the size of the building. I have worked for a civil construction company that uses Agtek and Sketchup to model the various projects like large sites with a lot of earthwork or bridges to help with estimation. What these programs also do is allow for the contractor to see where the cut and fills are on the site, and also show the owner that “this is a big problem” or this is how you can fix it easily. I find that programs that are able to model the project are very beneficial in the construction industry as it allows both the contractor to see the finished product and to also show the owner what it will look like once completed.

The other topic that I found interesting is the database topic and the assignment that went with the topic. When I was completing the project I kept thinking of how this may or may not relate to my previous co-op positions and how they may utilize it in their everyday work. The one way in which I found this may be helpful in a contractor’s company is to have a relational database about all of their subcontractors. Being able to go into on place and find a subcontractor based on the work they do is very beneficial. The company I worked for was using an excel spreadsheet which made it somewhat difficult at times to find the contractor you were looking for. A database of all of these contractors would help with the estimation process. Another database I think would be beneficial to have is one that stores all of the information from previous jobs and how they long each activity took. This helps ensure the estimator allows for enough time for its company to finish the activity. This is important because if he does not estimate the project properly the company could lose a lot of money. The entire goal of any project is to make as much money as possible.

COMMENTS:

Jacob Wahbleh

I think that BIM is and will become a bigger impact on our industry. I believe that every company I interviewed for asked about the various programs I have used in my time here at Drexel. These companies are aware of where the industry is going and they want to invest in those students who know how to model the buildings, bridges, site, etc. so that they can see it and show it to the owner.

Andrew Maita

I like you signed up for AE 410 for the reason that it could count as a Technical Elective for one of majors. I had also heard from others that it was an interesting class and many recommended it to me. This put into perspective the various technologies that are already in place in the industry that I had not realized until taking this course. Reflecting on my co-ops I am able to see these technologies at work and the potential for them all.

Mark Odorizzi

You bring up the interesting point that having more knowledge in new technologies could and most likely will set you apart from other potential candidates. I believe employers are looking for employees that are able to learn new technologies quickly or have that knowledge already because we are currently in a transition period where our industry is catching up on all the technology out there. Companies are investing in this industry and creating specific departments within to deal with and implement these technologies such as BIM or a generic modeling division.

B7 Course Reflection - Gibson

After going through the course AE 410- Intelligent Buildings, I have found a new passion for future technologies that are going to play key factors in my work field. I relished the use of new programs and learning about how we can fine tune our skills to become the most efficient engineers we can be. The new software I used in this class were Microsoft Access and the incorporation of Grasshopper as well as Rhino into Revit. The weekly blogs become a tradition for me as I got to reflect on the lectures from class and understand how my peers are thinking about these new topics too. Although, my favorite part of this course I would have to say would be the guest lectures.

During the guest lectures I found some real connections between all the new technologies discussed throughout the course and the design/construction industry as a whole. This gave me a first-hand experience from professionals on how they use each of the technologies or how they would use their databases to optimize the project timeline. In addition, this helped me to see what I want to do in the future as I am new to the idea of intelligent buildings and upon graduation.

Comments:

Wicker:

I enjoyed reading your post as I too have similar interest as you. This class really opened my eyes to the applications that Revit and Access can be used for as well as the amount of information each can produce.

Bach:

After reading your post, I see you as well favorited the guest lectures. As it made us feel connected to the real world and see specific ways these technologies are used out in the field.

Strohl:

I too agree with you without the deep intellect that Professor Mitchell has from working in the field so long and working with many students he delivered a great message to incorporate these new technologies.

Sarah Hollis - Reflection

Firstly, a number of skills have been gained which, as well as being CV worthy, will help directly with future employment; these are Revit and Databases. As well as this we have learnt about AI and Robotics which has helped me to predict the future. Predicting the future is not just an interesting topic of conversation. It can help when choosing which job to go for, or which programs to spend time learning. With the world seeming to be switching to 3D, one can predict that Revit is still extremely worth while learning, whereas AutoCad is getting dated and may not be around for much longer. This is not to say that all technologies which are not brand new are worth throwing in the bin. Databases still have a use in todays world. They provide a mechanism to organize, locate and change huge groups of data with ease.
Learning how to create a family was one of my favorite and worthwhile tasks in this module. Whilst being helpful for future employment, it also showed how Revit works with reference lines and grids. This knowledge can be applied to many more tasks on Revit to get a successful outcome.

Andrew,

I agree that this is a course that I would not normally have chosen and it covered topics about the future which I had never really thought about before. It has definitely given me some useful knowledge which could definitely impress future employers.

Dee Dee,

I also really enjoyed the guest speakers. It was nice to hear about their experience in the industry as well their opinions about the future projections for the construction industry. It was a different approach as we do not tend to have guest speakers in my other modules but I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Thach-Course Reflection

Overall, I really enjoyed the class. The purpose of the course was to have students become more comfortable with the technologies that make a building an intelligent building. Also, to make students aware of the different databases that designer and owners use to collect and find data. I believe that this was accomplished by Prof. Mitchell. After the class I am not more comfortable using Parametric Design applications like Revit and I now have an understanding of how it can be used more in the industry. The Revit project was a great project to help students who never used Revit before get a simple introduction and for students are experienced a chance to get more practice with it outside of work.

I really enjoyed the concept of the blog post as it forced students to research different topics that all fall under the category of intelligent building. This includes artificial intelligence, sensors and networks. Adding the part where students comment each other’s work seemed like a lot of work but it was helpful because it allowed us to learn from each other and understand people’s perspective on the various topics. I believe that this class has taught students a lot about topics we were not aware of before, thus making students more prepared for the future.

My favorite component of the class was the videos and the guest lecturers. I think they were very helpful and insightful. The topics that were discussed were interesting and the lecturers made students very comfortable. For students who were on fringe about entering that specific field, it helped guide them to the right field. In terms, of things I did not like, I just wish that we were given a bit more time to complete the individual projects. I felt rushed at times and felt that it was one of the reasons why some of my projects lacked detail. In conclusion, I think I learned a lot from this course and I am happy that I had the opportunity to take before graduating.

Comments

Dee Dee:

I agree with you because the guest lecturers were one of my favorite parts of the class. I think that they brought their expertise to each lecture. I too think the new overwhelming movement of robotics and AI is worrisome just because I’m afraid that it will lead to the demise of the human race but it can be because I am paranoid.

Lauren,

I really enjoyed you personal input about the applications you use at work and how you were able to tie it into the things that were covered in class. Your thoughts about sensors was really good and you made some really insightful points.

Brad,

I really enjoyed you blog post, I think it was very insightful and you summarize the benefits of the class very well. I like how you were about to tie in your other classes into post. INFO 210 did teach us about the theory of database but it was helpful that this class had us actually create and edit our own database using something other than SQL.

B7 - Course Reflection, Odorizzi

AE 510 fostered discussion about the future and new technologies that I had not taken time to consider carefully before. It was refreshing to gain awareness of how new technologies are integrating into the construction industry and project how these developments will impact our future professions. I think it was useful to break down some of these developments at a fundamental level to help build our understanding of the topic, namely with BIM and databases. Having worked with Revit in the past, I was able to expand upon my previous knowledge of Revit through our family assignment, as well as by diving into depth with an interdisciplinary model for the term project. Databases were a topic I had never pursued in the past. I found the discussion of databases very interesting, and it was a useful tool to gain exposure to for future uses.

Another aspect of the course that I enjoyed were the blog posts. As annoying as they often are to complete, I enjoyed reading through other classmates’ posts and seeing their thoughts. Fo topics such as the introduction to databases, I found it a great way to compile information about the topic without reading in depth about each topic ourselves. The in-class blog posts that we did early in the term felt forced and I did not like those - but the weekly blog posts were enjoyable.

With regard to the course’s impact on my profession and future, it has definitely motivated me to investigate the technologies and software at the forefront of the industry. For example, Dynamo is in-built feature of Revit 2017 and I would be interested in spending some time exploring its capabilities. Other facets, such as impact detection software, would also be super interesting to learn. Gaining a knowledge of these niches may be advantageous in industry to set myself apart from other engineers, and would likely be a source of increased efficiency if I am able to gain proficiency in the software. AE 510 gave a very interesting overview of the concept of intelligent buildings and the technologies arising today to make these types of buildings possible.

Comment to Lauren Kujawa

I echo your comment that many of the topics and discussions we had in class were new to me - and I also enjoyed thinking about technology and aspects of intelligent buildings that I had never considered before. I would challenge your statements that both databases and sensors are not applicable to your career. Without knowing your concentration, I feel like databases and sensors have become integrated into our regular usage that we don’t recognize all of them. Perhaps you will not need to know the inner workings of the sensors like Professor Mitchell pushed us to explore, or need to craft a database from scratch, but I would be very surprised if your professional career was entirely void of databases and sensors.

Comment to Malik Anibaba

After reading your post, you made me think about “what did I expect of this course when I started,” and I think you articulate well that AE 510 encompassed a much broader scope with big-picture ideas that I was anticipating. I also discussed in my post the benefit of the blog posts to help the class collectively cover more content. I thought many of the topics we discussed were very interesting, and I agree that these discussions will help prepare us for the professional world.

Comment to Alyssia Deutsch

The classroom in the cadlab is ALWAYS cold - it’s absurd. I like how you discuss the blend between your technical knowledge and the real-life application of that knowledge that we discussed in AE 510. I think that is a key benefit to the course - it builds awareness of the technology being integrated into our profession. Now you know that you may need to read up on some AI applications for CMU design. I similarly felt that the course offers motivation to learn about these new software, like Dynamo, and continue to read and remain aware of the technologies associated with an Intelligent Building.