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. 

Presentation Group 2- Green vs Intelligent Buildings

By going over our presentations as a group we were able to deepen our understanding of the differences and similarities of green and intelligent buildings. Many of us had found the same information and discussed the same points. The interesting thing to see was everyone's point of views and different takes on the definitions of a green and intelligent building.

In general, we exclusively looked at what it means for a building to be green and for a building to be intelligent. We identified fields of overlap and exclusivity. We decided that an intelligent building can make a building greener and vice versa. Another side note that we discussed within our group was that there is a measure of how green a building is with the leed standards but no method for classification for intelligent or smart buildings.

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 Final Course Reflection - Tangari

Over the past term this course has helped to create a starting foundation for understanding various systems and programs which are commonly used by engineers. I thought it was a great start to beginning by looking at different topics such as BIM and robotics and researching how they are going to evolve and change with the future. Using a program such as Evernote which I had never used before I was able to access different articles while learning how to use this tool. Another key aspect was being able to look at BIM and understand its purpose and how it functions. How there are so many different tools out there that enable engineers to be able to study a buildings function and performance. By gaining an over sight of some of these has helped me to understand how every company has their own preference when it comes to using different tools and programs but that being able to self teach your self these skills and programs will give you a competitive edge in the work force as well as strengthen your skill sets. 

Another great part of this course was the ability to be able to use different programs to learn new skills. Having used Revit briefly in the past it was helpful to be able to use it again and be focusing on a specific aspect of it such as families. Having the tutorials to follow was extremely helpful in being able to complete the project. The database project I felt was a great addition to the course content as well as it introduced me to a program I had never used, Access. From having very little experience in what a database was and what its components were, lead to self directed research which helped to complete the project. Having an idea and a starting point on how to operate these programs will be a very useful tool in future occupations. Even if these programs are not utilized at future jobs, it will be easier to be able to understand how to self teach a program to oneself because of how we were able to do so using tutorials and such in this course. 

Comments:

Sarah, 
I as well enjoyed doing the Revit project. I feel focusing on creating families was a great way of understanding how Revit has many different tools that can be used to make designing easier and more efficient. 

Andrew,
I like how you discussed how reading the posts furthered your understanding of different topics. I too felt that by reading other students thoughts I was able to understand topics better especially when it came to databases where I did not understand their purpose until looking at others posts. 

Jacob,
I like how you mentioned how now you see that you will use BIM in any job you find your self in. I agree, having not understood before what BIM really was this class really helped to further my knowledge of it as it is greatly in the engineering world. 

B7 - Sarina Tufano

Final Reflection:

As I reflect on this class, I realize that I have learned a lot and I think that the class has learned a lot as a whole. I really like the dynamic that you as a professor have when teaching the course. Being a BS/MS student, it is nice to be able to take the course with undergrads both of the senior and junior level. I like being able to work in groups with everyone. I like how the groups are random so we are giving the opportunity to meet our classmates and work with them in an intelligent setting.  I think it creates a good environment for networking. When you are working in a group with people, ideas start flowing and you learn a lot. You can hear people’s opinions and reasoning for why they comment on something versus what your comment was. This helps me be a more open minded person. It helps me understand how other people think versus how I think also. This has opened my mind to take these opinions and reasons into consideration for next time I make a comment or a decision on something. I think a lot of this class was about the experience that you received attending the class. I enjoyed the guest lectures. It is very cool to hear about people who were in the same shoes as us a couple years ago and have come back to give us advice. It is really nice that they take time out of their busy schedules to enlighten us and even offer us opportunities for employment and networking. I think that this class is more than what I would have gotten out of a typical elective and I am very happy that I chose to take it. I learned a lot about intelligent buildings in general, but when I learned the most was when we were doing independent research for our final projects. This helped me really understand intelligent buildings in depth and at my own pace. I didn’t know a lot about the intelligent aspects of buildings today and I have a better appreciation for them. I now understand in depth about many intelligent aspects of buildings which is great to know for the future. After this class, I am actually considering a field associate with the aspects of intelligent buildings. I can absolutely see myself using the information I researched for my final project in the future. I have already been telling people about it since the completion of the project because I am so fascinated by it. If someone sees my appreciation for this maybe that could help me get a job after graduation. Thank you for this course!

Comments:

Andrew Maita:

You and I both didn't know what to expect from this course. You bring up a great point about your prior interest in intelligent buildings. I didn't have an interest prior to this class specifically, but I absolutely do now. It's funny how just one course can change your mind about what you are thinking about focusing in after college. I am really glad I was exposed to this material such early on because I wasn't aware of all there is to learn about. 

Dee Dee Strohl:

Your reflection of the future of this class reminds me of a blog post that my group had to do one week when thinking about future advantages and disadvantages of this technology and information. I really do see a benefit in the technology advancing. However, I am also aware of the cautiousness you are referring to as we advance. It is good that we are seeing the positives and negatives because there are always both to any given situation. When you neglect to see the other side of the argument is when bad things could happen. I think if we are well aware of the negatives that could arose we are more likely to possibly avoid them.

Jacob Wahbeh:

Through all that I talked about in my reflection, I realized after reading your response, that I forgot to mention the plethora of databases that we have been exposed to. Your response was very insightful and I agree with your point of view as I have also learned a lot about databases.

Wicker - Course Reflection

AE410 has exposed me to many technologies and ideas that will become increasingly prevalent in my field of work in the coming years. As a college graduate it is important to make yourself as valuable as possible in an attempt to land that first post-grad job. Being able to introduce new and innovative ways to complete tasks to any workplace is one of the best ways to do just that. In engineering design, computer programs have become the standard tool for all projects. Even the most basic projects require multiple users to be able to use various program so being able to learn a new program quickly will be valuable as they continue to evolve.

I enjoyed learning how to use Revit and Access the most in this class. These are two programs I had little experience with but the instructional videos gave me enough knowledge to be able to work with them and start figuring out more complex features on my own. Learning Revit has also helped me at work since we receive architectural drawings for project all the time. Being able to identify building outlines, facades, and overhangs helps to give everyone involved in the projects a good idea of the overall goal. While I am not sure if I can use BIM technologies at my current job I can surely incorporate them into my senior design project. Experimenting with new programs will help us to create a unique project that solves common problems in innovative ways.

The weekly blog posts helped me to research and learn more about topics that I wouldn’t regularly read about. It also created talking points for communicating with other people in the class. The only improvements I could suggest for the class would be to have more assignment similar to the Revit one. I know it would be difficult, but if there could be multiple mini assignments that each utilize a demo version of a new program that would be a great way to learn about new software. Overall it was a good experience and I am glad I choose to take this class.

Responses:

Maita,

I also signed up for AE410 because it was a professional elective that fit my schedule and much like you I ended up really enjoying the class. It really put into prospective just how many different technologies exist and how they are evolving to solve modern problems. Just knowing that these technologies are out there gives us an advantage but having a basic understanding of some of them (BIM, Revit, Access) will be very useful going forward.

Wahbeh,

I also found this class interesting.  The connections drawn between technology and various professional fields were fun to learn about. I also plan to try an incorporate some of these technologies into my future projects.

Johnson,

I didn’t appreciate the freedom that we were given for the final project until after reading your post. Few classes allow you to choose your topic and even fewer allow you to explore that topic in any way you want. It made it easy to find something that we were interested in which always makes these types of projects more interesting. I also agree that the ability to continue to adapt to changing technologies will be increasingly important in the future.    

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.