Coming
into the Intelligent Buildings course I was not sure what to expect; initially
I thought it would consist of strictly Revit work, but I was very wrong. This
course dove into a broad range of topics, introducing something new every week.
Beginning with topics ranging from Robotics to 3D Manufacturing, we got the
chance to read through a collection of articles that relate various
technologies to the concept of an Intelligent Building. I believe utilizing the
shared Evernote was greatly beneficial, for it allowed us to explore subtopics
that interest us and showed what our peers were interested in researching as
well. Following this topic, BIM was introduced; Building Information Modeling
is the process of creating 3D models, enabling document management, simulation,
and coordination. Prior to taking AE410, the only relevant technology I was
familiar with was AutoCAD, but now I can add Revit to my current skill set. The
first assignment was perfect for demonstrating the capabilities and functionality
of Revit, never using the software, it took some time adjusting to all the features
included, but once I was comfortable navigating the program I began to genuinely
enjoy the design process involved. Soon after we focused on Databases,
ultimately creating one of our own. After understanding how a Database works,
real-world examples of Sensors were incorporated. Researching for viable
sensors to implement was a challenge, but the results were worth the effort. I
was forced to learn about various sensors and what specifications matter in
order to record them into my database, and I know have a knowledge on the
vastness of the Sensor realm. This assignment also provided me with skills I
will utilize outside of the course, I plan on researching Database functionalities
even further, and eventually create one for my current part-time work. Lastly,
the Final Project was a great way to summarize what we have learned from the
course, choosing our own topic to work on allowed us to implement what we found
to be most important for the future of the AE world. I certainly could not have
written the paper I did without the in-class discussions throughout the course,
and because of these discussions I was comfortable with both researching and
formulating my own opinions on the subject (Artificial Intelligence). It is
worth mentioning the significance of the guest speakers as well. The few that
came to speak were all extremely insightful and provided real-world
applications of the material we were learning.
Comments to others:
Varsha Ajith
Varsha, I was in the same boat as you! Starting the course, I
was intimidated by the syllabus’ anticipated course load, entailing things like
Revit models and Databases, but once I started working on them, I was enjoying
the work it required. The course also opened my eyes to the potential of job
opportunities in the AE field, not only for AE students, but for all
disciplines. I could easily work in the field even though I am studying
computer engineering, for “Intelligent Buildings” require input from various
kinds of professionals.
Reece Masucci
Reece, I am glad to hear you will be changing the pace of
your coop work; I know the feeling of having an uneventful coop, so I also
switched it up upon my second coop to gain a broader understanding of my major
and engineering as a whole. I agree with you that this course did an
exceptional job in aiding the understanding of Databases, and that knowledge is
beneficial to anyone in any field. Since you touched on environmental awareness
and concrete, I was reading on a study that aspires to implement living
concrete, utilizing biological aspects that will allow for self-healing material.
Hopefully technology such as this will get you thinking of ideas for the future
of environmentally friendly construction.
Douha Alqudaihi
Douha, I agree that the blogs and research performed through
the shared Evernote were greatly beneficial to understanding the content
covered in the course. I was also a strict AutoCAD user at the start of this
course, but with the aid of Professor Mitchell’s tutorial I feel I got a good
grasp on Revit as a whole and all the functionality it possesses. I also
enjoyed the structure of the class, breaking the roster into groups based off
general interests helped keep discussions on track and ensured that everyone
was at least familiar with the topics at hand. Overall, the course was designed
in such a way that allowed consistent understandings of each newly introduced subject,
and I wish I had other courses structured in a similar manner.
2 comments:
Liam,
I absolutely agree with you on that this course helped me to learn about so many technologies that I probably wouldn't have learned about on my own. In that way, this course was definitely the most well-rounded course I have taken this term. I'm glad to hear that because of AE410 you can now add new skills to skill set, like Revit and your knowledge on sensors, and that the discussions helped you form your final paper.
Liam,
I liked that you touched on the summarization aspect of the final project and the ability to focus more intently on our interests. I think this aspect of the project allowed us to do some self-teaching and self-exploration in a field that we find to be most beneficial to our professional careers.
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