Monday, March 9, 2020

Reflection

Class Reflection 

Coming into the class, I was not sure what a class on Intelligent Building would entail, but I was not disappointed. I think that dividing the class intro BIM and  Databases was a good way structure the class, since they are both relevant to the future of engineering. In the BIM section of the class, I was able to learn about new softwares that are being used, such as Dynamo, and how they are being applied in the field. This was my favorite part of the class since it showed me what a future in Digital Building concentration could look like. I enjoyed hearing representatives from companies talk about the future of BIM and Virtual Reality in engineering. Thanks to the presentation from the consulting/engineering firm, I interviewed with a couple companies for a position in Virtual Design Construction for my third co-op. Thus, I am more excited about the job possibilities within my field. It was also interesting to learn about all the advancements in engineering with the introduction of new technologies, such as drones in construction and the use of AI for generative design, and how they haven’t become a popular trend yet. Almost every guest speaker mentioned the pushback that new methods receive within our field, which I hope is something that will start to change in the next couple of years with new generations being introduced into the industry. 

Furthermore, I found learning about databases useful, as this is what allows for the development of intelligent buildings. From our definition of intelligent building at the start of the course, intelligent building are able to respond/adapt to their surrounding to optimize performance and efficiency. Thus, the collection of data is key.  The collection of large amounts of data allows for insightful and well rounded decisions concerning building design, whilst also providing real-time feedback on the conditions inside the building. 

Overall, I really enjoyed this class and thought it provided good amount of information regarding a future in intelligent building and the current technologies being implemented. 

Amanda, 

I think you provided really thoughtful analysis of how this class was beneficial for you as a structural engineer. I agree that this class was really helpful in making us realize the multiple softwares that are available to us and how they can become the future of our fields. 

Andrew,

I completely agree that one of the most important things this class taught me was that we have to be constantly learning. Everyday there are new technologies and softwares being introduced and it is really important for us to understand this and how they can help us in our careers.
Ina,

I agree with your point that one of the most enjoyable things of the class was its diversity. I really enjoyed having people from different experiences and concentrations in the class as it proved to create more interesting discussions in class. It is always interesting to see the different perspectives shared in class.

6 comments:

Madeleine Walker-Elders said...

Hi Manon,

I think your insights on this class structure were spot on! As a senior, I wish that I could have had a class like this earlier in my Drexel career so I could have been more aware of the different Co-Ops I could pursue as someone with a digital building concentration. I think that the overall structure of this class did a great job introducing us to many different facets of what the AECO industry will look like in our careers, and the technologies that we will be exposed to.

Douha Alqudaihi said...

Manon,
I liked your reflection!
Me too at first I didn't know what an intelligent building course would look like and what will be the topics and assignments covered until I received an email from the professor illustrated that including the syllabus. He mentioned that if someone is not interested, just drop the course. However, in my point of you, I was pleased with the syllabus because he is covering technologies that are part of our future.
I learned many things and believe that we all have learned from this course.
Guest speakers also gave us opportunities to see things from different aspects in the career field.

Anonymous said...

Greetings Manon,

I felt a similar way coming into class. I was also unsure of what it meant for a building to be intelligent, and I feel that this class has given me great insight into the future of engineering as well. I also really enjoyed hearing from industry professionals who are seeing the implementation of the technologies we are learning about as well. It is truly incredible how big data has the ability to impact the efficiency of buildings.

Anonymous said...

Greetings Manon,

I felt a similar way coming into class. I was also unsure of what it meant for a building to be intelligent, and I feel that this class has given me great insight into the future of engineering as well. I also really enjoyed hearing from industry professionals who are seeing the implementation of the technologies we are learning about as well. It is truly incredible how big data has the ability to impact the efficiency of buildings.

Brian Huynh said...

(ignore the two previous comments. I had issues posting.)

Greetings Manon,

I felt a similar way coming into class. I was also unsure of what it meant for a building to be intelligent, and I feel that this class has given me great insight into the future of engineering as well. I also really enjoyed hearing from industry professionals who are seeing the implementation of the technologies we are learning about as well. It is truly incredible how big data has the ability to impact the efficiency of buildings.

Larisa Parshakova said...

Manon,

I enjoyed reading your post. I think we had similar experience with the course. I was also confused at the beginning to what to expect.
I wish you a good luck with your third co-op. Virtual Design Construction field sounds like a very exciting field to enter. Hopefully you will get a job in that field.