Amegan - Week 10 - Blog Post

My last co-op, I was an intern at L.F. Drsicoll Co. which is a large and growing construction company in the tri-state area. It was the best experience thus far, because I was able to get some hands on learning that I can totally relate to this class. At my job, there a BIM expert that is in charge of coordination between our MEP and structural engineers. During those coordination meetings, many errors are detected in advance; minor mistakes such as pipes clashing on the 3-D model before any work is started out in the field. There have been times where I sit and wonder why I chose Drexel. I get frustrated with the curriculum, with the exams, with the fast paste but then things like my co-op experience, Professor Mitchell and all his knowledge make it all worth it. 

This class has definitely opened my eyes on so many things. I had no idea what databases were. Now I know what they are, how they are created and how they work in real life. I'm not an expert in Revit like I would like to be. But almost every single class that I have had with Professor Mitchell, there was some form of assignment that required the knowledge of Revit. Now I can affirm with confidence that I am reaching a proficiency level. Although I do not agree with the length of the class (could be an hour and a half class that meets twice a week), I love how it is structured. First, I did not understand why we had to write these blogs but it is honestly helpful in the way that I can always go back and read it; also everyone's opinion is different and it helps me see things I may not see but others do. The guess lectures have also been very helpful I must say because they were people with experience in their respective fields and they give us a perspective on the paths we're headed. Microsoft Access, was one of the other things that this class has taught me. I never used it before and was never really told what it was for. 

When it comes to what I wish to do in the future, that is to get an MArch. With that Master in Architecture and my HVAC undergraduate background, as strange as it sounds, I do not really want to become a designer. Rather, I want to shift to construction, where I could become a project engineer or project manager. I believe I will be a good fit that common point between the design team and the construction managers. Because the field is being taken over by technology I can say that this class will go a long way for me. For our term project, my team and I remodeled an existing building. This improved our BIM skills greatly. On a regular day, I would not take time to learn how to become a better Revit user but because I was forced to for my project, I am thankful. One last aspect that I look forward to is the benefit of BIM; benefits such as saving time and a lot of money. Clash detection is the one thing I witnessed and this prevented the owner having to spend more money and the managers to not waste time on reconstruction. Maybe this class should be imposed, not a choice. Every student should have the opportunity to be exposed to the greatness of BIM and have a taste of what software are used in the field. 

Comments:

Professor Mitchell: I just wanted to say thank you for always taking time to explain things we don't understand; for all your tutorial videos and just for your excellent knowledge of this industry. 

Abdulghani: I agreed with the time that the class is offered. It's a bit late. If I'm being honest, I still do not understand how the sensor database is used. Before this class, I never even used Microsoft Access but now I can find my way around it and create a database.

Taylor Castonguay: When I hear of robotics, I automatically think of robots in like car assembly or experimental robots. Although I forgot to mention it in my post, I was one of those who were not interested in robotics. Not once did I actually think to relate it to our field of engineering and construction. But after I read some of the articles about how robotics can be implemented on the job site, I have to agree that it is pretty fascinating. And from a safety point of view, it sure will save a few lives in the future and prevent a lot of injuries.

Kwang Lee: We do have a common interest when it is comes to our careers. I believe being the intermediate point between the designers and the construction managers takes a lot more knowledge than I initially thought but I think we have a good head start thanks to the classes we have been exposed to! Good luck to you, I hope we can both accomplish our goals one day.