B7 - Group D - Ayon

This course gave me insight not only on the newest technological advances in the construction and design industries, but also made me look at things differently. After looking at the key term Professor Mitchell introduced at the beginning of the course (BIM, database, sensors, 3D printing, etc.) you see there is much more there to an intelligent building. The importance of these key terms goes beyond simple definition understating, therefore we were required to do several class projects and write blogs to further enhance out knowledge.

Through the weekly blogs, we were given a specific topic and we had to analyze this topic in relation to BIM, always looking for limitations and advantages. Providing sources was an excellent way to go out of the box, in my opinion, since it made us look for current applications of that topic and compare it to the future. I personally felt curious after writing a blog about robotics, therefore I decided to do my research paper on that.

Also, we had larger projects to complete through the term allowing us to put into practice the definitions we had learned about the key terms. For instance, creating a database using Microsoft Access made me look at the importance of databases and more importantly, how they work. It was a challenging task for me since it was the first time I was creating a database, but it made realize and understand the importance of applying this in the real world. A construction project would run easier and smoother with this application, as not only material properties and specifics would be in the database, but also cost information, schedule, constriction plans, and even contractors information.

Taking these course made me realize there is more out there than simple sketched done through AutoCAD, that there is a whole intelligent world created with the intend to facilitate the job of the engineers, architects and designers. In the future, I hope to get further knowledge on these applications and put them into practice. Technology is something that will keep changing through the years, and us as Engineers need to be able to adapt to what is new out there and willing to implement these new technologies to our work.    

Course Reflection – Kate Flint - Group D

I will be working for a construction company after graduation so I wanted to gain a better understanding of BIM and what the future of intelligent building looks like. While on co-op in the facilities/project management department at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, I received an introduction to BIM. I was involved in some coordination meetings and was shown how vital new technologies are to the construction process.

I would recommend this course to anyone who plans to work in construction or building design after graduation. While interviewing for potential jobs I was especially interested in the growing BIM or Virtual Building departments in many construction companies. The curse is also obviously geared towards older undergrad/grad students because we were not tested on ever-single lecture and attendance was not taken. We became responsible for our own education, and would get as much out of the class as we put into it. This class was in a very different format from most of my other Drexel courses but I really enjoyed it.

My favorite portions of this course were the supplemental videos about robotics and the lectures from Whiting-Turner, the female Drexel alum who had a large role involving BIM at an engineering firm, and the man who had started his own engineering/consulting business.

I would not consider myself a huge robotics nerd, which was my least favorite part of freshman design. However, when applied to construction I was much more interested. I enjoyed the Whiting-Turner lecture because it was the closest to what I would be doing next year. It was also interesting to have the perspective of a recent Drexel grad and a more seasoned project manager present and answer questions.

I really liked the woman working in BIM because she didn’t preach why “women in tech” is so important. She showed us through her successful accomplishments and passion. As a female in the construction industry I think it is very important for more successful women to be recognized. I think part of the problem why more women are not in top executive roles is because there are not many female role models in the industry to set the example.  

The engineer who started his own company was very passionate and knowledgeable which was infectious. I wanted to just hear every piece of advice he had about business and engineering. By the end of all these lectures I was so inspired to learn more and excited to start working in this industry. 

I didn’t feel the need to attend each class because attendance was being taken. I attended because I was excited to see who the next guest lecturer would be or which cool new video we would watch and discuss. The format of the course required me to analyze new technologies we learned about weekly and find out how or if these technologies could help the industry.

The only thing I would change would be the last few lectures, maybe weeks 8 or 9. Personally, I didn’t find them as interesting, but that may be because I didn’t find the topics as applicable to my personal interests. How the internet works is cool, and definitely something I have wondered about, but I would have rather learned more about how specific BIM technologies work. I also was not a big fan of the database assignment. I think it would have been better if we were given actual sensor/other data from a building and had to create a database for it.

I commented on Allison Lock's & Gary Reiff's posts

B7 - Group D - Frasca

I found this course to be very interesting and mostly enjoyable. The material presented in the class was intriguing and the way it was presented made the lectures go by pretty fast. However, I don’t think this class needed a three hour long lecture each week to cover all of the material, I think a two hour class would have worked just as well. The guest lectures also gave a more personal perspective on the progress of technology in the industry.

The homework for this class also served to increase my understanding of the technologies presented during the lectures. The term paper was the very useful at increasing my knowledge about robotics and drones in the construction industry. The blogs were good for learning more generalized aspects about these technologies, however, I think it would have been better to respond to people not in our assigned group to make us examine it from a different perspective.The assignments were probably the most useful part of this class because it encouraged me to learn more about Revit and databases, which are very common in the design and construction industries.

As an Architectural Engineering major, having a class focused on intelligent buildings was a great experience. As technology increases, the smarter building will become, as well as the technology that constructs them. In our lifetime, we could quite possibly see many of the technologies discussed in this class implemented into buildings. Because this is our job, we must have at least a basic understanding of them, including how they work and what they are used for.

Taking this class introduced us to some of these technologies before they are even common practice in the field. This gives us an upper hand at understanding, advocating, and implementing these technologies in the future.

While this class was very optimistic about what the future may hold, we have to keep in mind that not everyone is progressive and open to new ideas, as the mechanical engineering guest lecturer discussed. So while there is a good chance we will see many of these technologies implemented at some point in time, not all of them will take-off, nor will they all be accomplished when we can see them used as the norm.

Comments:
http://ae-510-ay15-16.blogspot.com/2016/02/b6-ae-510-reflection-danielle-beynon.html?showComment=1457453913709#c2261332232554617178
http://ae-510-ay15-16.blogspot.com/2016/03/course-reflection-kate-flint-group-d.html?showComment=1457473895415#c1765276854720422039

B6: AE 510 Reflection - Danielle Beynon (Group D)

As we get close to reaching the end of the term, I can happily say that Intelligent Buildings has been a worthwhile course. I originally chose to take this course because the topic sounded interesting, and my initial expectations were certainly fulfilled. Not only did I learn about intelligent software for building design, but I also learned how intelligence has been (and currently is) applied to other building aspects such as sensors and construction robotics.

AE 510 has had a positive effect on my profession in several ways. The most important way in which this course has been useful to my profession is that I have gained significant knowledge in BIM software. My previous co-op, to which I will be returning in the spring, involved structural design and the use of AutoCAD and Revit to create foundation and framing plans. I learned about the drawing tools and some structural features in Revit while on co-op, but I learned even more Revit functionalities and the “behind-the-scenes” aspects of the program from taking this course. Creating families and learning how families are retrieved in databases were highly beneficial aspects. Also, I am learning how multiple Revit system models are integrated while working on the final project. Having these skills are helpful to my structural design profession.

Another aspect of the course that I thoroughly enjoyed was the guest lecture portion. It is one thing to discuss among classmates what is happening in the building industry, but having spokespeople from various companies come to class and talk in detail about their personal experiences is highly worthwhile and rewarding. The variety of guest lecturers was also great, since it allowed for an introduction to a wide range of career paths and I was able to see how each person applies the skills and knowledge that we obtain in class to their everyday lives.

Looking ahead to the future, I can apply skills obtained in AE 510 so that I can think more innovatively and acknowledge technological advances in society. Aside from the useful BIM aspects of the course, I have learned to appreciate how far technology has come in the field of buildings. It is even more impressive that technology is evolving every single day, and sometimes this innovation can go unnoticed. I believe that as engineering students, we are all capable of aiding in the future of intelligent building, whether it be with coming up with new improvements or by implementing the existing software to produce models that are appealing to generations to come. Personally, I will apply the intelligent aspects of this course to my future in the engineering field.

Comments:

1) http://ae-510-ay15-16.blogspot.com/2016/02/b2-dianna-vogel-reflection-post.html

Dianna,

I agree that AE510 has exposed us to topics that are directly useful to our future careers in structural engineering, as well as topics that could potentially help us if the opportunity arises. I definitely will use the family tools and other Revit functionalities in my profession, so I am grateful that a section of this class involved Revit and discussion about other BIM software. I do not predict that I will use databases much in my profession but like you said, if it does happen, I will at least have a background in how they work and how they are initiated. I liked how the class topics were broad since I think it made us more well-rounded students in the building technology field.

2) http://ae-510-ay15-16.blogspot.com/2016/02/b6-group-b-alex-palma.html

Alex,
I, too, believe that AE510 has helped in preparing me for the professional world. With the skills and knowledge that we have obtained in BIM software, databases, and sensors, we now have a wide range of building technology traits that will help us in the future. With the information and advice that we have received from listening to guest speakers talk about their real-world experiences in the industry, we have gained more professional pointers than I would have ever imagined when signing up to take this course. I will certainly take many aspects of this course and apply them to my future career in structural engineering; just the way of thinking innovatively itself is something that I will keep with me.

B5: Group D – Kate Flint

Uses of databases in design offices

Databases are useful tools to any company or organization who deals with data. But that is not exclusive to tech companies. Almost all companies have customers and the more data that can be collected about them the better. Knowing your customers allows companies to understand how to better serve them, increasing customer satisfaction and company profits. Design offices in particular work with a large amount of data about buildings and their users. As with any company it it useful to have the most efficient work flow possible. Databases can also be incredibly useful in keeping track of employee information by the human resources department. Databases can be useful for sharing large amounts of data between multiple users, but now there are so many different database options to choose from.

Databases make it easier to manipulate data but in turn make it more complex overall. This puts significantly more amounts of strain on a company's IT department. A company must decide if the pros outweigh the cons in this situation.

An Evernote article profiles an online database startup and explains where the future of the database is headed. Orchestrate.io has pieced together the most useful components from other large database stores to create the foundation for their own super program.  Overall, they have sacrificed customization for use-friendly simplicity. And the company is realistic about their industry. Technology must become more compatible and able to interface with other, similar programs. Orchestrate.io automatically backs up the data to Amazon S3 in case a user wants to later change database providers. To me this seems like a good business practice. It is important to be realistic, and your customers will recognize and appreciate that.

Resources:

https://www.evernote.com/pub/view/aengineer/ae-510/93e26d2a-0a80-455d-844f-601ee408c083?locale=en#st=p&n=93e26d2a-0a80-455d-844f-601ee408c083

Bridget,
We both wrote about databases in design offices and I really like how you started your post with a simple definition of what a database is. I also like how you connected it specifically to BIM and the Revit project from class. Something that can be especially useful that I has not considered is a physical database, such as the one created by Material ConneXion. Architects obviously have a specific appearance in mind when designing a building and it would be incredibly useful to be able to compare different materials in person. As I also stated above, one of the main purposes of a database is to streamline building practices so designer's and builder's time can be better spent elsewhere.

Gary,
You did a great job at explaining the technical definitions involved with creating databases. This knowledge will be especially helpful for our future assignment of building our own databases. I think it is especially important for new database user to understand that there is a logic model behind the physical data they are using or manipulating. 
Overall you gave a lot of great detail and information. On a way to improve, it would be helpful to the reader to add in specific examples of these topics that they may encounter in their everyday lives.

B5 - Group D - Frasca - Uses of Databases in Design Offices

According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, databases are “a usually large collection of data organized especially for rapid search and retrieval (as by a computer)”. An example of a database that most people are familiar with is a library catalog. Databases are generally very useful and easy to operate. Databases contain information in various formats including files, catalogs, tables, reports, and so on. Databases can be formatted to store almost any type of data.

In a design office, databases are typically used for either storing/searching for information or libraries in BIM. They can use more traditional computer databases to hold employee, client, and project records so that is it easy to find important information when needed. BIM uses databases to store information about specific elements. BIM contains this information in tables which can be used to edit an object. In this class, we have seen this in the Assignment where we created and edited families in Revit. Databases in BIM can be linked to other programs that hold material properties, such as type of material, strength, and lifespan in a database. This connection can help with the analysis of the building including cost estimates, time estimate, stress/ strain analysis, etc.

            Design offices may also utilize external databases. There is a company called Material ConneXion which houses a library of material samples that people from other companies can visit if they become members. This library contains thousands of materials and new ones are constantly being added. The materials contained in the library can range from products that go into a building to fabrics for clothing. They are located in various places around the world, including New York City. A physical database is a very useful tool for design companies because they have the opportunity to examine and compare various items that may go into the building. Being able to see the material in person is much better than looking at it through a computer database.

All of these databases have the goal of helping people reduce the time working on and cost of a project. This gives the designers more time and means to improve the building.

Sources:

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/database

http://searchsqlserver.techtarget.com/definition/database

http://continuingeducation.bnpmedia.com/article.php?upgrade=new&L=12&C=838

http://www.materialconnexion.com/AboutUs/tabid/865/Default.aspx

Comments:
http://ae-510-ay15-16.blogspot.com/2016/02/b5-group-d-maria-ayon_9.html?showComment=1455055033227#c5638866150731153564
http://ae-510-ay15-16.blogspot.com/2016/02/b5-yuyang-shi-group-d.html?showComment=1455056775686#c8175217512724581983

B5 - Group D - Maria Ayon

Uses of Databases in Design Offices 

Databases are used for different purposes depending on the various design tasks. They are not only required for generating models, but also they provide important information such as the material and element information which a designer would need in order to facilitate the design task. Material selection is always a difficult task when a construction budget is provided.

In structural design offices, the databases will hold all the information concerning the design members and materials, as well as information concerning safety. When designing for a new structure, all the properties of a certain material will be stored in the database, facilitating the material selection process to the engineers. Also, environmental information of a specific location is also provided, such as weather conditions, wind speed and precipitation level. This will allow for engineers to design for a location knowing how the structure will be affected by external conditions year round.

In architectural design offices, as mentioned in class before, BIM software needs a database to perform accordingly. When using Revit for instance, the database provides information of every element and material available, from metal’s failure values, to window’s dimension, properties and R-values. If the database does not provide an element the designer specifically wants, new element packages can be simply uploaded to the database. From these, schedules can be easily generated specifying the material, properties, manufacturer, and even color selection of a specific element. This not only helps the designer maintain organization, but BIM allows for the designers to have all the information enclosed in one area. In addition, with the BIM database, designers are also provided with a very close cost estimation based on the materials used, and construction schedules can also be generated.

In HVAC design offices, the database is used mainly for the purpose of an adequate HVAC selection. An example of an HVAC database would be EQuest. This works by the user providing a specific location and specifying the characteristics of the building (size, materials used and its R-values, its fenestration and shading systems, etc.) in order to get the most accurate outputs of the building. This output number will allow the designer to select the most suitable HVAC system for that specific building.

Sources:

http://www.aconex.com/blogs/2014/01/global-state-of-bim-construction-market-data.html

http://continuingeducation.bnpmedia.com/article.php?upgrade=new&L=12&C=838

Comments:

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