USF takes advantage of some of its ongoing construction projects to provide students interested in architecture and engineering with a unique interdisciplinary learning opportunity. The Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) Experience, coordinated by USF Facilities Management, organizes site visits and interactive sessions for the future homes of Judy Genshaft Honors College, the Athletics Indoor Performance Facility and of the Student Wellness Center. Students also learn about the Southeast Cooling Plant, which is being expanded to support the infrastructure for the new buildings.
“What better classroom than the real world,” said Stephen Lafferty, USF’s director of design and construction. “We have an unusual situation where we have four big projects, all at the same time and a block and a half from each other, so we decided to do student visits and it snowballed from there. of the. ”
After suggesting the tours, Lafferty worked with various members of the project team to create a comprehensive learning experience from radically different projects. Each site offers distinct differences and challenges.
“We have everything from a cast-in-place structural system to a steel frame to a prefabricated metal building,†Lafferty said.
The AEC experiment presents the material in four sessions each semester until December 2022, when projects are expected to be completed. Students who complete the program requirements each semester will receive a digital badge supported by Credly, a global accreditation program, which will enhance their professional profile.
So far, nearly 100 students have visited the sites. During the first series of visits, the students learned about the different welding processes, support structures and footings.
“I really wanted to see what it was like to be on the job site, to put my feet in the mud and check all the brackets, to meet with civil engineers and ask questions,†said Grant Ballard, a mechanical engineering student from the College of Engineering.
In addition to tours and online sessions, students who enroll in the program have access to project plans, where they can learn about the unique characteristics of each site and meet with project management and design teams who are in careers that students will potentially pursue. Students will also be able to observe everything from metal studs to drywall finishing with a regularly updated link that provides a virtual tour experience in reality.
“A lot of the things we do in these projects are not only unique to the industry, but most students wouldn’t learn this, or even see it firsthand probably only four or five years after graduation. their diploma. Some of the things that we do, after practicing for 35 years, I had never seen before, â€Lafferty said.
Judy Genshaft Honors College, designed by internationally renowned architectural firm Morphosis, in partnership with local firm FlesichmanGarcia Architects and Planners, will be a five-story, 85,000-square-foot facility that includes an outdoor amphitheater and multiple spaces. flexible with technology to encourage interdisciplinary collaboration. The track and field performance facility will feature 88,000 square feet of air-conditioned training space, large screens, state-of-the-art audio systems and large openings so that student-athletes can easily access the facilities. outdoor grounds. The three-story, 47,000 square foot student wellness center is designed with input from health care providers to improve the way students receive health care. Plans for the building include special air handling units and emergency care suites that prevent air from recirculating, which is imperative to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. The upgraded Southeast Cooling Plant, one of the three main campus factories that help regulate temperature and humidity in all buildings, will add a fourth bay to accommodate massive new units.
The online sessions will highlight the key aspects and challenges of the projects. Contractors and other industry professionals have been invited to lecture and cover details on structural systems, engineering decisions, project delivery methods, and subsequent installed electrical and mechanical systems. Each of the sites provides students with access to state-of-the-art construction methods, progressive construction techniques, and behind-the-scenes decision-making to achieve environmental sustainability goals using energy design leadership frameworks. and environmental (LEED), the most used green building. rating system in the world.
“It was really a lot of fun and the students seemed incredibly interested and receptive,†said Lafferty.
Although it is not managed by the administrative services of the USF, the construction of the new Research Park Innovation building is underway. The 120,000-square-foot, three-story building is slated for completion later this year and will house labs, offices and meeting spaces for innovators and established and start-up businesses, as well as retail and development options. restoration.