2021-2022 Virtual Curriculum

Week 7, DECEMBER 14-15: ESTIMATING & sCHEDULING

TOPICS:

Download the slides for this week here. This week we'll talk about:

  • Introduction to building, material, and cost estimating

  • Principles of budgeting and cost management

  • Basics of project planning and task scheduling

SPECIAL GUEST SPEAKERS:

  • Tuesday: Paul Bain, Preconstruction Manager, Tellepsen Builders

  • Wednesday: Roel Aguilar, Estimating Manager, DPR Construction

Forrest Rasmussen, PSPP, DPR Construction

Week 6, DECEMBER 7-8: BUILDING ENGINEERING + STRUCTURAL & mep engineering

TOPICS:

Download the slides for this week here. This week we'll talk about:

  • Introduction to architectural massing studies

  • Basics of structural engineering design

  • Principles of mechanical, electrical, and plumbing engineering design

SPECIAL GUEST SPEAKERS:

  • Tuesday/Wednesday: Gregory Brooks, Architectural Engineering Professor, UT-Austin

RECORDINGS:

  • Tuesday

  • Wednesday

ACTIVITIES:

  • Explore possible building forms for your pavilion design in Miro

  • Develop options for structural systems required for your pavilion

  • Research potential MEP systems that you will need for your pavilion

  • See examples from our students below!


BONUS ACTIVITY, DECEMBER 4: ARCHITECTURAL WALKING TOUR OF DOWNTOWN HOUSTON



On Saturday, December 4th, 25 ACE students and mentors participated in an architectural walking tour of Downtown Houston led by AIA Houston and Architecture Center Houston Foundation Docent Justin Smith. The group met at City Hall and began the tour with an in-depth conversation about the various architects, builders and developers who shaped the skyline of Houston. Students heard the history behind buildings such as One Shell Plaza, TC Energy Center, Pennzoil Place, and the Esperson Building. They also visited several parks, including Hermann Square, Tranquility Park, and Discovery Green and compared the considerable differences between them. As they observed the built environment around them, students also sketched aspects of their favorite buildings, drawing inspiration for future design projects using sketching supplies generously donated by sponsors of ACE Houston. Special thanks to Justin Smith for sharing his vast knowledge of the history of Downtown Houston and the impact of the architecture that shaped the city!

Week 5, NOVEMBER 30-DECEMBER 1: BUILDING DESIGN + PROGRAMMING + VISUALIZATION

TOPICS:

Download the slides for this week here. This week we'll talk about:

  • Introduction to architectural schematic design basics

  • Basics of building programming and space planning

  • Principles and methods of visualization

SPECIAL GUEST SPEAKERS:

  • Tuesday: Raul Pinol, Project Architect, Stantec

  • Wednesday: Truitt Raun, Project Architect, Gensler

RECORDINGS:

  • Tuesday

  • Wednesday

ACTIVITIES:

  • Develop a spatial diagram based on an example building's needs in Miro

  • Create a perspective and axonometric rending for exterior and interior buildings in Miro

  • Find sample pictures and create a vision board to represent areas of your renderings

  • See examples from our students below!


Week 4, NOVEMBER 16-17: BUILDING ASSEMBLY + TECHNIQUES/SITE WORK

TOPICS:

Download the slides for this week here. This week we'll talk about:

  • Introduction to construction site logistic planning

  • Learn about the first steps at the beginning of a construction project

SPECIAL GUEST SPEAKERS:

  • Tuesday: Nedwan Winters, Project Manager, Tellepsen

  • Wednesday: Ashley Rhodes, Assistant Project Manager, McCarthy Building Companies

RECORDINGS:

  • Tuesday

  • Wednesday

ACTIVITIES:

  • Develop a plan for an example construction site, including building footprint, parking, laydown area, crane space, and more using the Miro toolkit; see examples from our students below!

  • Determine sequence of construction for various projects on one site


BONUS ACTIVITY, nOVEMBER 13: CONSTRUCTION SITE VISIT AT BELLAIRE HIGH SCHOOL



On Saturday, November 13th, about 30 ACE students and mentors toured Bellaire High School, currently under construction and designed by PBK, an ACE Houston sponsor. Students had the opportunity to walk around the entire construction site while being guided by Randi Schieber, Superintendent from Turner Construction. Randi shared various insights about the construction process, including safety guidelines, site work preparation, underground utilities, the complexity of phased-construction scheduling and the collaboration process between the owner, architect, and construction team. The students also participated in a (safe) scavenger hunt to identify basics of architecture, construction, and engineering that they have been learning about so far this semester. At the end of the tour, students gathered at the job trailer and asked various in-depth questions. Thank you, Turner Construction, for a fantastic tour to our ACE Houston students!

Week 3, NOVEMBER 9-10: INFRASTRUCTURE, CIVIL ENGINEERING, MEP SITEWORK

TOPICS:

Download the slides for this week here. This week we'll talk about:

  • Introduction to infrastructure and civil engineering

  • Principles of site design, including civil, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing impacts

  • Basics of utility design concepts

SPECIAL GUEST SPEAKERS:

  • Tuesday/Wednesday: Tu Truong, Civil Engineer in Training in Roadways/Transportation, Stantec

Youssaira Belmokadem, Strutural Engineer, Stantec

RECORDINGS:

  • Tuesday

  • Wednesday

ACTIVITIES:

  • Identify existing and necessary utilities on an example site in Miro

  • Consider drainage on example site in Miro by regrading the topography


Week 2, NOVEMBER 2-3: LANDSCAPE, PLANNING, SUSTAINABILITY, URBAN DESIGN

TOPICS:

Download the slides for this week here. This week we'll talk about:

  • Introduction to landscape architecture

  • Principles of urban design and city planning

  • Basics of sustainability

SPECIAL GUEST SPEAKERS:

  • Tuesday: Shao Lin, Architect & Design Director, Gensler

  • Wednesday: Yongfei Gu, Design Director & Senior Associate, Gensler

RECORDINGS:

  • Tuesday

  • Wednesday

ACTIVITIES:

  • Site analysis activity in Miro (see some examples from our students below!)

  • Think about selecting a site location for your pavilion project


Week 1, October 26-27: Introduction to ace houston

TOPICS:

Download the slides for this week here. This week we'll talk about:

  • Introduction to the new year and what to expect this year with curriculum, meetings, and schedule

  • Meet an ACE alumni and hear their story

  • Meet your mentors

  • Mentor session expectations

  • Introduction to pavilion project

RESOURCES:

  • Miro Board: We'll be using Miro again this year for activities and project work in our mentor sessions. To create a FREE account, go to www.miroboard.com

  • Zoom: Please make sure you have the most current version of Zoom; this will make navigating the breakout rooms much smoother.

RECORDINGS:

Did you miss our sessions this week? Get caught up by watching the recordings here:

ACTIVITIES

  • Student introduction cards on Miro

  • 100 pavilions activity on Miro

  • We asked our students to tell us what they think architects, engineers, and contractors do; see their responses in the pictures below!