Curriculum

2022-2023 Curriculum

Fall Schedule

Fall 2022 Schedule

spring Schedule

Resources

2022-2023 Design Challenges


ACE Houston Student Handbook


ACE Houston Project Options: Houston Zoo's Request for Proposals

Download a Sketch-Up or Revit model showing site locations and dimensions here.


ACE National/CIRT Design and Construction Competition

Software Links

Miro: Visual collaboration platform that enables teams to collaborate on projects virtually. Click the logo to create a free account.

Sketch-Up: 3-D design software with a simple, yet robust toolset that empowers designers to create models. Click the logo to use their free web-based version.

Autodesk: Broad range of BIM software that supports the AEC industry, including AutoCad and Revit. Click the logo to apply for a free student account.

Google Earth: Explore the world from above with satellite imagery, 3D terrain, and 3D buildings in hundreds of cities around the world. Click the logo above to go to their site. 

Homestyler: Online interior design platform that allows designers to create models and 3-D renderings of interior designs. Click the logo above to use their free version.

fALL sEMESTER 2022

wEEK 1, oCTOBER 18-19: iNTRODUCTION TO ace & RFPs

What we'll cover this week:

wEEK 2, October 25-26: Introduction to Architecture

What we'll cover this week:

Click the link above for the recording of guest speaker,

Meredith Watassek

Texas Education Leader from Stantec

as she discusses programming, space planning, and bubble diagramming.

wEEK 3, November 1-2: Introduction to Engineering

What we'll cover this week:

Click the link above for the recording of guest speaker,

Britney Weidert, P.E.

Structural Team Lead from Stantec

as she discusses the various types of engineering disciplines that work together in the building and design industry.

wEEK 4, November 8-9: Introduction to construction

What we'll cover this week:

Click the link above for the recording of guest speaker,

Angela Cotie

Vice President, Bartlett Cocke General Contractors

as she talks about a day in the life of a contractor, how to estimate costs on a project, and her experience working on zoo-related projects. 

November 12: Site Visit at Houston Zoo

On Saturday, November 12th, 85 students and 28 mentors visited the Houston Zoo for a site visit to do research for our projects this year. The groups visited each of the three project site options to take pictures, observe existing conditions, and try to understand each project within the overall context of the Zoo. We were also grateful to receive a guided tour through the Zoo's newest exhibit, the award-winning Pantanal by Mark Hoffman, Director of Design & Engineering. There we learned about how zoos choose animals and exhibits to feature, heard about how to choose sustainable materials, experienced the many different site lines that make a project great for guests to view, and caught a terrifying, but awe-inspiring, glimpse of Tesoro, their fearsome jaguar. 

Huge thank you to the Houston Zoo for making it possible for our students to get to experience the wild right here in Houston - we can't wait to show you the designs we come up with this year!

wEEK 5, November 15-16: Introduction to Zoo Design

This week, Mark Hoffman, Director of Design & Engineering at the Houston Zoo, our client, joined us to talk about why zoos exist and principles of zoo design. He also shared examples from recent projects at the Zoo and gave us advice for our projects this year. He spoke on both Tuesday and Wednesday evening, so all of our students were able to ask questions. The presentation portion of both video recordings below are similar, but the question and answer portion at the end varied. Feel free to enjoy both!

What we'll cover this week:

  

Presentation Slides (click image Below)




1  -  Tuesday, November 15th - Virtual, Galena Park, Westside




2  -  Wednesday, November 16th - Downtown, Galleria, Northwest

wEEK 6, November 29-30: Project Development

What we'll cover this week:

  

wEEK 7, December 6-7: Project QUalification Presentations

What we'll cover this week:

  

Click the link above for the recording of guest speaker,

LeA Anne Leatherwood

Associate Principal, Perkins + Will

as she talks about designing the Chimp Haven facility in Keithville, LA and the Education Center & Vet Hospital at the Cameron Park Zoo in Waco, TX.

wEEK 8, December 13-14: Professional Office Visits

This week our students will be visiting professional offices of our mentors, volunteers, and sponsors, so they can see what might be their future workplaces. Here at ACE Houston, we think that the best way for young people to decide on a future career is to have a glimpse into where they might actually be working, as well as meet the people they might work with someday. Thanks to DPR Construction, Walter P Moore, Gensler, and Polk Mechanical for letting our students take a tour of your offices!

  

Spring sEMESTER 2023: Coming soon!

wEEK 9, January 17-18: Landscape architecture

What we'll cover this week:

  

Click the link above for the recording of guest speakers,

Elizabeth Gilbert & Sarah Larkin

Managing Principal     Landscape Designer

Clark Condon   Clark Condon

as they discuss their paths to becoming practicing landscape architects, some of the beginning principles they consider when starting a concept design, and several examples of their fantastic work.

wEEK 10, January 24-25: Scheduling, Assembly, & Site Logistics

What we'll cover this week:

  

Click the link above for the recording of guest speakers,

Tom Arrigo   &       Chris Wise

Senior Superintendent Project Superintendent

DPR Construction DPR Construction

who joined us to help our students learn the all about how to estimate construction schedules, plan safe and efficient site plans, and think through factors that may impact the assembly and sequencing of a project.

wEEK 11, January 31-February 1: Building Forms + Structural& MEP Systems

What we'll cover this week:

  

Click the link above for the recording of guest speaker,

Gregory Brooks

Professor of Practice  |  UT-Austin

Design Partner  |  BMH Studio

to hear him discuss preliminary principles of building forms, structural engineering systems, a MEP systems, as well as some of the sustainability implications of specific design decisions. Sketch along with him and our Virtual team! 

wEEK 12, February 7-8: Coming soon!

What we'll cover this week:

  

Click the link above for the recording of guest speakers,

Jazmin Mendez   &   Paulina Gallegos

Design Architect     Interior Design Coordinator

Stantec Stantec

who joined us to discuss principles of architectural and interior design from concept through construction of a project. 

wEEK 13, February 21-22: E-Week + MEP Engineering

What we'll cover this week:

Click the link above for the recording of guest speaker,

Kevin Schmidt

Vice President  |  Electrical Engineering Director

Collaborative Engineering Group

who joined us to discuss principles of MEP design, his career path, and his work on projects with the Houston Zoo.

wEEK 14, February 28-March 1: Skilled trades

What we'll cover this week:

Click the link above for the recording of guest speakers,

Ernesto Puente   PIEPER HOUSTON ELECTRIC

Thomas Miller    POLK MECHANICAL

Paul Trujillo, Jr.    MARK BROTHERS

Jason Ashcraft      ASHTON SAWING & DRILLING

who joined our Virtual team to discuss their career paths and a day-in-the-life in their positions in various subcontracting roles.

Click the link above for the recording of guest speaker,

Xzavia Killikelly

Audio Visual Design Consultant    CTI

who joined our Downtown team to discuss his career path working in audio visual equipment design and subcontracting.

wEEK 15, March 7-8: Visualization

What we'll cover this week:

Click the link above for the recording of guest speaker,

Kyle Meeks

Architectural Designer   Stantec

who joined our Virtual team to discuss visualization methods and give a SketchUp modeling tutorial. 

wEEK 16, March 21-22: Coming soon!

archives

Past Projects