Exhibit Night Review

Last night was senior exhibit night for all senior project participants. It was nice to see so many people interested in our project. When asked what our project was about we explained our individual parts and showed the model as the example. A lot of the people asked questions about the site or use of the EMC in the community. Overall we were complimented on how well we did and all of the efforts into our work. I think we did a pretty good job as well. I'm glad it's over.

Log

Testing and Self and Design Evaluation are complete and on the blog! .. They just need a few pictures. And of course I will be presenting upon my return to school this Wednesday, May 20th. I will also be handing in the exhibit display assignment upon my return. Last thing to do is the final exam assignment.

Self and Design Evaluation

Scope of project

The scope of this project was to design and model a freestanding emergency medical clinic to meet the 2008-2009 school year TSA Architectural Model competition requirements. It entails the students to develop architectural plans, construct a model depicting the plans, and follow up with a portfolio of all information researched or obtained through experience along the way. Developing the architectural plans included choosing a site to build, creating a floor plan, foundation plan, exterior wall section, roof pitch, landscape plan, finished room, window, and door schedule, mathematical and scientific analysis of all materials and concepts used, a cross section, and a 3D view of at least one finished interior room. To get started on all of this work background information on an EMC was researched. A free standing emergency medical clinic is a facility that is open to the public for immediate medical attention if a hospital is not within the area, or if the ailment is not serious. The EMC is not dependant on a hospital or other facility, but is completely self-sufficient. The facility is usually located in a business district along a main road so that it is easily accessible.The EMC is capable of handling small ailments such as strep throat or a sprained ankle, to serious trauma demanding immediate medical attention. With this information our group was able to divide the work and come up with several final solutions to complete all plans. 

Your role

My role in working on this project was to do all of the basic construction of the building. This entailed coming up with a foundation plan, exterior wall section, with all materials for the structure chosen, and a roof pitch. All materials needed to be able to support the building and comply with building codes in the area, which was Asbury Park, New Jersey. My developmental work was researching building materials and procedures for construction, retaining this knowledge and using it to make all the building plans. After this was complete we started building the model. For this I cut the windows and doors out of the model walls, glued all window panes and doors in place, helped build the ambulatory drop off area overhang, and helped with the façade of the model. Because of the 1/8” is 1’ scale of the model showing any building construction would have been close to impossible. Instead I presented a visual using my drawings and just showing overall dimensions with the model. 

Description of solution

The final solution for the construction of the project can be seen on the exterior wall section. Starting with the foundation, a footing is the first step to putting a building up. The footing must be below the frost line which in central New Jersey is about 3 feet. The footing will be 12" tall by 24" wide and 24" long. On top of this cinder blocks will be used as the foundation wall and be built up to ground level. Standard 8" by 8" by 12" cinder blocks will be used. Because the foundation wall is centered on the footing there is enough room to place 4" thick bricks as the facade up to 3 feet on the exterior wall. From there stucco will be used up to the very top of the wall at the parapet. Behind the facade a vapor barrier must be put up and weep holes must be drilled into the wall to ensure moisture cannot expand behind the facade and have the whole face of the building fall off. For the building floor a 4" concrete slab will be laid down on top of 2" rigid insulation, which will also be on top of a vapor barrier, and welded wire mesh, and because the soil in Asbury Park is so sandy and compact it will not need to be supported by built up pea gravel. There will be steel studs with dimensions 2" by 4" by 12" for the interior wall framing. They will also line the top and bottom of the wall so the studs will only be about 9' 8" in height. In between studs Batt insulation will be used to insulate the whole building, and continue through the floor to about 2’ down on the footing. The ceiling is a height of 10' and the ceiling tiles will be placed at this height. About 12" above that the steel truss will begin and continue along the structure at a height of 18". It will be bolted into the concrete block wall on top of a steel or wood plate. Steel decking is then laid down across the whole roof, with 2" rigid insulation on top of that, followed by a vapor barrier and then gravel and tar will be built up. This layering will create the flat roof on the structure. Steel studs and plates, insulation board, and a cant strip will be used to complete the builing and construction of the walls, roof, parapet, and facade. 

Discrepancies between original and final

Only a few minor discrepancies can be seen between the original and final solutions. Most of the problems were with materials unnecessarily used or excluded. Materials unnecessarily used included pea gravel to build up under the concrete slab floor  or the steel “I” beam running along the building to support the roof truss. Another discrepancy was how the original used brick all the way up the building as the facade. The final solution had brick only until a height of 3’, then the remaining height of the building was stucco. Some materials excluded from the original design were a vapor barrier and welded wire mesh for under the slab floor, a vapor barrier in the walls running along the building, weep holes to keep water from getting trapped behind the facade, a steel plate at the top of the foundation wall to bolt the truss on top of, and extra insulation extending to 2’ below ground. In the original wood studs were used for interior wall framing but after a suggestion, they were changed to steel studs. Between the original and final solution only a few small changes were made, otherwise all plans were reviewed and approved.

Successes and failures

Several successes and failures resulted from this project. I believe the overall design was a success, including all plans that had to be drawn up for construction, but also the building as a whole. The final solution turned out as expected, with the exception of minor details. Correct materials, measurements, and procedures were used after much research was conducted and knowledge about construction was gained. It was also important that I comply with Asbury Park building codes and TSA Architectural Model requirements. I followed both guidelines and did not run into any problems with either. 

I think the failures of this project were somewhat complicated. The failures had more to do with the steps of completing the project than the actual work produced. Teamwork was a huge issue because there was little discussion other than what was the minimum and we could not agree on many things. Another problem was communication between the group and the teachers. Several times we were told one thing, did it, then told something completely different. It seemed as though the expectations were changed many times and this began to get confusing. A small failure was how certain materials were excluded from the plans, but they happened to be minor problems, easily fixed. Time management tended to pose a problem during this project. There was much work to get done, and I often fell behind schedule. Of course with anything there is successes and failures, but from both much knowledge can be gained.

Knowledge gained from failures

One thing I learned from my failures, that I feel is extremely important, is to establish good communication skills between anyone you may be working with. By being able to talk about and agree on things, it mitigates the chances of future problems with the project. Researching the information properly and obtaining all knowledge before beginning work is another step towards success. The small problem with the plans missing materials could have been avoided by looking more carefully at the construction materials and plans of building a structure. Also with the time management, from now on when I have a schedule I will always stick to it. Managing my time was a key to my success last marking period. This project would have been much easier had that been the case for the whole year. Something will always be gained from your failures whether it is knowledge that can be used for a specific instance or knowledge that can be used to solve many problems.

Additional learning

Starting this project proved to be very difficult because of the lack of experience with anything related to architecture. Because I consider myself to be creative, coming up with design solutions was not hard to do. Parts of the project dealing with construction were where I really needed to research. I have not previously worked on any construction project so I was literally starting from basics. Once I looked into building development it became easier to understand the concept of construction and choosing the right materials. When my understanding for this subject broadened, I was able to successfully complete the construction drawings, including the foundation plan, exterior wall section, cross section, and roof pitch. This also included any design or construction procedures I would be using to present the information I used for the project. Before any research about architecture or construction, I was unaware of the amount of work involved in designing and building a structure, especially an EMC. This project also sharpened my computer drawing program skills, such as CAD and Google sketch up.

I was also unfamiliar with the exact need for an emergency medical clinic. Through researching for background information I learned of what importance it can be in a community, why it is usually used, who can access it, when it is open for business, where it is located, and how it is considered freestanding. It was important to obtain this knowledge before continuing with any type of brainstorming or alternate solutions. Many different things were learned by working on this project because of the many different aspects to look into. 

Design flaws/ Suggestions for improvement

Several flaws existed in this design. When the drawings were reviewed a few things were noted about the materials. Some were used unnecessarily, while others were needed and not used at all. After looking at the cross section, it is clear that it was not detailed enough. As far as my part of the model, there was one instance when the measurements were off for the walls but that was quickly fixed, and can be avoided in the future by paying more attention to measuring and cutting model materials. Since these are really the only flaws in the whole design and modeling process, the only improvements that might be suggested are to research more carefully for materials, include more developmental work for construction and plans, and use knowledge gained to improve and display the final solution a little better. 

How project helped improve:

Problem solving skills

This project taught me how to start from the beginning and work my way through to the finished product, making sure I hit every step of the way. I was able to learn the basics first and apply what I learned to the more complicated parts of the project. 

Communication skills

This project taught me that teamwork is very important when working on a group project. As a group, we needed to communicate to come up with several solutions. Together we used logistics to choose the best solution as our final solution to start designing and planning the finished product. The drawings also had to be able to communicate with the audience observing them. The labels and renderings had to be clear and represent only what was being used.

Another important aspect of communication with this project is the presentations. Each marking period the presentations are critical. They teach us, as students, to keep things on task and brief. This means including all necessary and important information, while talking about only what is asked of you.  On the contrary, a formal written document explaining the work must have every little detail included. This type of document is elaborate and concise. These communication skills are so vital that they are possibly used for the rest of our lives.

Organizational skills

Organization was key in working on this project. The weblog keeps all information organized and up-to-date. In order to succeed with this project you had to be able to be consistent, logical, keep things together, and keep all work in order. When you are organized, time management is easier. 

Conclusion

After testing was performed the project is basically complete. From this project I learned an enormous amount of new things about architecture, construction, research, emergency medical clinics, computer drawing programs, and building codes and inspections. I was also able to improve my problem solving, communication, and organization skills which I know will be useful for many projects or situations in the future. 

Testing Procedures and Results

The TSA Architectural Model competition for the 2008-2009 school year requires students to design and model a freestanding emergency medical clinic. A foundation plan, exterior wall section, cross section and roof pitch were completed, for the final solution of the emergency medical clinic, as part of the construction. These components together make up the skeleton and basic structure of the building. Stucco and brick were chosen as the façade of the building. The materials chosen for the exterior building walls and the way they were constructed had to work with the façade. Exterior walls using these materials also had to be constructed to a certain height, for stability and safety reasons. The foundation plan must be able to support the structure and was expected to follow codes complying with that area’s conditions. A cross section was used to show the interior walls including the dimensioned heights of doors and windows. Being able to support the roof was also important. The roof pitch was at such a small angle that it was a flat roof, portrayed in the drawings as built up gravel and tar. Flat roofs are held up by trusses running throughout the building, so it was expected that these trusses would support the roof. This emergency medical clinic was placed in Asbury Park, New Jersey, so all chosen materials or plans for construction had to follow building and construction codes in effect for this area. Testing on construction, including foundation plan, exterior wall section, cross section, and roof pitch, involved meeting with a construction manager and building inspector in Asbury Park’s City Hall. 

Once all developmental work and construction of the model was completed, testing could begin. Testing procedures for construction of the actual emergency medical clinic in Asbury Park were as follows:

1) Schedule a meeting with potential clients (Asbury Park construction manager and building inspector)

2) Gather drawings and information

3) Check that materials are appropriate, measurements are correct, necessities are included, and drawings depict building plans accurately

4) Prepare a presentation of final work for clients using model to represent final solution

5) Meet with potential clients to present final solution 

6) Discuss whether or not foundation plan, exterior wall section, cross section, and roof pitch can work for actual construction of medical clinic in Asbury Park

7) Ask for feedback

8) Question whether or not plans comply with building and construction codes 

9) Once discussion is concluded, thank potential clients for agreeing to meet

10) Record information for testing results

Including a survey as part of the testing was omitted after revision of the procedures, due to the fact that testing construction was relying on a yes or no answer basis. When evaluating the final solution with the client, they would either respond, “Yes. These plans would work.” or “No. These plans would not work.” 

During the meeting with the Asbury Park construction manager and building inspector, both potential clients, there was much discussion about the construction plans for the final solution. 

Starting with the foundation plan, they agreed that the footing was the right size and placed at the correct depth for the New Jersey frost line, which is 3 feet.  In the footing were 3 rods running throughout the foundation. They mentioned that these rods must always be covered by at least 2 inches of concrete on either side, as shown in the drawing. From the footing the concrete block wall begins to build to ground level. This then became the exterior wall section. A few things the building inspector mentioned was the need to include a vapor barrier and weep holes, so the brick and stucco facade would not crack or fall off. On the inside of the walls the insulation should continue down to about 2 feet below ground level. Because of the conditions and sandy soil there would be no need for gravel under the concrete slab, but there is a need for welded wire mesh and another vapor barrier above the insulation. As for the roof pitch, both men agreed that a steel “I” beam is unnecessary and expensive to have around the whole building, so it could be eliminated completely. Instead the steel truss supporting the roof could be bolted into a steel plate, which would be mounted on the built up foundation wall and the exterior of that could be covered with a wood plate so the stucco can continue all the way up the building and even onto the parapet. The parapet was formed by building the foundation wall 1’ taller than the top of the flat roof. Covering the truss to form the roof had to be done using several materials such as 2” steel decking, 1” insulation, another vapor barrier, and built up gravel and tar. Both men approved everything after seeing the drawings and model, agreeing that the plans complied with the building codes, were in a usable site, and all materials used were appropriate. 

After working on developing plans for the emergency medical clinic, the final solutions for construction of the foundation, exterior walls, and roof were completed. The finished results were then tested by meeting with potential clients, the construction manager and building inspector for Asbury Park in this situation. Once discussion of the drawings and model had concluded, they were deemed successful, proving these plans would work for a real construction job to build a freestanding emergency medical clinic. 

Log

Yesterday I finished all of my testing including procedures and testing results. The next thing I must complete is self and design evaluation to add to my MP4 presentation. Once this is completed I am able to complete my outline and present. All I need to do is add pictures. I must also complete my exhibit design and contact my mentor about senior project night. This will count towards my mentor contacts for this marking period which are to be handed in May 22nd. We're almost done.

Log

Due to Rude Awakening on Friday, we were not in class. I also left early, around 1 PM, Friday for my appointment with Mr. George Selah, the construction official at the Asbury Park City Hall. He also brought in Mr. Ron Vigliotti, who is the construction inspector. Both men sat down with me to review my exterior wall section, roof pitch, and foundation plan. They explained what other information I would need to include on the drawing to complete the plans. Their input was much appreciated and very helpful. After showing them the model and once again looking over the plans they agreed that I did a very good job on everything and other than the minor descrepancies, the materials and construction would work.

I also learned last week that I would possibly be presenting on Wednesday, May 6th, due to Mr. Cuttrell's absence Thursday and Friday. I was not happy.

Log

I called Asbury Park City Hall today to set up an appointment with a construction inspector. I was not able to talk to the person so I left a message asking to please call back. When I meet with the inspector I will be showing them my exterior wall section including foundation plan and roof pitch. After showing them this I will ask them to evaluate my work and see if it would pass inspection and actually be good to use for the real construction plans. Once I speak to the construction inspector I can continue to work on my testing procedures and results. From there I will be working on the self and design evaluation. I must also complete my exhibit design before leaving May 11th. I am presenting for MP4 next Friday, May 8th. I will also be working throughout the week on getting everything ready on my blog and ready to present. I will hand in mentor contacts when they are due on May 22nd, after I return from vacation.

MP4 Calendar

MP4 Calendar - April 8th (Due April 21st)

Testing Procedures - April 8th/20th-22nd (Due May 12th)
8th - Start typing up criteria (Introduction)
20th - Finish completing criteria (Test Procedures)
21st/22nd - Testing stages

Self and Design Evaluation - April 23rd-April 28th (Due May 12th)
23rd - Scope of project and role in group; description of solution
24th - Discrepancies; successes/failures
25th - Learned from failures; additional learning
26th - Design flaws/suggestions for improvement; personal skills improvement
27th/28th - Revision and editing of document

Exhibit Design - April 29th-May 4th (Due May 19th)
29th/30th - Sketch top/front view of exhibit area with products
1st/2nd - Write abstract; design intentions; description for visitors
3rd/4th - List equipment needed; revise and edit abstract, intentions, and description

Testing - meeting with clients potential date May 4th
4th - Have survey complete and enough copies to hand out to all clients/personnel in meeting
- Present final solution/product to clients; survey clients for feedback as testing procedure

Testing Results - May 5th-7th (Due May 12th)
5th - Results for model
6th - Testing Results
7th - Conclusion

Formal Progress Update Presentation/Outline - May 8th

Mentor Contacts - May 19th-21st (Due May 22nd)

Final Exam - May 22nd-June 8th (Due June 10th)
22nd - Title, Subheading, Byline, author, author data, introduction
26th - Description of project, solution
27th/29th - Solution, body of article
June 1st/2nd - Body of article, math and science calculations
June 3rd/4th - Final solution
June 5th - Additional skills, discussion
June 8th - Summary/conclusion
June 9th - Revision and editing of article

Log

Yesterday we recieved the Marking Period 4 rubric and due dates. Because I will not be in school May 11-18 most of my work will be completed the week before and handed in or sent via BBS to the teachers by the due dates. The final steps to completing our project will be finished this marking period and include testing and test results, final mentor contacts, self and design evaluation, MP4 formal progress update presentations, and the exhibit design assignment. Our final exam will be a journal article completed by June 10th. Since construction of our model is done it will be easier to do written work. There is about a month until the work is due for me and I will certainly have time to complete it, revise it, fix it, and make it the best it can be before handing it in.

Today I would like to complete my calendar and start my testing procedures and results. I do not plan to work much over break so whatever is finished today will be a start for the work when we come back. Have an awesome spring break!

Marking Period 3 Presentation

Log

THE MODEL IS DONE!!! yay. now all that's left to do is post construction on the blog and prepare for next weeks presentations, as well as update mentor contacts. awesomeeee.

Log

This is Friday's log. 

Most of the model construction is complete. The only thing left for me to do on the roof is glue it together and then put the walls together to sit the roof on top of. The interior walls will be cut either during lunch or class tomorrow. We must also make the doors and windows which requires time for small details. The group plans on working on the model after school Monday and Tuesday. Construction/production is also due Wednesday with the model. I will be working on that at home both nights and in lunch study Tuesday so I can complete it by Wednesday.

Log

Today, if needed, I will be purchasing more balsa wood after school. I found out that there is 1/8" thick planks of balsa wood in the cabinet, which I need for the construction of the roof. This is a great start to the construction of the roof today. Yesterday I cut out strips of a sheet of 1/16" thick balsa wood. These strips are going to line the top, inside of the model walls to connect the sunken roof and top ledge so the roof will be removable. When removed you will see the finished floor plan underneath. Once the roof construction is finished (hopefully by Thursday or Friday) Kelly can put the black sandpaper on to represent gravel and tar. The model must be finished by Wednesday of next week, March 18th.

Log

Today I figured out a plan to build the roof. I will place a 1/8" thick x 1/16" tall dowel along the whole top edge of the walls as the treated wood block shown in the drawings. To connect this ledge and the actual roof which is sunken down 1 ft. from the top of the exterior wall I will use a 1/32" thick sheet, cut it to a 1/8" strip and line the inside of the exterior wall with this connecting it to the 1/8" thick sheet that will be the roof. The three components described above will compose the roof. Because the model is so small it is hard to make all the seperate layers that the roof consists of so I am putting them together and using the 1/8" thick sheet as the roof to represent them. The roof will then be covered with black sandpaper to represent the built up tar and gravel as the finished roof.

The problem we ran into today was insufficient materials to work with. I plan on going to the store early this weekend and being able to get back on track by working on construction over the weekend and again in class next week. We also still have to make the windows and doors so we must buy the clear window pane paper at the store as well. We are nearly finished with the construction of the scaled model.

I am continuing to update my mentor contacts, logs, and I handed in my press release yesterday. The next part of written work is the solution construction assignment. This is due March 18th. Presentations will be on the 26th and mentor contacts are due the 30th. Hopefully the whole project will be ABSOLUTELY complete by the end of March or beginning of April. I feel on top of my work and that we will finish strongly.

Press Release

MAST Student TSA Project Progress Thus Far

Construction and Testing of Architectural Model

Contact: Natasha Konczynski, Senior

Period 7/8

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
3/5/2009


Systems Engineering II: TSA Architectural Model

SANDY HOOK, NEW JERSEY, MARCH 5, 2009

Natasha Konczynski, a 17-year-old senior at the Marine Academy of Science and Technology, has recently been working on an architectural project for her Systems Engineering II class. For her senior project, she chose to compete in the Technology Student Association Architectural Model for the 2008-2009 school year. Natasha is working closely with her teammates Lauren Keiser and Kelly Daniels, and her mentor, who works as an associate at an architectural firm in Pennsylvania. She has contacted him by e-mail and phone with any updates on the project. Close contact with the mentor is advised, even when working in teams of multiple students.

Project Requirements and Expectations

This year the TSA guidelines require participants to design and model a freestanding emergency medical clinic. During the first and second marking periods, brainstorming and developmental work, including drawings, measurements, window, door, and finished room schedules, and foundation, landscape, and roof plans for the actual building, were completed by Natasha, Lauren and Kelly, with the help of their mentors. Now in the third marking period, construction on their model has begun. The final model is required to be on a foam core board no larger than 24”x24” representing the plot of land chosen to place the EMO, in this case the Asbury Park, NJ area.

The group expects their model and final solutions to exhibit a realistic building plan for an emergency medical clinic and accurately depict all of the developmental work that was completed in the first two marking periods. The scaled 3D model will show the landscape design, façade, elevations, doors and windows, and roof construction. Drawings illustrate foundation plans and the function of how the actual emergency medical center might work. For the final design, Natasha has completed cross section drawings, exterior wall section drawings and a roof plan. She has used these drawings to do the exterior work of the model, which was measuring and cutting the walls, and the windows and doors out of the walls, made of 1/8” thick balsa wood. The project is on a 1/8” = 1’ scale. Since cutting out the windows and doors is finished, construction of the roof for the model has recently begun. Each member of the team is in charge of their own part of the project but in the end it will come together as the finished 3D model and presentation boards for potential clients.

Benefits of Project

Working on this project has given the students a chance to experience the workload and discipline of a real world job. Students have deadlines, requirements to fulfill, mentors to work closely with, and clients to please throughout the whole process. When asked about her participation with the TSA project and its benefits, Natasha replied, “This project [The TSA Architectural Model] has given me insight and experience for what college and a career would really be like. There are so many benefits to dealing with this in your senior year of high school. Because of the architectural aspects and research required, I have learned so much about the actual construction of a building from materials to procedures of getting it built. The science and math involved are also so important and I did not realize this until we had to complete mathematical calculations and give scientific explanations for everything we did. You must learn to manage your time and exhaust your effort to succeed. It is much easier said than done, and when you fail it is no excuse to give up. You must fix the problem, avoid future dilemmas and stay on track the whole time.”

Natasha, Lauren, and Kelly have been hard at work the past two marking periods and now in the third marking period they are seeing their work come together during construction. The drawings for the emergency medical clinic have been created and printed and now the scaled model is being built, complete with parking lot, landscaping, removable roof, windows and doors, and finished facade. Although they are nearly finished, the project is not yet complete. Good luck girls!

For more details about the TSA Architectural Model on Sandy Hook, NJ, contact Natasha Konczynski at natattakoncz@aim.com or visit her blog at http://tsaarchnk.blogspot.com/.

# # #

Log

Yesterday I completed my press release during lunch and continued to help work on the model. My part of the model dealing with the walls is finished so I will start construction of the roof. I plan on getting that finished by mid next week.

As I stated last week we are about a week behind on the model. We need to begin and complete the model windows by next week as well. When the windows are completed and attached to the walls and the roof is also constructed we will be able to put up the walls for the model and the whole thing will come together.

I will also start my solution construction assignment and continue to update my mentor contacts for the marking period. Once everything is absolutely finished I will be able to update my log and make the outline for my marking period 3 formal progress update and presentation.

Log

The windows and doors are all cut out so the wall construction is basically complete. Today we are continuing to complete the facade for the exterior of the building. The stucco is completed and dry and Kelly has begun putting fake brick print on the bottom of the walls. The written part of my press release is finished, I just have to add pictures. I plan on getting these pictures from uploading them onto my home computer from my camera and then sending them to school via BBS. I will also include drawings from class and put appropriate captions on all illustrations. Hopefully my press release will be completed by Monday in class or Tuesday during lunch.

Since I am at a stand still with the press release I will be working on the facade with Kelly and begin to discuss or plan out roof construction for the model. We seem to be about a week behind schedule according to my calendar but I purposely left extra time at the end of the marking period in case construction was a little slower than expected, as it has been.

Also, after discussion about how to model the exterior wall section I do not believe I will be doing presentation boards, only the drawings will be shown during my presentation. Ms. Green and I had come to the conclusion that displaying the materials and showing the construction of the actual wall would be too complicated so that will now be omitted.

I will be contacting my mentor this weekend with updates about the project and pictures of progress.

Log

We have begun to stucco the walls as the start of the facade. I have one more window to cut out which should take me about 5 mintues after I fix the measurements. One that is complete I will fix the 4 pieces I broke in my frustration to finish cutting. Today I will sit down with my group members and plan the roof and hopefully begin to construct it by the end of the week.

My press release is almost complete as well. I have an introduction and about 3 finished paragraphs. I will continue working on this either during class today when I finish cutting the last window and gluing, or continue to work on it at home. I keep BBSing it to myself after every update to continue to work on it when I have a chance. I plan on having this finished either by the end of the week or over the weekend.

After all of this is complete I will begin on other needed written documents or construction on the model roof.

Log

This is Friday's blog. I was so busy constructing in class that I did not get a chance to write the log in class. There are only a few more windows and doors to be cut out of the walls but there are some walls where the cutting is complete and the facade can be started. The next step is planning and constructing the roof for the model. Hopefully construction of the roof for the model will be started by the end of this week. Also, my press release is nearly finished. I plan on finishing it by the end of the week as well so it is done and out of the way.

Log

Today I decided to bring my project home. It will be tedious and take too much time to cut out windows and doors only in class. I concluded I will never finish in time if I continue to only work on the project in class. I am aiming to work on it the most this weekend so the walls will be ready for the facade and building windows can begin Monday of next week. Although this puts us a little behind on our schedule it will be relatively easy to catch up as long as we work hard and put in a little extra time. Otherwise good progress with construction is being made.
I started the press release last week and got the introduction done. Since then I have not worked on it but I will be sending it home over the BBS and continuing to work on it a little each night. I also plan on contacting my mentor with picture updates.

Log

This week we did not meet with the deadline but we are very close to completing our goal. I will finish measuring the windows and doors on the model and cut them out. I will then begin to construct the windows with my group members and we will assemble the walls completely by Monday or Tuesday of next week. Today in class I will complete measuring and cutting out the windows and doors and the walls will be ready for the facade work done by Kelly. We are pretty much on schedule according to our calendar but some things may take more time than originally expected. Today I am also starting my press release.

Log

Construction on the model walls continued yesterday. The walls are now measured and cut to the right size. Lauren will be replotting our floor plan today for there were complications in the measurements of the doors and windows. Now I will be cutting out the window and door frames in the model walls. I have included the line where the brick will end and the stucco will begin which is 3 feet from the ground. Once this is complete the group will begin constructing the model windows and putting the brick and stucco facacde on the exterior of the walls. We are aiming for all this to be complete by the middle of next week, February 18th.

Log

Yesterday I measured and cut out the walls for our model. I also measured where on the model walls the brick should be and that would be the height where the windows sit. Today we will be measuring where the windows and doors will go and possibly start cutting those out.

Log

Yesterday we went supply shopping for our model materials. Construction began yesterday with the plotting of our floorplan and placement onto the foam core board with discussion of how we will construct the rest of the model and plot of land. Today we will continue construction with the measuring and cutting of the walls from sheets of balsa wood. We plan to have this step of construction complete by the end of the week.

MP3 Calendar

Go supply shopping - 2/3
Calendar due - 2/3
Floorplan board- 2/6
Measure and cut walls for model- 2/6
Cut out windows and doors on model walls- 2/13
Stucco and brick facade for model walls- 2/18
Measure and cut roof for model- 2/20
Construct roof for model- 2/25
Help contruct model windows- 2/27
Attach model windows and put up model walls- 3/3
Press Release - 3/5
Help construct interior walls- 3/10
Begin presentation board for exterior wall section- 3/11
Finish presentation board for exterior wall section- 3/18
Construction/ Production – 3/18
Presentations – 3/26
Mentor Contacts – 3/30
Logs – 4/1

Log

Presentations are this week. midterms are next week. cross section and wall section are not complete. math and science is now complete. i will be going in at lunch to work on the drawings. i need to complete my mentor contacts and outline for presentations. 

Math and Science Analysis

My project requires to design and build a model of a free standing emergency medical clinic in an area that needs medical attention. After researching several areas in New Jersey we chose a rather close location in Asbury Park. Once a basic floorplan was approved by our group we split the work into several parts. My developmental work was to do the exterior wall section, providing a roof pitch, and a cross-section through the structure. To complete this work, I had to have a deep understanding of the construction of a building, including materials to build and how each of these materials are used.

Starting with the foundation, a footing is the first step to putting a building up. The footing must be below the frost line which in central New Jersey is about 3 feet. The footing will be 12" tall by 24" wide and 24" long. On top of this cinder blocks will be used as the foundation wall and be built up to ground level. Standard 8" by 8" by 12" cinder blocks will be used. Because the foundation wall is centered on the footing there is enough room to place 4" thick bricks as the facade. A 4" concrete slab will be laid down on top of 2" rigid insulation, on top of 4" of built up pea gravel. There will be steel studs with dimensions 2" by 4" by 12" for the interior wall framing. They will also line the top and bottom of the wall so the studs will only be about 9' 8" in height. In between studs Batt insulation will be used to insulate the whole building. The ceiling is a height of 10' and the ceiling tiles will be placed at this height. About 12" above that the steel truss will begin and continue along the structure at a height of 18". Steel decking is then laid down across the whole roof, with 2" rigid insulation on top of that, and then gravel and tar will be built up. This layering will create the flat roof on the structure. Across from the truss a steel "I" beam will be placed for support on the roof. Steel studs and plates, insulation board, and a cant strip will be used to complete the builing and construction of the walls and roof.

The science I focused on for my project are the design principles. They include balance, rythm and repitition, emphasis and subordination, proportion, unity, variety and opposition, and transition. The main focus in building the Emergency Medical Center was making sure it was functional and appealing. By following the design principles, we obtained a building that was both functional and appealing to those who need it. Balance and proportion can be seen in the construction of the building while emphasis on the important issues proved a greater outcome. One of the most famous ancient Greeks, Uchlid, can be created with coming up with the golden design rule. This is a summary of the design principles responsible for many architecture designs today.

Log

Math and Science are due Monday with developmental work. Drawings are being completed and math and science will be completed over the weekend. Mentor contacts are due the 20th. Those are coming along nicely.