This week, I tried to become a sponge and absorb as much information as I could during a site visit and learning eTool.
The site visit was incredibly interesting. I sat in on a meeting for a project that is currently in the construction stage (18-22 Hopkins Street Footscray). Part 1 (Apartment Tower 1) of the build is complete, and Part 2 (Apartment Complex 2) is underway. At the time, the concrete wire mesh and reinforcing rods for the concrete slab were being constructed in preparation for the concrete to be poured tomorrow. This was my first time on a building site, so it was exciting to see all the different components of the project come together.
Peddle Thorp are the Architects that designed this building and Anthony Radl is the Project Architect that took me to site. He is an Associate at Peddle Thorp and an expert at Construction Adminsitration!.
My biggest takeaway from the project meeting was seeing the problem-solving process between all the involved parties—the project manager, engineer, architect, and builder. The workflow I observed involved forecasting potential construction issues, adjusting the design, and obtaining approval and permits to address these problems ahead of time. It was a highly collaborative and communicative process.
I’ve also been working on becoming an expert with eTool. I can now plug a Revit model into the software and link up the family types with the LCA templates. This allows me to run a lifecycle assessment for a base case and compare it against different scenarios that incorporate design or material recommendations from a sustainability action plan (SAP). I’m still getting a handle on the dependencies of the elements within the software that affect the overall carbon assessment of the project and the building’s global warming potential.
So far, I’ve really enjoyed the internship. The office culture is fun, and my brain is working hard and learning quickly!
