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Session xxxx

A Virtual Tour of Energy Conscious Architecture

Mohammed E. Haque, Ph.D., P.E., Suketu Shah, Gaurav Agarwal

Texas A&M University, Texas, USA

Abstract

As technology rapidly changes, the importance of educating and training diverse populations of civil/construction engineering/science students becomes more critical. With the advances in information technology (IT) over the last decade, the traditional teaching format of having an individual lecture to an audience has been supplemented, and in some cases, replaced by the rapid development and implementation of new distance learning methods. It is increasingly becoming important to develop a web based 3-D visualization and animation to explain the various environmental conscious concepts and elements. The objective of this research was to develop a virtual tour of an energy conscious building showing the various concepts, elements and technical aspects of the building. The tech savvy youth of today will find it more interesting to work on such a real time virtual model, as it would make learning fun. These visualization techniques can be valuable aids not only in teaching in the classroom but also an effective self- directed tool for open learning via the web.

Introduction and Background

Classroom use of IT for teaching science, engineering and technology has increased dramatically in recent years and has proved to be very effective in various situations (Haque 2001, 2003, 2004). Contemporary applications of IT allow us to develop learner-centered virtual design studios that can be reached to a large student population via the web. Enhancing World Wide Web developments, the new opportunities for interactivity and flexible access to various media format (text, sound, static illustrations, 2D and 3D dynamic illustrations, Virtual Reality worlds) challenge the traditional experience in shaping learning environments for web-based education (Klett, 2002). The student-centered distance-learning archetype should include dynamic demonstration of theoretical engineering models allowing students to manipulate, experiment, and translate theories into real-world applications (Haque 2003). Visualization is an important factor in modern education. Traditional lecture format teaching methods sometimes fall short of conveying the complex analysis and design principles that need to be mastered in reinforced concrete design course. One of the methods of reducing this short fall is to use simple animated virtual models, which demonstrate basic structural design concepts that can be used to enhance the students understanding. The interactive computer aided learning (Haque 2001) allows students to proceed at their own pace, motivated by a curiosity about “what happens” interactivity and “the need to know” the design/ analysis principles.

Proceedings of the 2005 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition Copyright  2005, American Society for Engineering Education

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Shah, S., & Agarwal, G., & Haque, M. (2005, June), A Virtual Tour Of Energy Conscious Architecture Paper presented at 2005 Annual Conference, Portland, Oregon. 10.18260/1-2--15574