Creating an Undergraduate Multidisciplinary Design Research Team to Achieve Zero Energy

Darrell D. Nickolson

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Conference: 2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Baltimore , Maryland
Publication Date: June 25, 2023
Start Date: June 25, 2023
End Date: June 28, 2023
Conference Session: Engineering Technology Division (ETD) Technical Session 8
Tagged Division: Engineering Technology Division (ETD)
Page Count: 8
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--42797
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/42797
Download Count: 173

Paper Authors

biography

Darrell D. Nickolson Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis

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Darrell Nickolson serves as an Associate Professor at the Purdue School of Engineering and Technology on the Indianapolis campus and also is a member of the design team at Curran Architecture. Professor Nickolson teachers Architectural Technology, Interior Design, and BIM coursework, and he leads students in community-based experiential learning design projects and most recently solar energy research.

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Abstract

This paper will describe XXXXXX University’s Department of Engineering and Technology’s multi-disciplinary project team developed to compete in global competition to achieve a Zero Energy building design. Combining the efforts of five different degree programs (Electrical Engineering Technology, Computer Graphics Technology, Architectural Technology, Interior Design Technology, and Construction Management) coursework, we are researching and developing a four-story building based on shipping containers as the starting shell building science. In a department where programs routinely operate in silos, this project is encouraging cross course communication as the building takes shape. Incorporating the Building Information Modeling (BIM) approach, the students in the Architectural Technology program are charting the initial path with the shell and master plan layout of the building. After the initial design development, we infuse the Electrical Engineering Technology students and work with solar energy with zero energy as their goal. The Interior Design & Architectural Technology students will begin partnering on designing the interior spaces for each dwelling unit in the building. We then bring in the Computer Graphics Technology design students to create the dynamic presentation imagery needed to sell the concept.

The Multidisciplinary Design approach has proven to be both challenging and rewarding in both industry and academia. Bringing together bright minds to attack a design problem functionally and systematically can test the boundaries of all team members. “For some professionally, vocationally, or technically oriented careers, curricula delivered in higher education establishments may focus on teaching material related to a single discipline. By contrast, multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary, and transdisciplinary teaching (MITT) results in improved affective and cognitive learning and critical thinking, offering learners/students the opportunity to obtain a broad general knowledge base” Pooley, Alison and Wanigarathna, Nadeeshani (2016).

This project will assess the effectiveness of synchronous and asynchronous team work between both students and faculty, along with challenging each to utilize evidence based approaches to the answers achieved.

References Pooley, Alison and Wanigarathna, Nadeeshani (2016) Integrating students through a multidisciplinary design project. In: Integrated Design Conference id@50, 29 June - 1 July 2016, University of Bath.

Citation
Format

Nickolson, D. D. (2023, June), Creating an Undergraduate Multidisciplinary Design Research Team to Achieve Zero Energy Paper presented at 2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Baltimore , Maryland. 10.18260/1-2--42797

TY - CPAPER
AB - This paper will describe XXXXXX University’s Department of Engineering and Technology’s multi-disciplinary project team developed to compete in global competition to achieve a Zero Energy building design. Combining the efforts of five different degree programs (Electrical Engineering Technology, Computer Graphics Technology, Architectural Technology, Interior Design Technology, and Construction Management) coursework, we are researching and developing a four-story building based on shipping containers as the starting shell building science. In a department where programs routinely operate in silos, this project is encouraging cross course communication as the building takes shape. Incorporating the Building Information Modeling (BIM) approach, the students in the Architectural Technology program are charting the initial path with the shell and master plan layout of the building. After the initial design development, we infuse the Electrical Engineering Technology students and work with solar energy with zero energy as their goal. The Interior Design &amp;amp; Architectural Technology students will begin partnering on designing the interior spaces for each dwelling unit in the building. We then bring in the Computer Graphics Technology design students to create the dynamic presentation imagery needed to sell the concept.

The Multidisciplinary Design approach has proven to be both challenging and rewarding in both industry and academia. Bringing together bright minds to attack a design problem functionally and systematically can test the boundaries of all team members. “For some professionally, vocationally, or technically oriented careers, curricula delivered in higher education establishments may focus on teaching material related to a single discipline. By contrast, multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary, and transdisciplinary teaching (MITT) results in improved affective and cognitive learning and critical thinking, offering learners/students the opportunity to obtain a broad general knowledge base” Pooley, Alison and Wanigarathna, Nadeeshani (2016).

This project will assess the effectiveness of synchronous and asynchronous team work between both students and faculty, along with challenging each to utilize evidence based approaches to the answers achieved.

References
Pooley, Alison and Wanigarathna, Nadeeshani (2016) Integrating students through a multidisciplinary design project. In: Integrated Design Conference id@50, 29 June - 1 July 2016, University of Bath.

AU - Darrell D. Nickolson
CY - Baltimore , Maryland
DA - 2023/06/25
PB - ASEE Conferences
TI - Creating an Undergraduate Multidisciplinary Design Research Team to Achieve Zero Energy
UR - https://peer.asee.org/42797
DO - 10.18260/1-2--42797
ER -