ASC Design Build 2010 - Down to Dallas

After the panic of photocopying and binding the submission the team head to Dallas, a three hour drive on I35 some 250 miles across state lines.

The team arrive at TEXO headquarters just before the deadline submission time and with little time to spare. A reception for all participating teams at the venue followed, which included a draw for the running order for the presentationthe following day.

It was then off to the hotel to check in and put the finishing touches to the presentation with the necessary rehersals. And of course is was time to put the wise and constructive comments from Profesor Williams from the Communications Center in the College of Business at OU into action. The team had a special tutorial around communication with him on Friday which proved to be a really helpful and a truly educational experience.

'Ordered in Pizzas' was the fashion of the evening as the team made good their presentation.

Monday 15th and presentation day

Team presentations were scheduled between 8 am and noon with the DIT team optioning to go for the 10 30 slot.

After a little delay the students got their opportunity to make their pitch. Video footage will be uploaded at a later time.

Waiting for the opportunity to make that pitch for the job!!!! All members relax and have no worries!!!! John and David have time for a laugh and joke (left). Matt is very relaxed while Eric shares that 'seal joke'; Edward shares in the joke with Dan.

Were off and setting up in the five minutes allocated....

The presentation goes well with reference to grandma's visit to the Westworth County Hall used to share the design concepts.

Presentation over and lunch beckons. Lunch is followed by a visit to the new Dallas Cowboys stadium for the lads..... photos should appear later.

The whole team together in our team shirts just before the awards banquet.

Little did we know at that stage what was about to unfold.

L-R Matt, Edward, Eric, John, Sean, David, John and Lloyd

Post banquet and time for official photos ... a well deserved 3rd place is a very just reward for the pioneering efforts of the international team. The team are pictured here with Ken Robson, Head of Construction Science Division OU, who has been instrumental in making this hugely successful initiative happen. We have accomplished and been part of something very special here.

Not only did we excel in getting third place but ERIC SCHMID won the "Best Presenter" award for the Design Build section. Grandma's visit to the county hall pitch sure made an impression, Eric..

Well done Eric and here's to the whole team effort.

The team pose for a photo with the winning team.. the University of Oklahoma team of Josh, Chase,Greg, Brandon, Patrick and Grant ... pictured with the DIT team. The OU team finished second 2009 competition, so it was a great achievement to come in a close third.

ASC Design Build competition 2010

Wednesday 10th Feb 2010

We fly to Oklahoma today with a stop over in Chicago. Should arrive in Norman, Oklahoma at midnight (6am Thursday GM)
Will keep you posted on progress.

Construction Management student Sinead Reynolds gets best paper award at AISBEE

The University of Ulster in conjunction with Dublin Institute of Technology and the Centre for Education in the Built Environment (CEBE) under the direction of the Built Environment Educational Research Group organised the All Ireland Symposium on Built Environment Education (AISBEE) which took place on Friday 22nd January 2010 at the Belfast Campus of the University of Ulster.

The central theme of the conference was ‘learning through linkages’ and the underlying purpose of the symposium was to provide an opportunity for the exchange of ideas and dialogue through participation.

Sinead Reynolds, in 4th year on the Construction Management Degree presented a paper entitled ‘ A Student’s Reflections on Participation in the 2009 Twenty Four Hour Universal Design Challenge’ for which she received the ‘CEBE Best Paper’ award in the student strand. Congratulations and well done to Sinead.

The conference format included a number of key note addresses, with Professor Norton addressing the Challenges, Polices and Practices in Higher Education in Ireland. Professor David Boud of the University of Sydney presented a key note on the linkages in Assessment across courses and beyond where he challenged academics to look differently at Assessment and to make it more sustainable. There were a number of ‘formal’ peer reviewed papers presented along with a number of informal themes discussed. Further information on conference papers from both informal and formal are available at the conference website or by contacting Lloyd Scott, Department of Construction Management and Technology.