Students engineering their own futures
SUBMITTED PHOTO
Students in the Maryville High School Project Lead the Way program are shown with Instructor Phil Stone and on the far right, Aaron Harte, architect from Kansas City engineering firm.
Maryville Project Lead the Way students presented projects Friday to Superintendent Becky Albrecht, Assistant Superintendent Steve Klotz, as well as special guest, Kansas City architect Aaron Harte, of Incite Design Studio.
Harte’s firm, Incite is responsible for the planning for the Lee and Nina Schneider Performing Arts Center.
The project students finished last week, is known as a design charrette.
“And all that really means is a brainstorming session between all the different parties that would be included in a brand-new development,” Instructor Phil Stone said. “I thought it was pretty neat they had the opportunity to share their project with administration. They really did a great job. Both projects’ presentations … each one of them nailed it.”
Students were placed into two teams that chose one of four scenarios.
One scenario involved a city looking to redevelop an old warehouse in a blighted area of a town that would spur more development in that area.
“They eventually went with a fitness center,” Stone said. “Each student had a role in this design charrette.”
The students took on the roles of building codes manager, structural engineer, architect, cost estimator in order to give all the necessary information at a brainstorming session to kick off a project.
Another team took a scenario that involved 100 undeveloped acres willed by a wealthy citizen, with stipulations such as 150 homes be incorporated, as well as, a doctor’s office, restaurants etc. The area had to be safe for travel by foot or bike.
“Each one had their separate roles during the brainstorming session with that full-scale presentation to follow,” Stone said.
Project Lead the Way has been in place at the high school for the past three years.
“We’ve installed a new class every year for the last three years,” Stone said. “So, this is the first year this one’s been offered.”
The 10 students in this class took part in the previous classes, but this class will teach the students the basics of CEA, Civil Engineering and Architecture.
Another part of the class involves producing home designs.
“The home designs were based on architectural styles that either range back to colonial days all the way to just a modern ranch house,” Stone said. “But then, we bring in all the civil engineering aspects.”
The students view the project from both the architectural design side and then shift to the civil engineering side.
“How do we tie in water? Where does stormwater runoff go? That kind of stuff,” Stone said.
He said entire program is based on giving the students, in three years, as broad of an engineering view as possible.
Students get the opportunity to learn basics in 3-D modeling on Auto Cad, building scale models like this, bridge building and land surveying with cameras.
“We want them to see all the different avenues,” Stone said. “The program is meant to give them as many opportunities as possible.”
This would give those students seeking a degree in engineering more information about choosing a direction or specialty.
He said other graduates who were in this program have gone to schools such as Missouri University of Science and Technology to start engineering degrees.
SKYE POURNAZARI/DAILY FORUM
Mason Walk and Adam Becker explain the process of creating a model of a Garrison House. The students took five days to build the model, but took days to research how they were built in order to gain an understanding of what the model would require. Becker said his favorite part of the project was building the model.
SKYE POURNAZARI/DAILY FORUM
A Garrison House styled by Project Lead the Way students Mason Walk and Adam Becker. They said it was a wood house from the late 1700s and early 1800s when people would need to defend from native attacks. The few windows on the bottom floor helped defend those inside.
