About Alec Silverstone

Greetings! My name is Alec Silverstone and I am a fourth-year student at Drexel studying Mechanical Engineering. I am from Cherry Hill, NJ which is only 20 minutes from Philadelphia. The town is quite nice and represents a typical suburb of an even better city. A fun fact I always like to give about Cherry Hill is that its mall was the first indoor, climate-controlled shopping center east of the Mississippi River in the United States, and opened on October 11, 1961.

Proximity of Cherry Hill to Philadelphia

 
As you can see, because of its proximity to the city, Philadelphia was a large part of my childhood. From sporting events parades to school trips and tourist activities, I was in town every month growing up. I think that's part of the reason I chose to come to school in this city. I do have quite a few hobbies that span different areas of interest. In high school, I gained an appreciation for automotive design and engineering which drove (ha, pun intended) me to become a mechanical engineering student. I also picked up an affinity for electronic music of all types. From here, I experimented with electronic music production (and created a club at my high school for it) in addition to learning to DJ. Fun fact, I actually played a DJ set at a club in Philadelphia! 

Me playing at ION Nightclub Philadelphia

I also love alcohol. Not in a weird he-needs-help sort of way, but in a give-me-all-your-craft-beer sort of way. When I turned 21, I took a trip to Nashville, TN and visited a distillery. From there I really kickstarted my love for bourbon whiskey. I like to tell my friends that my collection is at 9 bottles right now, and it is ever-growing. I also learned to love beer (not Budweiser, I'm talking about craft breweries like Evil Genius, Alpine Brewing, Lord Hobo Brewing, etc) and I have actually started brewing my own beer at home!

This is me

Enough about me. That all pretty much sums me up. I'm pretty enthusiastic, and I'm a great schmoozer.

What do I consider makes a "smart building?" Simply put, I believe that a building that "feels" like it's in 2019 would constitute a smart building. I'm talking about one thats adaptive and up-to-date on technology. Interactive media screens that display relevant information, smart-thermostats, WiFi-controlled lighting, sun-reactive window shading, all the works. If the building can act to make the best accommodations for its tenants with modern tech and a clean look, I'd say it's a smart building.
Who knows, though? AE410 may change my view on that!