Course Reflection

Before taking AE410, I only had a brief understanding of intelligent buildings that buildings can take conveniences to people, and the buildings in the future. AE 410 provide me a deeper understanding of buildings in the future, and a basic understanding of artificial intelligence, the sensor applications, database, and Revit Family function. As an architectural engineer student, the BIM software, Database, and some detailed AI applications will help my future career directly. In the future, more skills will be required in the construction field, and with BIM software skill will increase my probability to get involved into more projects than others.

In this course, the most impressive knowledge will be the BIM, and forecast of future buildings. For the BIM, at beginning, I thought BIM is just a software like AutoCAD which is only for drawings with special 3D models. However, after taking this 410 I learned the BIM is not a design software and it also is a software will take many benefits to both owners and subcontractors. Because by using Revit, it will help with shorten the cost, providing a more accurate schedule, and easier for subcontractors to knowing the best position to install equipements. Due to the characters of BIM software, designers can store and change the file easier than the hand drawings.

As we known, people always talks about the future buildings: what should the buildings look like; what kinds of things will be involved; and How human builds it. In 410, Professor Mitchell gives us a general forecast of the future buildings. In the future buildings, BIM software will be used to design; the robotics will be used during the constructions; sensors and AI application will be installed in the building to provide a comfortable, convenient and efficiency living or working place.  Additionally, in the final project, we did some searches online about intelligent buildings nowadays and in future which could be defined into three main characters: Performance-based definitions, Services-based definitions and System-based definitions.

I really enjoy taking this course, and I learn real and useful things from this course. However, there are also some points confused me. For example, when talk about the robotics has been used in the construction, we did not talk about the weak points of using robotics. For example, the costs of building robotics, the energy consumptions, and how should we replace the human workers. Moreover, the BIM software should be talked more. Because nowadays, everyone uses computer and BIM really helps students in their career and professions.