Reflections
Overall I trully enjoyed completing my senior project. Having the opportunity to explore ideas and possibilities at my own pace was a luxury I probably won't have again soon. I was fortunate enough to have Buro Happold's support, and advice from my teachers and classmates to keep me grounded throughout the process. At times it was very frustrating, since I invested too much time in careful calculations only to find that the answers were controlled by a final assumption, or that the portion I was calculating was almost negligible relative to the whole result. Even so, it was a good learning experience for me since I now have a better grasp on the important factors of a design process.
Criticism I have for the program includes the building selection process. The number of opportunities seemed to be very dependent on the type of building, and as fourth years we had no idea what our options were. I would suggest that fifth years are asked to dedicate some time after presentations to consult fourth years and make suggestions for the type of building they want. I also think the Tech Report time should be cut in half, so that students can focus on the very essential points, the Advisors have the chance to review the work with students,, and proposals can be made earlier in the year, so more information can be collected before winter break is over.