Construction Management students win third place in tall building design competition

Stepping out of their comfort zone and putting their knowledge to test were indeed rewarding for Team Walkie Talkies when they won third place in the 2nd International Student Competition on Tall Building Design. The team consisted of Bachelor of Science (Honours) Construction Management students from the Faculty of Engineering and Green Technology (FEGT), namely Fabian Wong Tching Tak, Tan Yeong Wen, Ooi Lun Yuan, Arivalan Muralli and Puganesh Murthy. The competition was organised by UCITY and the Centre for Student Development of Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP) on 11 September 2021 via Microsoft Teams.

Themed ‘Global IT Hub Adapting to Post-Covid Green Building Initiative’, this year’s competition focused on preventing the spread of the Covid-19 virus as one of the major factors incorporated into the design, as well as maintaining social distancing by implementing division of office spaces with partition walls to separate employees. The competition also saw participants acquiring the fundamentals of designing and creating their own tall buildings that are in accordance with today’s post-Covid-19 criteria while integrating normal standard operating procedures into their building design. It also aimed to help participants understand the fundamentals of structural concepts and incorporate green building technologies into their buildings.

“This competition has really been an eye-opener to all of us. We learnt new skills, such as communication skills and time management, and gained extra knowledge while using building information modelling software to design our building. We believe that by joining this competition, we were able to gain substantial experience that we cannot learn from normal classes. In this competition, we had to go through a series of brainstorming sessions, rapid problem-solving sequences and experience a diverse form of learning.  Our team managed to secure third place in this competition and we are satisfied with our outcome, but there will always be room for improvements and new skills to learn,” enthused team leader Wong.

He added, “It also exposed us to the working world in the future and we were able to learn the code of practices that are applied when it comes to designing a building and what are the necessary requirements and concepts when it comes to designing a building that is structurally sound. Our coaches, Dr Shalini and AR Tan Seong Yeow were very helpful in providing insights, comments and feedback, and mentoring us throughout the competition. We are very thankful to our coaches.” The team also received an RM200 cash prize and certificates.

FEGT academic and mentor Ar Tan Seong Yeow commented, “The students had to overcome the initial challenge of selecting a site suitable for showcasing their design concept. After an intensive online brainstorming session between students and advisors (lecturers), the team came up with a design approach that focused on urban rainwater catchment concept incorporated with a building atrium that also addresses structural rigidity yet innovation in its 'hanging bridge' that connects the two L shaped buildings arranged around a central courtyard.”

He also said, “Through this competition, the students can appreciate how theories in class are applied in real-life, conceptual ideas are translated into buildable projects and feasibility studies evaluated through the use of dimensional coordination and calculation. I believe this competition has helped them to also be more aware of current products and technologies in the market. The main benefit of this competition is the team-building spirit shown by the students and their awareness of the value of commitment, perseverance, problem-solving and learning new digital skills. I congratulate them for their performance as they are from a construction management background.”

FEGT academic and mentor Ts Dr Shalini Sanmargaraja also commented, “The competition enables students to be more creative and innovative in creating office building designs that can be used post-Covid-19. The design of the building takes into account aspects of sustainability, green building ratings, multi-functional usage and versatility. Therefore, this competition is a stepping stone for students to excel in their assignments, and it motivates them to participate in more competitions where they can continue using creative solutions and apply knowledge gained during their studies.”

In addition to that, the team’s project titled L2 Tower, is also related to United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 3 - Good Health and Well-Being, SDG Goal 7 – Affordable and Clean Energy, and SDG Goal 11 – Sustainable Cities and Communities. “We were able to apply what we know about the post-covid-19 safety measures into our design and also interpret design philosophies such as having an open atrium to allow natural daylighting to illuminate the building, an irregular shape to decrease the torsional irregularity and distribute wind pressure acting on the building. Besides that, by having a bridge support system with four lift cores, stability of the building would be achieved,” said Wong.

“The building we designed incorporates green technologies such as HVAC System, air curtains that oxidises and purifies air and sanitation zones in our building. We will be able to achieve good health and well-being by promoting better indoor environmental air quality in our building. Besides that, by incorporating innovative green building technologies such as solar panels, sustainable green materials, rainwater harvesting system and innovative electrical appliances, we will be able to promote affordable and clean energy. Our team also aims to introduce sustainable cities and communities into our design by incorporating the usage of green transportation like bicycles and promote public commuting,” explained Wong.

He added, “We think that with the current situation that we live in, there is no escape from the Covid-19. So we should learn how to adapt to the new normal and practise these standard operating procedures in our daily lives. In the construction industry, we believe that designers are forced to shift their views and perspectives towards this new normal by integrating and incorporating these SOPs into their design.”