The sixth architectural and construction workshop with SIT continues online

Despite being restricted from travelling overseas, it did not stop the group of students from UTAR and Shibaura Institute of Technology (SIT) from acquiring architectural and construction knowledge of Japan in comparison to the lessons learnt in UTAR at the sixth collaborative workshop between UTAR and SIT. The workshop was held virtually from 9 to 16 October 2021, via Zoom and Ovice.

The collaborative workshop continued to strengthen the relationship between UTAR and SIT as it facilitated the exchange of information between participants of both institutions and established strong international networks. Lessons learnt at the virtual workshop benefitted participants with a better understanding of the differences and similarities of the construction industry between Japan and Malaysia.

This time, 14 Bachelor of Science (Honours) Construction Management students from UTAR and 14 SIT students learnt about the practice of design for manufacture and assembly. The participants were taught on creating a new structural system based on pre-fabrication and unit construction methods. The software used in the workshop was Autodesk REVIT. The SIT lecturers involved were Prof Dr Hirotake Kanisawa, Prof Dr Kazuya Shide and Prof Dr Naoto Mine.

To make learning more comfortable, the first day of the virtual workshop kick-started with an ice-breaking session for participants to know each other before they were briefed on the schedule and content of the workshop. The participants were also introduced to the topic “Prefabricated Prefinished Volumetric Construction” (PPVC). Individual work and group projects were assigned to the participants. A total of four groups consisting of SIT and UTAR students came together to design the building using the concept of PPVC method. They were later required to present their group project on the last day of the workshop.

Apart from classroom assignments, participants were also given insights on the “Trends of BIM” at the talk conducted by Okoshi Jun from building SMART Japan and “Health and Safety” talk by UTAR lecturer Ts Tan Zi Yi. UTAR students also had the privilege to enjoy a virtual construction site visit of SIT Toyosu campus new school building, guided by KAJIMA Corporation.

UTAR student Tan Yeong Wen expressed his delight in joining for the first time. “This virtual workshop was definitely a good opportunity for me to learn new things and meet new friends from Japan. One important lesson I learnt is teamwork because that gets work done. Once we were separated into our groups, my teammates and I started to plan and allocate tasks to ensure things get done more efficiently. I am very thankful to my group leader Kohei for guiding us throughout the workshop,” enthused Tan.

When sharing his experience, he also encouraged other UTAR students to participate in the next workshop. “The experience I gained will be useful to my future work and through this workshop, I was also able to familiarise myself with the construction process and the environmental system. Although language brought challenges to our communication, but that barrier was broken down with the help of online translator apps, which helped us to express our thoughts and opinions to the SIT students. Apart from that, understanding the differences in cultures has trained me to be more sensitive and adaptable to international cultures. Let us not be shy or afraid to try new things. Participating in an international workshop is certainly a good experience,” said Tan.

UTAR student Ooi Lun Yuan who also participated for the first time commented that he learnt about this workshop from his lecturer and other seniors who previously participated in the physical workshop hosted by SIT in Japan.

“I have always known that construction in Japan is very advanced. The quality of their construction is good and they are well organised in every stage of the process. With the application of IT, they are able to plan their work more effectively and even track the workers’ live location on site. Even though the building I saw was still under construction, the site was well managed and kept clean, which is something I think Malaysia can adopt,” commented Ooi.

He also mentioned that the workshop has given him exposure to real-life work situations and prepared him better for his future work. “The workshop not only made learning fun, but it also helped me to be more confident in making new friends, especially with international students. This is surely a good experience and a good opportunity to explore new things,” said Ooi.