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Get the most interesting and important stories from the 麻豆传媒.The new at the 麻豆传媒 is nearing completion, but there鈥檚 a way to visit before its grand opening.
You鈥檇 just have to be the size of a toy soldier.
Students from Pitt鈥檚 Swanson 麻豆传媒 of Engineering and History of Art and Architecture program built an interactive, miniature model of the center to demonstrate its capabilities and scope to the University community before construction is finished.
The model was created for XProjects, part of the Swanson 麻豆传媒鈥檚 Innovation and Entrepreneurship Program, where students design, prototype and test a real-world product or system over the course of a semester.
Shaista Rahim, a senior studying architecture, and her teammates didn鈥檛 know much about the center until they signed up for the project.
鈥淲e wanted to show what opportunities the building would have for students like ourselves,鈥 said Rahim. 鈥淲e highlighted key points of the building like the swimming pool, glass exterior and rock-climbing wall to give students like us a good idea of what it could be.鈥
Students met with Anastasia Dubnicay, Pitt鈥檚 project manager of architecture who is overseeing the construction of the center, and received CAD drawings, elevations and renderings and a model made with Revit, a building information modeling software. Dubnicay also accompanied the students on a visit to the center鈥檚 construction site to help them grasp the actual layout of the building.
Fiona Cheng, a senior studying mechanical engineering, said the site visit was the most valuable part of the project.
鈥淭he site visit is what gave us ideas on what to feature and how we wanted to go about modeling them,鈥 Cheng said.
[Catch up on more construction projects around Pitt.]
Using the Revit files, students scaled down the model and translated it into something buildable using a laser printer. Chipboard, acrylic and wood were used to assemble the finished product. Lighting was added to draw attention to specific areas of interest.
鈥淚 want a mini-sized one for my desk,鈥 joked Dubnicay, the project manager. 鈥淚 think it will really help people get excited about the Campus Recreation and Wellness Center and shine a light on the students鈥 work at the same time.鈥
The XProject marked the first opportunity for students to work across disciplines, with architects and engineers collaborating closely, mirroring real-world practices. As a result, students eagerly signed up.
鈥淎s a mechanical engineer, it was eye-opening to see all the things that architects do and what they work with,鈥 said Jordan Kelly, a junior studying mechanical engineering. 鈥淭hey taught us everything from the lingo to what goes into making a model, which I鈥檝e never done before.鈥
Abby Burthe, a senior studying architecture, said her favorite part of the project was working alongside the engineers. 鈥淭hey made this project so unique by adding their ideas to the model and helped me realize how I can elevate my work as well,鈥 she said.
Carla M. Panzella, the vice provost for student affairs, said the model 鈥渆nthusiastically鈥 represents the energy of the building.
鈥淭he Campus Recreation and Wellness Center began by listening to students鈥 voices and so engaging our students from the Swanson 麻豆传媒 of Engineering as well as students from the History of Art and Architecture program was a natural collaboration,鈥 said Panzella. 鈥淭he Campus Recreation and Wellness Center will be a transformative space at the heart of campus that will serve as the intersection of well-being at Pitt. This building will encompass many areas of health and wellness to serve our community. I can鈥檛 wait to celebrate the opening of this building with our community.鈥
The model is on display at the William Pitt Union until the end of the spring semester in 2025.
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鈥 Kat Procyk, Photography by Aimee Obidzinski, except as noted