Jul 24, 2024 — Atlanta, GA
The Georgia Tech School of Building Construction and construction firm Brasfield & Gorrie have big plans for the second floor of the John and Joyce Caddell Building.
Brasfield & Gorrie will fund renovations in the student space of the building (home to the School of Building Construction) to create a state-of-the-art Brasfield & Gorrie Virtual Design and Construction (VDC) Lab.
The lab will offer a collaborative workspace for Bachelor of Science in Building Construction Science and Management, Minor in Sustainable Development and Construction , Master of Science in Building Construction and Facility Management, Master of Real Estate Development and the School's Ph.D. students. There, students can work with the latest software and hardware related to development, construction, and management of the built environment.
"I was inspired to seek funding for this space after seeing our ASC student competition team huddled around a laptop in Caddell Building," said School chair Ece Erdogmus, "despite which they still won first place."
"As our undergraduate student body expanded in the last three years, the need for a dedicated space with high-power computers and a collaborative layout became evident," Erdogmus said.
Soon, in the Brasfield & Gorrie VDC Lab, students will build extensive hands-on experience in 4D- and 5D- Building Information Modeling (BIM) applications. They'll also learn to use advanced technologies in robotics, laser scanning and Virtual- and Augmented Reality (VR/AR) in development and construction.
"Brasfield & Gorrie is honored to partner with the School of Building Construction at Georgia Tech to create a VDC Lab, which will promote learning and future innovation in construction technology," said Greg Hunsberger, Chief Operations Officer Planning and Technology for Brasfield & Gorrie, a Georgia Tech alum (BSCE'01) and member of the College of Design Advisory Board.
"Innovation is a core value at Brasfield & Gorrie and we believe this collaboration will help advance our industry and prepare students to be leaders in their future construction careers. With dozens of Georgia Tech alumni on our team, we’ve seen firsthand how the institution serves its students and the construction industry," he said.
"I am grateful to Brasfield & Gorrie, particularly Greg Hunsberger and School of Building Construction advisory board member Chad Waters, for recognizing the importance of this vision and committing strongly to our students’ success." Erdogmus said. "This partnership exemplifies construction as an industry embracing technology and innovation."