Students in BCT’s 3D CAD & BIM course participate in library project on maker competencies

Students in BCT’s 3D CAD & BIM course participate in library project on maker competencies

As part of this spring's BCT 420 and ECO 620 courses (both taught by Alex Schreyer, BCT Program Director), students will explore making and digital fabrication, which will inform a curriculum pilot study by the University of Texas on this topic. The UMass library has been chosen as one of several collaborators nationwide and will guide the local implementation of this study. Press release below... Libraries Chosen as Partner in Maker Competencies, Curriculum Pilot Study February 1, 2018 The UMass Amherst Libraries has been chosen by the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) and the University of Nevada-Reno as one of four additional university partners to participate in a pilot study entitled Maker Competencies and the Undergraduate Curriculum. Funded by a $49,800 National Leadership Grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the study seeks to explore the impacts of academic library makerspaces–spaces with technological resources and equipment for project-based collaboration–on undergraduate student learning. Sarah Hutton, head of undergraduate teaching and learning services at the...
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BCT’s ‘False Color’ Exhibit is Open!

BCT’s ‘False Color’ Exhibit is Open!

From now to October 28th, 2017, UMass students, faculty, and the general public are invited to visit the UMass Design Building Gallery during opening hours (9am - 4pm on weekdays) to view BCT's latest exhibition on all things related to "False Color" visualizations. Showcasing work by our faculty and graduate students, this exhibition visually (and interactively) explores the various technologies of our research: stress analysis, energy analysis, thermography, laser scanning, and more... BCT would like to especially thank Trimble Inc. for their support through our Trimble Technology Lab. We are also tremendously grateful to Peter Chrzanowski, Sharon Mehrman, and Alexander Okscin for their invaluable hands-on help in putting this exhibition together. The following synopsis explains our thoughts on this exhibition: As engineers, scientists and designers we are often faced with data that is not immediately comprehensible in its raw form, consisting solely of numeric values and ranges. Either the volume of such data is too large to lend itself to easy evaluation or it is too limited...
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Trimble’s VP Roz Buick speaks about transforming the AECO industry

Trimble’s VP Roz Buick speaks about transforming the AECO industry

Rounding out our 2017 BCT spring seminar series was a talk by Trimble VP for Buildings, Roz Buick, who delivered a visionary and engaging overview of how Trimble sees itself transforming the AECO (architecture, engineering, construction, operations) industry. This presentation came on the heels of our celebration of the opening of the new Trimble Technology Lab in the equally new Design Building on 4/25. See the links below for her slides and some of the videos that were part of her presentation. Links: Presentation slides Video: Microsoft HoloLens: Partner Spotlight with Trimble Video: Trimble Makes the Impossible, Possible ...
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Photos: Design Building and Trimble Technology Lab Opening Celebration

Photos: Design Building and Trimble Technology Lab Opening Celebration

With the UMass Design Building official opening celebration a little more than a week ago, it is finally time for us to post some pictures. The event also saw the opening of the new Trimble Technology Lab. Most of the images below are by UMass photographer Thomas Kendall and the rest is from us. If you are interested in seeing more of the press coverage of the event, check out our Design Building press review. Links: Design Building Trimble Technology Lab ...
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New Trimble Technology Lab Gift to UMass Amherst Expands Training and Research for Building Design and Fabrication

New Trimble Technology Lab Gift to UMass Amherst Expands Training and Research for Building Design and Fabrication

  SUNNYVALE, Calif. and AMHERST, Mass., – A significant in-kind gift from Trimble (NASDAQ: TRMB) will expand the University of Massachusetts Amherst’s leadership in training and research in 3D building design, digital fabrication and the sustainable built environment. Partnering with Trimble allows UMass Amherst to more fully integrate across its curricula the technological tools that are rapidly transforming how building and living environments are designed and constructed. The gift will establish the 1,300-square-foot Trimble Technology Lab in the new Design Building at UMass Amherst. The lab will include equipment such as Trimble’s laser scanners, advanced robotic surveying systems, imaging rovers, Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receivers and many of Trimble’s software packages including RealWorks® scanning software, Trimble Business Center, Vico Office Suite, GCEstimator™ Suite, Tekla® Structures, Sefaira Architecture and its popular 3D modeling software SketchUp Pro. Potential applications of these technologies range from the scanning of historic buildings to ensure their preservation, design and 3D printing of architectural building models, digital fabrication of...
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