This week, the students met at Epstein and were introduced to mechanical systems – what HVAC means, how it’s actually implemented throughout a building, and various strategies for doing so.

Then they teamed up to perfect the “ceiling in a box” exercise.  Using colored pipe cleaners, wooden dowels and foam pieces to represent necessary mechanical systems that would be in a ceiling, along with a cheat sheet about the limitations of each system, the groups layered, bent, nudged and maneuvered the pieces to create the ceilings in a box.  A much more intricate exercise than the students originally thought – and everyone learned a lot!

Students then chose which group they wanted to work with for the duration of our project – Architecture, Construction or Engineering.  The teams split up to strategize how each would work on their portion of the museum.  A general structural approach was agreed upon, mechanical systems discussed, and architectural forms/inspirations generated.

Next week, at Epstein for further work on our Museum of Social Media!