LORETO TOORAK
STEM 2021
Collisions, Construction and Collaboration Insight into the World of Construction The design, development, and construction of the new St George’s Building has presented us with a unique opportunity to expose students to an important and varied industry. In Term 1, we held a large breakfast for Years 9 and 10 students, presented by the development company Acciona (in conjunction with Surfing Australia). Students heard from a range of fascinating speakers about their career paths, and were able to chat with them and ask questions. The construction industry involves many different disciplines including: project management; engineering; architecture; logistics; building; electrical; and interior design. To gain an insight into this world, a select group of Year 10 students are undertaking a series of workshops during Terms 2 and 3. These sessions have been kindly organised by John Lincoln, a member of the school’s property committee and the director of Propertylinc. The first session saw the students take a tour of the construction site, where they heard about the myriad layers of construction taking shape. This included the air vents, internet cabling, acoustic padding, and water pipes, amongst the many other elements in the structure. Students also investigated the building plans and started to learn how to read them properly. Future sessions will see the students forming even stronger links between the construction and their STEM knowledge. They will investigate ideas such as architectural form vs function, the use of Gantt charts for sequencing, project
24
financing and management, the durability and suitability of materials, and the use of space to account for safety and sustainability. Pictured Bottom (L-R): Madeline Coulthard, Ella Birch, Abby Riordan, Emma Guthrie, Monique Tran Pictured Opposite Top (L-R): Melissa Gu, Milla Hajdinjak, Tavia Pham, Tessa Gibson, Sophie Kruk, Sophia Lu, Genevieve Le, Leisl Stegehuis
