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This week the students learned about project scheduling and cost estimation. The students were able to look over actual project schedules and construction cost estimates, while the mentors talked about how – and why – each are developed.

As a team, we then took some time to create a draft schedule and cost estimate for our project – the arts addition to a nearby high school. The team reviewed the various project elements we’ve covered in the past five months and how each of those elements has a construction duration and cost.

Once the cost estimate is complete, the students will compare it with the project budget to determine if we will need to scale back the project cost. This “real world” exercise forces the students to consider the financial impacts of their design. The students chose to include a window-lined sky bridge in the design, for example. The sky bridge is certainly aesthetically pleasing, but may need to be revisited as a feature if the estimate comes in over budget.

For the second half of the session, the students split up into smaller groups to divide and conquer the project’s remaining loose ends in preparation for final presentations. The building floor plans were recently updated and needed to be distributed to the HVAC team. The building structural plans and site plans for the outdoor amphitheater also needed some work.

At the end of the session the students chose which area of specialty they will be presenting on. In the coming weeks the mentors will be helping the students prepare presentation boards and PowerPoint slides, as well as coaching them on the art of public speaking. This is the last big push before the project deadline.