IPD and BIM-focused capstone course based on AEC industry needs and involvement

Academics, through industry demand and involvement, are beginning to realize that educating our future engineers in building information modeling (BIM) technology utilizing an integrated project delivery (IPD) collaboration and design approach needs to be a frontrunner of education. As a result, academia is now challenged with the task of determining how to develop these specialized skill sets in engineering students such that the professional demand and focus of incorporating the proper skills in educational practices are met to address the issues and limitations that incur in new practices. This paper outlines the development, implementation, and results of a 3-year multidisciplinary team pilot program within architectural engineering (AE) at Penn State University encompassing structural, mechanical, lighting/electrical, and construction engineering disciplines, focusing on the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry needs. Built into this pilot are strong connections to industry professionals in order to facilitate understanding of the discipline and team knowledge in students before they enter the industry as professionals. Teams focus on actual industry projects, allowing for experiences the industry has deemed highly valuable. The results to date indicate that the combination of technical depth and integrated multidisciplinary collaboration have yielded results consistent with those originally requested by industry reviewers.