Drexel to Participate in the 2012 Chicago Mock Firms Skyscraper Competition

Drexel University’s Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering Department will be competing at the 4th annual Chicago-based Mock Firms International Skyscraper Competition.The competition will take place on May 3-4, 2012 at the Congress Hotel and Plaza Convention Center in Chicago, IL. The theme of this year’s competition is ‘Versatility.’

Vector Collaborative, a team of five students will represent Drexel in this competition. These students are: Monika Mickute (BSMS Architectural Engineering, Structural concentration), Peter Matthews (BSMS Architectural Engineering, Structural concentration), Thomas McGrew (BSMS Civil Engineering, Transportation concentration), Scott MacPherson (BS Civil Engineering, Structural concentration) and Jennifer Shin (BA Architecture). The team’s academic advisor, Dr. Louis DeSaro, is an associate teaching professor in the Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering Department at Drexel. This project also satisfies the students’ Senior Design requirements for Drexel’s College of Engineering.

The design objective of this competition is to organize a “mock” design for the purposes of conceiving, coordinating, constructing and commercializing a mixed-use tall building or single-family residence which accommodates senior-living for the appropriate designated venues. The proposed location for this building is Beijing, China. Awards will be presented in the following categories: Top Marketing Firm, Top Project Design and Construction, Top Firm Organization, Top American Mock Firm, Top European Mock Firm, and Top International Mock Firm.

Vector Collaborative will design and engineer a minimum 100 story tall contemporary skyscraper. The building will incorporate modern design and construction techniques while embodying traditional design philosophies. The team will engineer all aspects of the building including site development, architectural, structural, HVAC, plumbing, and electrical systems.

For more information on the competition, please visit the website.