Kate Darby is a TAFE student making the most of her last year by involving herself in the Desert Rose Solar Decathlon project.
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Ms Darby has seen an enormous opportunity to further herself with the project as she completes an advanced diploma in hospitality management and an advanced diploma in event management. Her involvement will also give her some international experience.
Ms Darby was in the thick of the action helping coordinate a trades night at Wollongong campus this month. “We will also be coordinating some events in July as well as a community day. Our involvement is to promote the house to the community, to sponsors and industry.”
Ms Darby said the TAFE and University of Wollongong joint initiative was amazing to be involved with.
“Some of the technology that has gone into this house is out of this world. If have been involved with this project for six months and I will be going to Dubai with the house. That will happen at the end of the year. It is so exciting. The house will be packed up here, moved to the innovation campus where it will be rebuilt and shown to the community. It will then be packed down again and taken to Dubai where they will set the house to be shown to the judges and members of that community.”
Ms Darby said there were 10 areas the Illawarra team had to satisfy during the two week judging process. The Desert Rose will then be packed down again and shipped back to Wollongong.
Student project manager Clayton McDowell said all involved were giving it their all to win the global challenge and showcase how people’s quality of lives can improve with such a building.
“This will get the construction industry talking. We are excited because it is a great opportunity to work with so many talented people..and seeing the team members develop into young professionals. I love seeing how the collaboration between the two institutes is helping shape their direction and what they are going to do when they leave and go into the industry.”
TAFE NSW managing director Jon Black said it was great to see a practical hands on project that stretched student thinking. “Being able to bring practice and theory together for TAFE in collaboration with the university is a great model. This brings the best of TAFE and the university together”.
UOW professor of structural engineering Tim McCarthy said it was a tremendous opportunity to break down barriers and work on a challenging project “Our engineering students will actually meet the people they are going to work with when they graduate before they graduate. It stretches engineers to go beyond their engineering. It is the opportunity to put everything they learn into practice.”
TAFE NSW Solar Decathlon project manager Tony Schaefer said combining theory and practice is so important. It takes achitects, engineers, plumbers and electricians all being trained in their own silos together.
“And it helps them experience what they are going to in the real world,” he said.
TAFE and the University of Wollongong get together for a trade industry night to showcase the Desert Rose house.
TAFE NSW and the University of Wollongong got together this month for a trade industry night to showcase where their joint Solar Decathlon team is at with the construction of the Desert Rose house.
The event was held on site at TAFE where the sustainable house is being built by students from both...
The construction is part of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar Decathlon competition of 10 contests designed to challenge student teams to design and build full-size, solar-powered houses.
The winning team will be the one that best blends design excellence and smart energy production with innovation, market potential and energy and water efficiency.
After wining the competition in 2013 TAFE NSW and UOW again decided to enter into a partnership to design and construct an energy efficient house.
Their theme is a House for Life. Desert Rose is designed to promote well-being and adapt to the occupants’ needs as they age.
TAFE NSW managing director Jon Black said it was great to witness first hand a combined student project with such a real WOW factor.
“To be able to bring practice and theory together with collaboration between university and TAFE is a great model. I don’t like duplication and overlapping. By collaborating with the university we can bring the best of both together”.
TAFE NSW Solar Decathlon/Desert Rose project manager and trades and technology teacher Tony Schaefer said the project was a priceless opportunity for students.
He said the project fostered a collaborative spirit between aspiring engineers and tradespeople, encouraging them to work together during design and construction, improving communication and reducing mistakes.
“This is a fantastic experience for students and teachers from both institutions. It adds to the big picture aspect of sustainability in the building and construction industry by creating a greater understanding of each other’s roles, which leads to less resource wastage.”
Guests at the trade night included sponsors and housing industry representatives.
A Learning Hub was erected in F Block outside the construction zone to display, plans of the house, story boards, models and audio visual aids including some of the innovations that are being incorporated into the house.
Greg Ellis
Almost four decades in electronic, print and digital media. A writer, presenter, emcee, photographer and videographer with degrees in business management, marketing and human resources and tertiary qualifications in photography.
Almost four decades in electronic, print and digital media. A writer, presenter, emcee, photographer and videographer with degrees in business management, marketing and human resources and tertiary qualifications in photography.
