UMass BCT Preconstruction Team Secures 2nd Place at Region 1 ASC Competition

UMass BCT Preconstruction Team Secures 2nd Place at Region 1 ASC Competition

by Alexander Schreyer Comment Closed
The annual Associated Schools of Construction (ASC) Region 1 Competition offers a unique learning environment for students, significantly enhancing their educational experience. ASC organizes regional competitions sponsored by construction companies, with many programs across the U.S. The BCT program recognizes and supports the benefits of student participation in intercollegiate competitions like this and we have sent teams to this competition for a few years now. In this competition, students submit proposals to construction industry executives, who serve as judges, and then defend their proposals in front of an audience during the event. Throughout the competition, students face real-world scenarios that challenge their skills. The BCT program began participating in the ASC Competitions in 2019, finishing last in our first year. We improved to 6th place in 2020. In 2021, we created a dedicated course (BCT 392C) to better prepare our students, resulting in a 3rd place finish. We continued to climb the ranks, achieving 2nd place in 2022 and finally securing 1st...
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UMass Team Places 7th in 2024 NAHB National Student Competition

UMass Team Places 7th in 2024 NAHB National Student Competition

by Alexander Schreyer Comment Closed
The 2024 National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Student Competition for four-year programs was held at the 2024 International Builders’ Show in Las Vegas, NV on Feb 26-27, 2024. In this competition, the UMass Amherst team placed 7th in the Custom/Small Build category. The mission of the NAHB student competition is to expose students to an in-depth residential construction project from concept to closing. Using real projects, students compete with other schools as they display their problem-solving abilities and learn more about homebuilding. This year’s competition team included 7 students from the BCT program, the Department of Architecture, and the Isenberg School of Management. During the Fall semester, the students worked on developing a business proposal that included market analysis, product design, construction management, project management, financial and risk analysis, and sustainability related to a property in Woodstock, Georgia. The students traveled to Las Vegas, presented their proposal to the judges, and attended the International Builders’ Show, which is the housing industry’s largest...
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UMass Student Team Places Eighth at National Competition

UMass Student Team Places Eighth at National Competition

by Alexander Schreyer Comment Closed
The 2023 National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Student Competition for four-year programs was held at the 2023 International Builders’ Show in Las Vegas, Jan. 31 - Feb. 2, 2023. The UMass NAHB Student Chapter team placed 8th in the competition. The mission of the NAHB four-year student competition is to expose students to an in-depth residential construction project from concept to closing. Using real projects, students compete with other schools as they display their problem-solving abilities and learn more about homebuilding. This year’s competition team included 14 students from the BCT program, the Department of Architecture, and the Isenberg School of Management. During the Fall semester, the students worked on developing a business proposal that included market analysis, product design, construction management, project management, financial and risk analysis, and sustainability related to a property in La Plata, MD. The students traveled to Las Vegas and presented their proposal to the judges and attended the International Builders’ Show, which is the housing industry’s...
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UMass Students Place 11th in National Competition and BCT Program Receives $100k Grant

UMass Students Place 11th in National Competition and BCT Program Receives $100k Grant

by Alexander Schreyer Comment Closed
Students Participate in Residential Construction Competition As in years past, a group of UMass students traveled to the International Builders Show (IBS), a national conference, which was held this year in Orlando, FL. There they competed in the "Production Homes" category of the Residential Construction Management Competition, which allows our students to practice many aspects of their coursework, such as estimating and budgeting, scheduling and various other pre-construction topics. Under the faculty supervision of BCT's Dr. Ho-Sung Kim, this group had been busy preparing for this competition for the entirety of the fall semester. The UMass team landed the 11th place spot this year out of 27 competing schools. Its members were Akira Ontsuka, Matthew Klingman, Mohamid Zabir, Lauren Nothe,  Oliver Pullin, and Samuel Khokhlan. See the gallery below for some impressions from the event. BCT Program Receives $100,000 Grant From NHE's HELP Program The Homebuilding Education Leadership Program (HELP), launched in 2006, establishes closer relationships with institutions of higher education by awarding major...
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