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Stanisław Kocik, a student of the Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Air Protection specialization, qualified for the 28th international AEC Global Teamwork program. The undertaking will be devoted to the creation of the planned facility. Research work in a team connecting students from three continents will be carried out with the use of modern software. The task carried out by Mr. Kocik is the design of the ventilation system.

Participation in the AEC Global Teamwork Program is a unique learning experience that focuses on an interdisciplinary, globally distributed teamwork project. It brings together students, faculty and specialists from five disciplines - architecture, construction, environmental engineering, construction management and life-cycle financial management.

Stanisław Kocik is in the last year of master's studies at our Department as part of the "Heating, Ventilation, Air-conditioning and Air Protection" specialization. He heard about the program from Dr. Joanna Ferdyn-Grygierek, professor of the SUT. "Such an opportunity will never happen again: an opportunity to cooperate with people of other nationalities, in an international team. It is an opportunity to learn about a tool, software from the top shelf, when it comes to today's technological achievement of virtual reality software. The subject of the project is a building, an object that we will design. A 3D model will be created, which will be accessible, among others, with VR goggles" says Stanisław Kocik. "I will be a MAP Engineer - a person who deals with ventilation and air conditioning installations, district heating. In addition, this industry includes water and sewage systems. This subject coincides with my field of study, with the specialization I have chosen, with the topic of engineering thesis. It concernes the design of a central heating system for a multi-family building" - he explains. The scope of his work will depend on the location of the building. "If it's in Arizona, we won't have to install radiators there because it's warm there. But if in Alaska, yes".

The projects implemented as part of AEC Global Teamwork are aimed at creating a platform for cooperation between representatives of various environments, which will allow the creation of high-quality services and products, and equip participants with leadership competences. Stanisław Kocik emphasizes the importance of using modern software, which he sees as the future of the construction industry. "The program that we will use allows us to create a 3D model of the building, perform certain calculations, e.g. in the field of ventilation installation - air flows. It allows you to create in parallel with other industries - an architect, constructor, and a person dealing with installations work on one model. This significantly improves the work" - he emphasizes.

The project is led by Stanford University and involves students from 12 partner universities in the European Union, USA and Australia. This year, team work will be organized using virtual platforms that will integrate new ways of learning and working with daily practice and team processes. - The project starts around mid-January. At the end of November and December, introductory meetings are to be held to get to know the team, initial concept plans - explains the student.

In order to participate, he had to undergo a two-stage recruitment, which included sending a cover letter and CV, as well as an interview via the Zoom platform with Dr. Renate Fruchter, the program organizer for many years. "I think that the prestige associated with taking part in such a project organized by one of the most famous education and research centers in the world, i.e. Stanford University, affects the quality of the CV. I hope that it will be appreciated by future employers" - emphasizes Stanisław Kocik. In parallel with the design work, he will be developing his master's thesis, which also combines two time perspectives - the present and the future. Its subject will concern the numerical analysis of the effectiveness of human use of masks or helmets on the face of the spread of contamination. He emphasizes that this is a topic inspired by current events and the pandemic.

This is the second participation of the Silesian University of Technology in the AEC Global Teamwork project. The previous, 27th edition was attended by Łukasz Baran, a student of the Faculty of Energy and Environmental Engineering - currently a PhD student at our Department. The result of his commitment was the victory of his team under the name Pacific2020 and the student obtaining the highest A + grade.