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Reflections on the conversation with Qian Chen

Anjali Desai

Being a part of an Interdisciplinary program comes with its benefits of approaching the same topic from various lens. It is a very enriching experience to widen your knowledge of a particular subject through the process of mutual learning. I, having a background in the Sustainability compliance and economics, was intrigued by the facets of sustainable construction engineering discussed by our guest speaker from the School of Engineering, Dr. Quian Chen. Being a technical subject, it did take a few slides of the presentation to understand the content and the context of its relevance to the structure of this course and the goal of creating a plan to rehabilitate the Brant’s creek.

I find the usage of data backed and digital approaches towards resilience and to drive sustainability all pervasive as it has time and again demonstrated its potential to generate results. A common theme of the presentation has been the interconnectedness of resilience and sustainability. Much like Daisy’s example of the usage of flood maps to drive rescue operations during natural calamities, digitalization of the Covid vaccination certificates in India enabled an efficient access management for a very large population. Dr. Quian’s example of the use of these technologies to track carbon emissions associated with various materials hence was relatable. Such modern visual tools are time and again used to capture the topographical data and used for a vast variety of uses. While used in a different context, the resource developed by our second speaker, Dr. Dulic, which visualized the original native lands is an application of the use of same visual mapping tools.

Very similar to supply chain management and assembly operations, planning must be encompassing all the various stages and components involved including in construction management as highlighted by Dr Quian. Fragmentation of processes and lack of information transfer leads to inefficiency in the usage of material which both increases the variable costs associated to a project and is environmentally unsustainable It was interesting to see the technical solutions in the area of construction, which constitutes to be a major component of the GDP economies around the world. Coming from a rapidly developing country India, the need for sustainable planning of new infrastructure and also redevelopment of existing infrastructure has been very apparent. The large scale of infrastructural development projects: buildings and transport, are a major source of air pollution and one of the leading sources generating a large waste stream. Shaiyan’s question to our guest speaker about the retrofitting of existing buildings was hence very relevant to the current context of development around the world.

While this presentation did not have a direct correlation to the Brandt’s Creek project, there lies a learning in every discipline of study which can be applied in varied case studies. Sustainability to me starts from environmentalism and leads to equity in all social spheres. In conclusion, the take away for me is to ensure a holistic planning and transparency of information between team members to prevent fragmentation of the various activities of the project.

Annie Furman

I agree that digital approaches to resilience have increasingly demonstrated successful outcomes (in many different forms), and it’s an important point you raise that digital visualization is also a key aspect of Dr. Dulic’s Waterways project. Both Dr. Chen’s presentation and your reflection on it have encouraged me to think more about potential points of intersection for digital visualization and community engaged art. Coming from a fine arts background, I have noticed a tendency sometimes to paint fine arts and engineering as opposites—it’s an important reminder for interdisciplinary work seeing that something that may appear quite niche and technical at first glance can have applications in fields far beyond what it may have initially been designed for.

Ilyas Kanybek

Dr. Qian Chen's presentation on sustainable technologies was quite unusual yet very interesting. As a social scientist, I rarely engage with traditionally hard sciences like engineering. The very field of construction is a far cry from my area of expertise. Nevertheless, learning about drastically different perspectives on sustainability was intriguing. I suppose it also shows us that in all fields and industries, people are striving for more sustainable solutions. It also reinforces the fact that a cross-industry approach is essential for comprehensive solution delivery. Digitalization is indeed a remarkable and perhaps still untapped source of solutions for many fields and industries. Not just construction, but all fields should seek ways and methods to incorporate digital methods and tools into their own fields. Cross-disciplinary cooperation is therefore a key to fresh thoughts and ideas. Learning about familiar concepts from different perspectives can and does make a difference to the way we interpret these ideas. Perhaps even distinction such as qualitative and quantitative should not be perceived as contrary, polar ideas but rather two hands of one person, in need of each other to be complete.

Another topic that Dr. Qian Chen mentioned is the waste problem. I very much agree with the speaker that the best way to utilise waste is to prevent it from becoming one. I think this argument extrapolates to many other spheres. Waste is a big issue in many, if not all, of the spheres. Digitalization can bring mathematically correct assumptions about demands and therefore decrease the amount of waste.

In general, this presentation, which initially gave me the impression that it was a very distinct topic, pushed me to realise that sustainability is a cross-industrial, cross-disciplinary concept and just once again enforced the necessity for interdisciplinary cooperation.

Thomas Letcher-Nicholls

Ilyas’ contribution has reinforced and helped me appreciate the interdisciplinary value of Dr. Qian Chen’s talk; this reflection makes a really compelling case for interdisciplinary cooperation.

Specifically, reading Ilyas’ piece has made me think about the importance of digitisation – in construction, but also all fields. Before coming to UBCO, I worked in a library’s archives, and my job was to contribute to the digitisation of the material there. This was important because as well as help to conserve the sources, it made them more accessible to the general public and a wider range of researchers – hopefully making history more open and inclusive!

I’m a literary studies student thinking about sustainability. I would like to be attentive and conscious of the opportunities offered by digital methodologies, and Ilyas’ reflection has helped remind me of the progressive and exciting paths offered by digitisation and interdisciplinary cooperation. When it comes to the Brandt’s creek project, I think this will help me think about the opportunities afforded by data and quantitative methodologies.

Sofia Bahmutsky

Dr. Qian Chen from the School of Engineering provided a lecture on a topic which I have previously not given much thought to. The process of digitization and implementing sustainable technology for the construction industry is intriguing and important. While I was trying to understand the concepts Dr. Chen was presenting, I realized that at first glance, the topic did not seem relevant to our project surrounding Brandt’s Creek. The concepts were about new construction builds, and in my mind, I did not see the initial connection to sustainability in the context we are exploring in the IGS 585 class. We are likely not considering a construction project to revitalize Brandt’s Creek, and since a large portion of our focus area is already a cement canal, the construction topic seemed far from what I would consider possible in our project this semester. Once Dr. Chen started to explain more about the interconnectedness issues in the construction industry, data gathering and utilization to improve on construction excess and reduce wastes, the reasoning became clearer. In fact, in my own previous work in the agriculture sector, special barcodes and RFID tags are often used to trace and integrate work by using the power of data. Leveraging the traditional work by the availability and usefulness of data I something that I can agree and see as an important aspect of sustainable development. Myself having a data science graduate degree, this topic incredibly resonated with my experience and work as a data scientist in the agriculture technology sector. It was reinforcing to hear that data utilization is an upcoming necessity in other industries which I am was not previously familiar with.

One thing I had hoped to be discussed was the issue of retrofitting and updating of older buildings/constructions. To tear down old buildings in order to build new, more sustainable ones in their place seems a bit of a paradox to me. Especially when considering heritage buildings or very old architectural sites. Part of sustainability is also the cultural and personal connection which people have to a place, and this is true especially for older memorial type buildings which the community at large may have a deep connection to. I really hope to see retrofitting of existing buildings a more prominent occurrence in the future. Dr. Chen mentioned that retrofitting is a large issue in the construction industry in general, however she was not able to discuss how her research was possible to use in retrofitting application. Perhaps it is still too new for applying the robotics and data software to existing architectural structures.

Although I appreciate the robotics and computer driven aspects of Dr. Chens presentation and topic, a part of me feels a bit of apprehension. I think that to remove the human element from construction fully (perhaps far in the future, but still seems like a possibility) would be a shame, so many jobs would be diverted or re-evaluated, and the human element of handmade work would also be lost. I suppose I am a bit sentimental when it comes to memorial/heritage houses and the preservation of old structures which makes me think this way.

Anjali Desai

Construction industry constitutes to be a major component of the GDP economies around the world and is also a major source of air pollution and one of the leading sources generating a large waste stream. Shaiyan’s question to our guest speaker about the retrofitting of existing buildings was hence very relevant to the current context of development around the world. I find your concerns about the unsuitability of demolishing heritage, cultural and architectural very practical and to be an interesting take on the question surrounding redevelopment. Coming from India which has over 40 world heritage sites and a wide array of historical architecture, I find myself thinking of the difficulty anyone would encounter with if they were to consider modifying places with which the local communities are bound by religious and sentiments. Very frequently, in developing economies, there may not be enough capital available to re-construct existing infrastructure and all activities towards sustainability and resiliency are to be undertaken within the boundaries of the constrained set up. With appropriate financing, technical benchmarking and retro commissioning, significant improvements can be made in the heating and cooling system energy usage, air distribution systems and lighting. Hence, retrofitting must also command enough attention in tandem with the development of new sustainable infrastructure.

Leandra Vanbaelinghem

Dr. Quian Chen's presentation was my first encounter with digital construction. Within the first few slides into the presentation, I was confused on how digital innovation could be helpful in the context of sustainability and resilience. When Dr. Quian Chen asked the class what examples we could think of in terms of uses of digital engineering and Daisy answered the creation of digital flood maps, I got a first glimpse of clarification. The digitalization of environmental scenarios could help explore how to best respond to escalating scenarios and find optimal courses of action. The sustainability and resiliency relevance all clicked, but this was just the tip of the iceberg of how relevant and valuable this area of research is to sustainability and resiliency. Some aspects of construction engineering were particularly surprising to me, like learning that construction represents a significant proportion of GDP spending and therefore needs digital engineering for close responsible monitoring.

Furthermore, multiple aspects of the discipline that could have been considered weaknesses seem to be accounted for. For instance, I initially thought delays in construction from last-minute changes or mistakes would be something hard to account for. It would be very much human depend and, therefore, somewhat unpredictable. At best, extra days would be allocated for unexpected delays. However, digital construction uses equations to predict delays, which I had never heard of before. The digital construction field has many overlapping ideas with my current field of study, which was very interesting and idea-triggering. Dr. Quian Chen mentioned that digital engineering is like doing an x-ray of critial processes, and that you end up with complex workflows of 100 processes. This holistic approach is very similar to Life cycle assessment (LCA), where every life cycle process of a product system is identified to assess the environmental burden of that product system. Hence, both LCA and digital construction help work towards making informed decisions. Because both areas work to understand a complex holistic stream of processes, they share similar weaknesses, such as the working process being more iterative than linear and that biased decisions can be funnelled through the research, something I thought was unique to LCA. Even though I had never heard of digital construction before this presentation, it made me very happy to hear about another discipline with similar work principles. It would be interesting to see if branches of digital engineering could be used in one of the issues identified in my own research. Part of my work involves considering the construction phase of installing alternative heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, such as geothermal heat pumps. Part of the reason why the integration of residential and commercial use of such technology is slow is that the construction phase is quite costly, timely and invasive. Hence, if digital construction helps reduce unexpected costs and installation issues, it could help advance the application of alternative HVAC systems.

Kevin Auster

Hi Leandra. I resonate with your reflection because you bring up similar themes/ideas I made in my reflection. I was also confused or unaware of what digital innovations had to do with resilience, and I came to a similar realization as you after listening to Quian's presentation; the realization that digital innovations can be applied more broadly within the processes of other disciplines/practices to help be more resilient. I also find your perspective interesting because it differs from mine, but we came to similar conclusions. Your view provides an example that helps reinforce the idea that these digital innovations can be applied broadly among various disciplines. It shows how many use digital applications have in achieving resiliency.

Thomas Letcher-Nicholls

I am super grateful for Dr. Qian Chen’s generous contribution to our course; my background is literary studies and so much of the presentation was really new and exciting for me!

I found Dr. Chen’s understanding of our key term of “resilience” compelling – for her, resilience is about flexibility and responsiveness in planning for and facing challenges. I started thinking about my home in Australia that has recently faced unprecedented flooding and fire (to the point where the unprecedented is becoming the norm). And so I was really moved when Daisy talked about digital mapping and planning for flooding. Disaster planning is becoming urgent and vital, and so I find it fascinating thinking about how data and digital planning as discussed by Dr. Chen might help us respond. I think it is also really interesting to consider this kind of technical knowledge in relation to traditional forms of knowledge when it comes to fire management, for example in Indigenous traditions from around the world.

Since joining IGS at UBCO, I have been really lucky to learn more about fields like life cycles, agriculture, and management. Dr. Chen’s talk showed how planning and construction might be fundamental to sustainability. I was drawn to how she described how digital planning can limit waste and the risk to workers. For example, I am thinking about the recent World Cup in Qatar and how that led to the deaths of thousands of migrant workers. While planning is clearly not the (only) issue in this case, I wonder how digital planning might alleviate dangers for workers around the world.

I am also thinking of the idea of “green cities” like Singapore and how these cities pioneer sustainability in architecture and design in really interesting and beautiful ways. Digital planning seems to be one of the key concepts that could contribute to making our cities greener, sustainable and resilient.

On the other hand, I am cautious when it comes to the idea of “techno-solutions” and “venture-capital” as ways to combat climate change. In IGS, I think it has been really enriching to hear other students discuss the limitations of their fields; this particular field is very new to me, and so I am looking forward to reading these reflections and having more discussions about the potential possibilities and limitations of digital planning and construction. I was really happy to see Dr. Chen’s enthusiasm for the interdisciplinarity of our group and I am looking forward to seeing how we can learn from her presentation to contribute to a progressive and impactful project on Brandt’s creek!

Hoda Pourpirali:

I do agree with you. We are living in a world that is constantly changing, and each change brings with it new challenges to our way of life. In order to survive and thrive in such an environment, we need to be resilient and adaptive. Throughout history, our ability to respond to adversity has helped us survive illnesses, famine, wars, and many other disasters. If we want to continue to do so in the future, we must understand the challenges we face, prioritize our resources and plan ahead.

One of the biggest changes in recent times has been the digitalization of many different industries. This digital transformation is expected to lead to increased sustainability and improved quality of life for people around the world. However, we must also consider the potential limitations and drawbacks of this transition. For example, digitalization may lead to resistance from workers who are unfamiliar with new technologies, and it is important to consider how this might impact their lives and livelihoods in the future.

In addition to exploring the potential benefits and limitations of digitalization, we must also examine the resistance and preparedness of workers. How can we ensure that people are comfortable and confident in using new digital tools and technologies? How can we prepare people for the changes that will come with digitalization? These are important questions that we must consider as we move forward into a more digitally connected world.

In conclusion, it is clear that digitalization has the potential to bring about significant positive changes to our world. However, we must be mindful of the limitations and potential consequences of this transition. We must be prepared to overcome challenges and be resilient in the face of change. By working together and using our collective knowledge, we can ensure that digitalization leads to a more sustainable, prosperous and resilient future for everyone.

Gabrielle Heschuk

Dr. Qian Chen was another example of how important interdisciplinarity is for sustainability purposes. She introduced me to a completely different discipline of digital technology that integrated sustainability into its practices. She discussed how to use digital technology to improve different aspects of life including sustainability and to solve certain problems in infrastructure. Similar to what Leandra mentioned in her reflection, I was at first confused about what digital technology was in terms of sustainability and resilience but then the example of flood maps was used. I have studied flood maps before in my discipline in geography so it was useful to see where there are some overlaps. Creating digital flood maps is extremely useful for resilience planning and community development.

Dr. Chen also discussed other ways digital technology can be used to improve the sustainability and resilience of different aspects of infrastructure. The NEST project was discussed that where a lot of the elements that are fabricated are modeled and made by digital technology machines. She also explained that technologies can be used to track carbon emissions for a particular type of material.

The questions asked by my classmates sparked a deeper conversation between Dr Qian Chen and the students which was really appreciated. It was evident that links between their research and sustainability and her research were being compared. One question that Shiyan asked in particular about retrofitting was really interesting considering how important this process is now and how it is becoming increasingly more important with ideas of sustainability. The question he asked was, “What are the potentials of retro-fitting buildings that have already been built?” To which Dr. Chen responded with the use of laser scanners, as she explained that they get an accurate representation of what material is there and what equipment you might need, and the documentation of the building material in order to assess the potential for retrofitting. She also explained that it is more difficult to do than build sustainable and resilient infrastructure. This creates an opportunity for improving digital technology to become more efficient at retrofitting buildings as it is building new sustainable infrastructure.

Overall, Dr. Chen’s presentation introduced me to a whole new discipline that focuses on sustainability and improving resilience in communities. It was interesting to learn about her research and the potential of this technology and how it could potentially be integrated into aspects of geography. Specifically, creating digital maps and community/urban planning for resilient and sustainable communities.

Em Isaak

I really enjoyed reading your reflection Gabby! Dr. Chen's research was also completely new to me but I totally agree with you about the need for interdisciplinarity when it comes to sustainability. Your point about the use of creating digital maps makes so much sense. So much of our world now is about technology and so by creating these maps we can hopefully look towards a more sustainable future.

I also wanted to mention that I appreciate how much attention your paid to our classmates questions after Dr. Chen's presentation. I am not from a math and science background but Shaiyan's question was super important because we can't just discard infrastructure that already exists as that would defeat the purpose of sustainability.

Annie Furman

Dr. Qian Chen’s presentation on digital innovation was an illuminating glimpse into an engineers perspectives on sustainability and resilience. I admit I was initially dubious of connections between construction innovations and our Brandt’s Creek work, especially considering that many of the challenges Brandt’s Creek faces are tied to pre-existing construction projects in the North End and it appears unlikely at this stage that the construction of new infrastructure will feature prominently in our proposal.

However, I found that Dr. Chen’s approach to resilience through using digital innovations to create a rendering of the critical processes and decision making along project phases and using that rendering to then identify and respond to problems efficiently (i.e. through the Last Planner System Dr. Chen discussed) is a system that can have applications in multiple disciplines including and beyond construction. This style of holistic planning as a way to combat high levels of fragmentation within a project was particularly resonant with me. As Dr. Chen said in her presentation, high levels of fragmentation (in any project, construction or otherwise), leads to losses of information, which in turn lead to less well informed decisions and ultimately waste of time and material resources.

In most theatre productions, this approach is usually encapsulated in the job description of a particular collaborator: the stage manager. It is their responsibility to liaise between separate production departments and ensure that information is retained and communicated effectively in order to identify and respond quickly to problems that arise. Because my discipline’s approach to countering inefficiency and high levels of fragmentation is very human-focused, I haven’t spent much time considering the role of more digitally-focused approaches before, and I appreciated the different perspectives this offered.

Gabrielle Heschuk

I enjoyed Annie's contribution of linking Dr. Chen's idea of technology fragmentation to human fragmentation in a theatre production environment. Annie's reflection made me think about the importance of reflecting on different perspectives and perhaps challenging the way a discipline approaches something such as sustainability or resilience. This is important to consider and continue to think about as we listen and reflect on the next presentations. Looking at another discipline and potentially challenging how they approach sustainability allows us to learn more about a particular discipline.

This reflection also made me think about my discipline of geography and how fragmentation is potentially involved and I thought about habitat and landscape fragmentation in particular. Habitat fragmentation is often associated with habitat destruction, habitat degradation and habitat loss.

Hoda Pourpirali

Dr. Quian Chen's presentation reminded me that, in a sense, digital construction has been around for the past few decades. Early versions of different pieces of software have been maturing along with the introduction and implementation of many different numerical methods and approaches. These advancements have helped us to know better about the construction procedures and need in different phases and have helped us to level up the quality of construction and to minimize the cost and time of construction.

Back in my country, there is a huge resistance among general contractors who work on small to medium-sized constructions to fully implement digital construction. However, the benefits of using these methods are so obvious that even they are trying to adapt.

In addition to construction, digital technology has revolutionized other fields, such as river engineering. For instance, we have been able to enhance our understanding of floods and river restorations, which is now possible through digitalizing historical aerial photos and printed maps, satellite imagery and data, digital topographic maps, historical hydrometric and hydrological data analysis, as well as cost and benefit analysis, socio-ecological impacts analysis and time schedules. With all these in hand, it has become possible to better understand these complex systems and make more informed decisions.

One other aspect of digital construction is that it will eventually lower the need for workers and staff. In a sense, this could be considered beneficial to other workers’ health and well-being. However, because the construction industry provides jobs for many people in different sectors, this job loss could affect the livelihood of many workers and their families. I can think of similar stories in car manufacturing companies where automation has replaced human labor.

Daisy Pullman

Your reflection that there is resistance to digital construction among contractors is something I recognise. There has been similar resistance to innovations like automation in the UK and Europe, mainly stemming from I think an understandable concern about job losses. Although its a discussion that predates the industrial revolution, it remains an important consideration as we move forward: how can we embrace the sustainability and efficiency opportunities offered by new technologies without impacting worker's rights.

I found your example of river engineering as another field where digital technology has had profound impacts very useful in fleshing out Dr Chen's presentation on the potentials for digital innovation to address sustainability and resilience challenges.

Em Isaak

I thought Dr. Chen’s research to be very interesting. In the social sciences, we tend to be very critical of science and engineering and so we tend to distance ourselves from those fields. Because of this distancing, there is not always space for interdisciplinarity and so knowledge does not get shared. So, for this reason, I am very grateful that Dr. Chen came into speak to us. I thought Dr. Chen’s project to be vital to creating more sustainable infrastructure in the future.

As much as I appreciate Dr. Chen’s presentation, I had a difficult time following it due to the engineering jargon that was being used. I also very much wanted to connect their project to our class on a deeper level, but I had a hard time making those connections. Circling back to my thought above regarding interdisciplinarity, I think it is imperative that this knowledge sharing goes multiple ways. One of the aspects of the presentation that intrigued me was the idea that digital innovations and construction would create resilience in respect to the political, social, environmental, and economic contexts. I had a difficult time connecting digital innovations and construction to the political and social contexts. I feel that this project lacked a human and community centered approach. That being said, it is great that there are projects that exist to make infrastructure more sustainable.

Overall, I appreciate the opportunity to be exposed to new learnings and a new field of research, I had to not previously experienced before. I think that there is a connection to be made between “hard” science and “soft” science because all of the components of different fields need to be addressed if we are to move towards sustainability.

Ilyas Kanybek

I very much agree with Em that social and applied sciences are often distant from one another. I also believe that such interactions foster not just knowledge exchange but also admiration for each other's work. I suppose I would also have to agree that the content itself was frequently difficult to follow in the details, which was especially difficult for our class. Certainly there is a necessity for cooperation and mutual understanding, but I also greatly understand Em when they say that it's not always easy to follow their connections. I even believe that one cannot always relate to another.

Shaiyan Siddique

As an industrial ecology enthusiast trained in material flow analysis, I found professor Qian Chen’s presentation particularly interesting as it shared many common concepts with topics of my research and interest. For example, one of the central ideas shared by professor Chen involved the integration of Building Information Management (BIM), Radio-frequency identification (RFID) and Look Ahead Plan (LAP) workflows to reduce the wastage of both time and materials in the construction sector. Identifying and minimizing wastes or “leakage” of materials through technological and process improvements is also one of the core targets of material flow analysis studies. Getting to know how similar underlying principles connect seemingly distinct fields was surely an enjoyable learning experience and expanded my horizon of interest. Whenever discussing any construction related ideas in the future, I expect these perspectives to pop into my mind.

I could also readily relate to professor Chen’s interdisciplinary discussions of achieving Digital Resilience by bridging technology, economics and social science, as the concept has been widely implemented in my home country of Bangladesh. Having one of the highest population densities in the world, Bangladesh is particularly vulnerable to natural calamities such as floods, cyclones and earthquakes due to its geographic location and the influence of climate change. Despite being a low income country, mobile phone ownership and network coverage are ubiquitous across Bangladesh due to various facilitative policy measures. As a result, the government has been able to roll out a very agile and effective early warning and information dissemination system based on mobile phones to alert the mass population regarding any emergencies. This has played a vital role in recent years to reduce damage and deaths from emergencies and disasters across Bangladesh, particularly in the southern coastal region of the country. Apart from adaptive implementations such as early warning systems, the concept of Digital resilience is also being introduced in Bangladesh for mitigative implementations such as flood mapping, cyclone trajectory and extreme weather prediction using the country’s newly launched satellite.

From professor Chen’s presentation, I also enjoyed getting to know about the importance of infrastructure resilience modelling to transform harsh environments such as the deserts of Abu Dhabi into safe and thriving state of the art human habitats. It reminded me of many of my childhood afternoons watching shows about the construction of a ski resort in the middle of the desert in Dubai (while I wait to visit Ski Dubai, I look forward to doing the real thing before my first winter in Canada ends!). The demonstration video of the dfab robot in professor Chen’s presentation was also interesting and enjoyable as I found it essentially akin to a 3D printer for building houses. It brought back funny memories of hangouts with my friends, creating silly and often questionable geometries using 3D printing pens.

Overall, I enjoyed professor Chen’s presentation and I believe at least some parts of it (particularly the concept of Digital Resilience) will prove to be useful for our project on Brandt’s creek.

Leandra Vanbaelinghem

Shaiyan's previous research experience has utilized similar concepts to digital construction. Similar to my own connection with the presentation, observing how underlying principles are related and similar to that of another field, even if the execution or methodological approach is different, is always enlightening and thought-provoking. Shaiyan's expectation that the presentation's ideas will pop into mind the next time construction-related ideas are discussed will be very similar for me, as it was a very new and fruitful presentation. It was interesting to see how Bangladesh uses digital resilience to warn the population of emergencies and conceptualize emergency prediction. This made me reflect on my home country and wonder how digital resilience is executed there. It was also fascinating to see Shaiyan connect his learning experience from the presentation with things he has observed or experienced in the past. Such as connecting infrastructure resilience to watching the construction of a ski resort in Dubai and connecting dfab robots with 3D printing pen experience. This was very different from my own learning experience, where connections between the presentation's ideas and my own were only related to my work setting rather than beyond, with ideas and experiences from home and childhood.

Daisy Pullman

I found Dr Chen to be a very engaging speaker, especially considering the talk covered topics that were new and unfamiliar to me. While I was somewhat aware of the importance of sustainable material use in construction, the concept of “lean construction” (using digital technologies to streamline construction processes and eliminate waste) was novel and very interesting. Dr Chen’s example of digital systems efficiently distributing concrete to different construction sites to ensure minimal waste by hardening was a particularly useful illustrative example.

Dr Chen asserted the importance of developing cutting-edge measurement technologies in order to improve supply-chain efficiency and eliminate bottlenecks and consequent waste in the construction process. This perspective invites us to take a step back when considering sustainability, and not just in the specific field of construction and digital innovation. To be able to address any problem, we need to know its scope and as much detail as possible. Developing ways to measure sustainability-related problems is the first step to developing effective solutions, and we can apply this perspective to our Brandt’s Creek project. By refining the analysis methods we use to identify and unpack the problems the creek faces, we stand a better chance of successfully developing a proposal that fully addresses those problems.

While Dr Chen was a great presenter, I did, however, struggle to see the relevance for our class of some of the latter parts of the presentation that delved deep into specific digital construction technologies. It was probably better suited and would be more engaging for an audience with expertise in the field. As a student from a humanities background I was somewhat lost, and could not see how this level of technical information could support our Brandt’s Creek project. In my opinion and experience, a key facet of interdisciplinary collaboration has to be accessible knowledge sharing that considers the disciplinary backgrounds of the whole team (for example avoiding jargon, not assuming prior knowledge of the field, giving non-specialist explanations of concepts) and there were points where I felt this presentation fell somewhat short of this.

Shaiyan Siddique

Hello Daisy! It is understandable that coming from a humanities background you found some of the contents of Dr. Chen’s presentation foreign. However, I am very happy to see that you have been able to relate with the central underlying concept of the discussion, which is waste minimization. It is also refreshing to see how you have interpreted the very technical workflow plan strategy presented in Dr. Chen’s discussion and suggested its use for our interdisciplinary Brandt’s creek project through detailed scope mapping. Small bits and pieces of information such as this that we will collect throughout the remainder of the term would definitely contribute to the final outcome of our project.

Kevin Auster

Dr. Qian Chen presented her insights and understanding of the significance of digital innovations for resilience. Qian talked about digital innovations in the context of construction operations; however, construction operations are only one of many ways digital innovations are used to help strengthen resilience. Digital innovations have created various applications that help create economic, social, and environmental benefits. These benefits are realized because these applications aid in cost savings, efficiency, quality, time savings, waste reduction, the identification of biases, and the ability to be more environmentally conscious.

Qian's presentation helped me see resilience from a technological perspective and better understand the scope of variables relevant to resilience. Before this presentation, I was most used to understanding resilience from an urban planning standpoint and only partially appreciated how technological advancements are used to facilitate resilience. Qian has helped me consolidate my understanding of resilience and appreciate how digital innovations help create versatile tools that may be applied to pursuing resilience in interdisciplinary studies.

Knowing how digital innovations impact resilience will be helpful for me because I can now understand and apply resilience holistically. For example, in urban planning, green infrastructure is a resilience strategy that embraces essential natural features such as streams with development by creating multi-purpose infrastructure that serves as a park and water retention/drainage. I am now more conscious of how green infrastructure is an element of resilience that digital innovations can facilitate. Digital innovations can help create even greater resilience outcomes for green infrastructure by utilizing digitalized data in applications such as maps, simulations, and measurements that produce knowledge/insight helpful in implementing solutions more effectively.

Sofia Bahmutsky

Kevin's initial perspective on Dr. Qian Chen's presentation was very similar to my own. I particularly appreciate Kevin's insight about the benefits and realizations digital innovations bring to the construction sector: savings, efficiency, quality, time savings, waste reduction, the identification of biases, and the ability to be more environmentally conscious. The connection of the construction industry as a whole to green infrastructure and urban planning is a very logical one. It seems a natural sequence of thought to apply innovation in the construction sector to other types of infrastructure building. I am curious more about Kevin's statement about green infrastructure and the utilization of natural features in a development, and how he sees digital innovation being integrated with other types of technology in the urban planning sector. I have always been very drawn to natural places, even a small element of nature in a urban location makes a big difference for me and my mental health. If the promotion of natural elements and digital innovation can improve the sustainability of the built environment, I am all for it!