OSU's Design-Build Team wins first place at the Regional Competition for the second year in a row
Wednesday, October 30, 2019
Students in the College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology’s Design-Build team won the regional first place, for the second year in a row, competing against schools in the states of Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Louisiana and Arkansas. As regional first place winners, the team, “The Pruitt Group”, is now among the top ten teams in the United States. National judges will select the top three to present at the annual Design-Build Institute of America conference in November. The Pruitt Group coordinated, assembled and designed a mock statement of qualification for a performing arts center they created. Each member of the team had a specific role in the process to ensure its completion.
Coached by Mark Pruitt, construction engineering technology professor, Josh Coppick, senior architect and an architecture senior; Stevie Glew, design team lead and a construction engineering technology and structural engineering senior; Thomas Nees, integrated project manager and a CET senior; Christian Stemm, lead estimator and a CET senior; and Marcus Watts, senior superintendent and a CET senior will all be traveling to Las Vegas, Nev. to compete for first place at the national competition.
“The largest component of the project is telling a story,” Nees said. “Incorporating a narrative into your documents and how you develop a relationship with the owner is what sets you apart from other teams.”
The Design-Build competition focuses on both the design, cost and technological aspects of a real-world situation. It shows that there is more than low bidding and that value has more worth when it comes to project and performance development, according to Pruitt. Each student’s role is vital in the competition, and working coercively has given each of them the opportunity to apply what they have learned in the classroom and gain applicable skills.
“Being on the [Design-Build team] has given me more experience than I could ever get in the classroom,” Glew said. “This is the closest real-world project I have been a part of, leading me to meet industry leaders, get internships and job offers.”
STORY BY: Mark Scalmanini | CEAT Marketing Intern
CONTACT: Kristi Wheeler | CEAT Marketing | 405-744-5831 | kristi.wheeler@okstate.edu