Week 10: Construction Site

Week 10

(There is no week 9 post because I unfortunately missed class.)

This was perhaps my favorite day of the architecture tours. Unfortunately, I was unable to take any photos, because I wasn't really sure if it was allowed or not. We visited the Center for Wounded Veterans, which is being built near Busey-Evans. I've never been inside a construction site before, but I definitely have a huge fascination for how things come to be.  I do recall observing the construction of a house across the street, as a child. My brother and I would go over when the construction workers were gone and walk through the sawdust-filled zones, wandering among the 2x4-shaped stud spaces. This house even had an elevator shaft to explore! In this particular site visit, there were dozens of workers, each doing their own specific job to contribute the entire project.

Also, seeing as I am planning to be a prosthetist/orthotist in my future career, I care greatly for people with disabilities. My research lab in the mechanical engineering department at Illinois is investigating an ankle-foot orthosis which can help people to regain the ability to walk. Moreso, I will be working at Georgia Tech this summer to develop a hydraulic lifting system for patients in hospitals.  This will get them safely from a hospital bed into a wheelchair. So, I thought it was cool to see the rods affixed to the ceiling which will allow for the dormitories to have lifting systems installed. There is a track which runs from the bed to the bathroom of each individual dorm room. The tour guide probably wondered why I had so many questions, but it's just my inquisitive nature.

Finally, this place was set up to deal with the PTSD that some veterans will deal with. It is an open, handicap-accessible building, and it is quite lovely. I can't wait to see it complete!