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 " Life is too short. SMILE while you still have teeth. " comment To stop the music, just click on the lil coffee cup at the bottom right-hand corner~ To comment, just click on '_ comments' beside the date and time on top of each post 감사합니다, kamsahamnida ♥~ Credits
| Tonight,I dream. Tomorrow, I do.
‘Tonight, I dream. Tomorrow, I do.’That was the theme for this blog, or you can say the ‘slogan’ as this will be the first sentence that you will see when you open this blog. About one and a half years ago, I wrote a post called Determination. I was sharing my insecurities as well as my regrets as my grades was not doing so well. I was feeling emotional as that day may be the last day where I am still considered a SIT student, an undergraduate. The term ’undergraduate’ still feels a little surreal till now. To me, getting into SIT was not something that I was really really proud of because SIT was not as ‘famous’ and well known as compared to NUS and NTU. Therefore, when I introduce my school to people for the first time, I would start the sentence with ‘It’s a school that no one knows about....’ I did not find anything wrong with this introduction for a very long time. Because it is true, in a sense that, unless you are an undergraduate or someone who is involves in the education industry, you might not have heard of SIT. It was only until recently where I realise that, getting into university is not that easy after all. I consider myself to be really lucky sometimes. This is my third year in SIT and this journey still feels like a dream. One day I submitted my application to SIT and somehow I got called for interview, somehow I managed to pass the interview and landed myself in a slot in SIT. The start was not good at all, I was getting borderline passes for all my modules, my CGPA was in the danger zone, I was at the verge of getting terminated by the school. But somehow I made it through and here I am, going through my one year of internship. With just one more semester after this internship, I would be able to graduate. Through these three years, I collected all of available academic status which includes warning, probation and termination. I was actually terminated during Year 2.3 but due to an improvement in my grades, my director decides to give me a second chance. This second chance is the last chance. I have to make it and I did. My friends and I would often joke around talking about how amazing we are to be able to survive through all this. Looking back, it was really has been a rollercoaster ride. And unfortunately (HAHA), this ride has not ended yet. Internship just started on Sept and to be honest, it was not an easy start. The weekdays are starting early and ending late. I can not afford to be wilful and just skip work just because i don’t want to go. Many changes that I have to adapted to and it has been hard. But this is life, isn’t it? People have to adapt to the environment and not the other way round. ;) Seems like it is going to be a ‘wonderful’ journey once more. With that, it’s time to end work! (6PM already!) Seeya!!! Tonight, I dream. Tomorrow, I do. I dreamt about it and I managed to achieve it. How about you?
What we have to learn to do, we learn by doing.- Aristotle
Determination :)
Today has been kind of an emotional day, that's why i decided to post in this blog. Just some random thoughts, this blog provides me a space for me to share, so yeah.
Examinations are finally over. The first paper was Mechanics, it is considered tough to me if you compare it with past year papers. The second paper was Mathematics. This paper made me realise how kind Prof Aaron was. Mathematics was just like a total pile of sh*t. I feel sorry for Prof Wee Han to mark my paper. The third paper was C Programming. This was one of the better papers that i did okay in. The last one was Measurement and Sensor. It was a really bad way to end my exams and start my holidays. I could not understand what the exam was about.
Various thoughts have been going through my head throughout the two weeks. To be honest, my grades aren't that great. For most of my tests, i only managed to obtain borderline passes. Therefore, i was just thinking if i should just give up after this semester. I do not come from a wealthy family, it has been a little tough for my parents to pay for my school fees. I was thinking, instead of wasting their money and my grades are like that, should i just give up and quit? I have been having this thought in my mind while studying for the various exams. This thought or idea of mine just got stronger and stronger after each paper. I felt demoralised during the last paper. Yes, demoralised. You will start to have this thought, "Are the professors trying to kill us and make us fail?". Well, i do know that this is not true, but i just lost all my confidence paper after paper. This is the first examination that i am able to stare at a question in a certain paper and my mind just went blank within seconds. I have no idea what the question is talking about. This was how crazy and serious it got.
So, why am i still here? I should start filing documents to withdraw from school. Well, i think i should, but i did not. I remembered, it was the last paper, Measurement and Sensor. My friends and i were walking to the bus stop after the paper. One of my friends was looking really sad and depressed. So i went up to her and asked if she's feeling alright. She was sharing with me that she has this thought of quitting school. When i first heard, i was like "oh, me too." And i started explaining to her,convincing her that she should not quit now. I was shocked by myself when i was on the way home thinking about the conversation we had. I have come this far. Maybe three months in the entire university life is considered little, but i have managed to pull through three months. After many sleepless nights, after spending many nights crying because i did not know how to do tutorials, after feeling so frustrated because i just cannot understand what Professors are talking about and after hating myself, thinking that why am i so stupid, i do not want to give up now. "If University was that easy, you will not have cases of people dropping out halfway through. Or people who cannot make it to University." My mum told me this when i complained to her about how tough the exams were. At first i was really angry when i heard her saying this. I was thinking, she should have comfort me instead. But thinking back, i feel that what she said was true. If it was that easy, it would not be called University, the final lap for students. I start to see things in a different light. University is not that easy to get in, but i am already in, for three months. I find it an accomplishment now that i managed to pass all my tests or assignment, even if there are all borderline passes. I will not give up now. This is a training for me, it trains my determination. If others can do it, i believe i can too. It just depends on how much effort and hard work i wish to put in for my studies. I hope it is not too late for me to understand this now. I am hoping that all my friends can persevere on. Hwaiting guys! "You don’t just rise to the top. There are times of preparation and many mountains to conquer for the ultimate triumph to the top.” ― Lailah Gifty Akita, Pearls of Wisdom: Great mind Letter of Transmittal
Faculty of Engineering
Singapore Institute of Technology
10 Dover Drive
Singapore 138683
20 October 2015
Brad Blackstone
Senior Lecturer
Singapore Institute of Technology
10 Dover Drive
Singapore 138683
Dear Blackstone,
RE: Request for Proposals
This letter is to inform you of our acknowledgement and response to your letter of authorization. We are enclosing our proposal for the recommendation to import a new sensor device for medical use. This report is written with the thought of providing assistance to people, especially the elderly, who are suffering from heart diseases.
This report consists of a brief summary on heart diseases, elderly diagnosed with this disease as well as current sensor devices in the market. It also includes all related primary and secondary research. An analysis of the pros and cons of the current and proposed sensor devices are attached to the report.
Your consideration of our proposal is greatly appreciated. We hope that you would kindly accept our recommendation in providing better assistance to aid elderly, who are suffering from heart diseases, in their daily lives.
Yours Sincerely,
Serene Tan (Team Representative)
Personal Statement
My
dad suffers from heart disease. Given the fact that he refused to go for
appointments and annual health checks, I feel unsafe as I am unable to keep
track of my dad’s condition. I feel the same for the elderly who are living
alone. As an engineering student, I wish to do more research and source for
better options that would help improve such situation. This project team would
analyse and propose a more suitable medical sensor device for the elderly
living alone.
Reader Response Draft 4
In the article “Advancing Sustainable
Infrastructure with Envision”, Nelson (2015) shares about the Envision rating
system. It is the new reference model adopted worldwide for the best practices
for all types of infrastructure, ascertaining their sustainable achievement.
She explains that the rating system consists of 60 credits, and awards will be
presented in 4 ranks based on the credits achieved. The author reveals that
currently there are six projects that have received the award after completing
third-party verification. She also emphasises the usefulness of Envision as it
can be used in any point in the project life cycle by providing guidance in the
decision-making process. I have to agree with the author on the usefulness of
Envision because it is the only system that is designed for a vast array of non-building
infrastructure projects. Envision expands the concept of sustainability from
buildings to non-building infrastructure.
Envision was introduced in 2012,
created by the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure (ISI). The idea behind
Envision is related to LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design),
a green building certification program that certifies a building with
outstanding sustainable achievements. As quoted by Nelson, Deborah Weintraub,
an interim city engineer, “Envision expands our over a decade long use of green
rating systems for buildings to civil engineering projects.” Non-habitable
structures, such as bridges, treatment plants and other types of civil
infrastructure are not what LEED was designed for. (Xlcatlin.com, 2014) Therefore,
with the need to be designed with sustainability in mind, Envision was
launched.
Envision is a highly flexible system.
It covers a wide range of infrastructure project types. (Rowe, 2015) Clark
(2014) interviewed the president and CEO of the ISI, Bertera. Bertera mentions
that Envision should be thought of as another LEED system. Envision is an assessment
tool designed and structured just for non-building infrastructure projects,
basically covering what LEED is unable to rate for. Mikel Wilkins, a
Dallas-based civil engineer who was mentioned in Clark’s article, used Envision
on a pipeline project in 2009. Considering that Envision integrates the social,
environmental and economic aspects (Vock, 2015), Wilkins commented that through
the rating system a better plan was produced. By doing so, the cost throughout
the project lifecycle was measured using the system as well. He ended by
praising Envision as a system that works regardless of the scale of the
projects. This verifies Envision as a well-rounded system that is similar to
LEED, providing the non-building infrastructure community with a complete
palette to make themselves sustainable.
In Clark’s article, Wilkins also talked
about how the credits in the system helped to mark out more targets after he
and his partner opted for Envision. With that, they managed to have more ideas
to implement green infrastructure. As Nelson emphasises in the article,
Envision guides the decision makers. It allows them to see best practices in
civil engineering from another perspective. As a result, it will force them to
think out of the box therefore discovering new opportunities to make a project
more sustainable. In this way, sustainability can also be achieved in different
non-building infrastructure projects by making use of Envision.
However, it cannot be assumed that this
is the perfect system for non-building infrastructure projects yet. Envision is
the newest and only system for rating non-building infrastructure. As a result
this would be the best system so far. The short term effects are satisfying. Then
again, there has not been a chance to evaluate the long term effects. There may
be underlying long term harm that is not shown at the moment. Nelson mentioned
in her article that there had only been six projects evaluated to date. Based
on these six projects, it is very hard to come to a conclusion for Envision. As
the sample size is still small, I do not consider it to be reliable. More data
will be needed in order to prove its reliability. Even so, there is no doubt
that this is a promising system. Even though the sample size is small, it is
still a good start. The six projects managed to complete third-party verifications
and received awards. I think that it has the potential to develop more in the
future.
In conclusion, Envision is undeniably a helpful
tool as it targets sustainable non-building infrastructure. By integrating the
social, environmental and economic aspects into the rating system, it oversees these
areas where other rating systems do not. The concept of Envision is akin to
LEED. However, both rating systems are on different tracks even though they are
leading towards the same goal. I believe with Envision, LEED and the other
rating systems, more improvements can be made to the buildings and infrastructures. It would help to sculpt a more sustainable future.
References
Clark, A. (2014, June 26). LEED for roads: Greener infrastructure gains momentum. GreenBiz. Retrieved September 21, 2015, from http://www.greenbiz.com/blog/2014/06/26/envision-greener-infrastructure-momentum
Nelson, D. (2015, June). Advancing sustainable infrastructure with Envision | civil + structural ENGINEER. Retrieved September 19, 2015, from http://cenews.com/article/10098/advancing-sustainable-infrastructure-with-envision
Rowe, J. (2015, July 23). How to Envision Green Infrastructure’s Triple Bottom Line. Retrieved September 21, 2015, from http://sustainability.autodesk.com/blog/triple-bottom-line-for-green-infrastructure/
Vock, D. (2015, September 16). ‘Envision’ System Helps Cities Build Sustainability. government technology. Retrieved 21 October 2015, from http://www.govtech.com/fs/Envision-System-Helps-Cities-Build-Sustainably.html
The Role of Peer and Tutor Feedback
Effective Communication. I took this module when i was in my Polytechnic. Thus, when i came to University, i saw this on the list of modules taken. My mind was thinking 'It is going to be easy!'. I entered university full of confidence, and now i kind of lost this confidence slowly through this module. Well, it may not be as serious as it sounds, but i feel that i truly understand what is Effective Communication now.
After going through this module, I will unknowingly check for grammar or vocabulary errors. It has become a habit now. Whenever i am writing sentence, i will read back to ensure that my tenses are correct. And to know that Brad hates 'therefore' after comma, and the word 'hence', i am always trying my best to cut those down. I will read it again to ensure there is no errors and it sounds correct. I think this is the influence that this class and this module has brought to me. It is cultivating this habit inside of me, It has become one of my reflexes, to check back on the things that i have written to ensure that there is no grammar or vocabulary errors in my sentences. I feel amazing seeing myself double-checking my own work.
Not to forget, the citing of references for essays. Citation has become important in university. Without citation, it will be deemed as plagiarism. Now i take citation to a more serious level. In the past i would just throw them into automatic citation websites. Without reading it to ensure that it is correct, i will just copy and paste them the citation inside my report. But now, after knowing that Brad looks through them one by one, i will check to ensure that each full-stop or comma is correctly placed. Well, i am still using the automatic citation websites, but i will double check with citation websites. And i feel this sense of accomplishment when i finish my citation. It was just an extraordinary feeling.
I really enjoyed this module. Looking forward to each class every week, this only happens in Effective Communication. I wish to thank Brad for all the skills that he has taught us. You know what Brad, you are really an amazing teacher. It really warmed my heart that you managed to memorise our names in just a short period of time. I feel respected and we are really a class instead of just any tutorial group. For that, thank you~ Thank you for making my first semester in University such an enjoyable one. I look forward to having you as my teacher again.
Good teachers know how to bring out the best in students. - Charles Kuralt
Reflection on Presentation
After a few weeks of researching, finally, we had our group presentation. Supposedly it was scheduled on 12th November, which lies on a Thursday. Because of some reasons, it was postponed to 16th November. My group was really happy as we thought that we have more time to prepare for our presentation. Yet, 16th November was the day for the testing of our Mechanics Prototype. It turned out that we have no time during the weekends to meet up and do our slides. Bringing three classmates together at the first semester to do project is a bad choice. It was not easy at all. Everyone was unfamiliar with one another, we did not understand one another's working style.
In the midst of preparing for the report as well as the presentation, we have tutorials and other assignments to complete. It was tough to ensure that everyone is keeping up to the pace. When one of the group member has free time to meet up, the other may be occupied because of other assignment. My group decided to do the usual way and split the parts up. As everyone has different assignments to complete and everyone has their own pace of doing, Fadhli completed his part first. He moved on to the complete the other assignments. I was kind of doing half of this and half of that. Sha was completing the other assignments before moving to this. Therefore when we decided to compile, her part was half done. Between 12th and 16th, my group wanted to meet up however, we are all occupied with group meet ups for Mechanics. During the weekends, i was working. I was unable to take leave without one month notice.
To be honest, the report and presentation slides were done in a rush but i believe all of us did it with effort. Even at the last minute, we were still reading through the content again and again to ensure that it is alright. I felt that if we communicate a little more at the start of the project , it would have made things go much smoother. I should have put in a little more effort to talk and discuss with my members. By so, we may be able to proceed with our planned schedule accordingly. Maybe it was because this is just the first semester, everything is going at a super fast speed. No one had the time to stop, rest and digest what they have done. I believe we will not make the same mistakes in the following group project. I would have to thank Fadhli and Sha for putting in so much effort in this project as well as tolerating my flaws through this period. Thanks guys, without you guys, i won't be able to complete this module feeling contented. :)
Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success. - Henry Ford
Someone who have influenced my life
Since this is not graded, Brad, don't pick on my grammar, vocab and all those mistakes! ;) I hope you enjoy reading my post~
I have no idea if anyone realised, I am not exactly fluent in English. Since young, I am more fluent in Chinese. Yet, because of oral and comprehension exams in primary and secondary education, i need to learn to speak in proper English. Therefore it resulted in this half English and half Chinese sentence structure of mine whenever i speak now. According to my friends, my love for Chinese was incomprehensible. Yes, they said incomprehensible. I score extremely well for Chinese and there are definitely Chinese e-books in my phone. I can survive without games in my phone, but not Chinese e-books. That's how crazy i am in love with Chinese.
In secondary 3, i met my new Chinese teacher, Miss Tang. She was from China, married with no kids. I started the first semester with her. She is similar to other Chinese teachers, requesting us to write essays and practice on comprehension. However, she was the only person who not only complimented my style of writing, she further encouraged me to send my essay to be published on the newspaper. Thanks to her, i managed to publish my essay on newspaper. From then on, my love for writing deepened. Maybe because i was praised, or maybe it was because i loved the sense of accomplishment when my article was successfully published on newspaper, I kept on writing essays. I came out with a topic of my own and started writing narrative essays. I got closer with Miss Tang. I felt this bond with her, that i never had with all my other teachers. I remember going to IKEA with my friend and Miss Tang to choose some furniture for her new house. We also helped out during her house-moving day. We helped to paint and decorate. There was just so much memories during that period of time.
That year, Miss Tang, my friends, some Chinese teachers and i had this gathering at her house. After a meal, i was being called by one of the teachers. She pulled me near to the window and she pointed outside, asking me if i sensed something was wrong. I looked outside, and i replied 'No?'. Then I wanted to turn back and enjoy the desserts served after the meal, but the teacher wouldn't allow. Things got even more epic. The teacher later pulled me out of the house, and kept asking if i sensed anything was wrong. She said she saw smoke coming out from that unit. I looked at the direction her finger was pointing, i was searching hard for that 'unit' she was talking about. I could not find anything and i wanted to go back. So after struggling to get back into the house with my teacher trying to stop me, i got back to the house to see that the lights was dimmed. And i saw my friend carrying a cake and the teachers was singing the birthday song. I was surprised and shocked. This is the first time i had teachers together with my friend celebrating my birthday.
I don't think i can even forget this part of my secondary school life. It was so colourful, so heartwarming, so memorable. I published my essay on the newspaper for the first time. I visited a teacher's house for the first time. I went there as if it was my friend's house. I had teachers celebrating my birthday for the first time. And it all happened in Miss Tang's house. Even though Chinese is no longer a mandatory subject for me to study, i am still trying my best to know this language better. I may be speaking in 'half English half Chinese' style, but i am trying to maintain my standard in essay writing. I know Miss Tang is hoping that we will continue and help to spread this love for Chinese. I will do so and i will remember this Chinese teacher that i once had this strong bond with. Thank you, Miss Tang.
您曾经跟我说过，现在很少年轻人喜欢华文了。您觉得很可惜。我是那些年轻人当中很特别的一个。我相信现在的我或许对这个语言感到有些陌生，但是我永远不会忘记我对它的那一份爱。曾经执着于华文，曾经地一头栽进华文写作，曾经疯狂地阅读华文小说，曾经毫无杂念地写出一篇又一篇的文章。我想谢谢你，因你，我的中学生活留下了那么多自豪的事情。我的青春，很精彩。
A good teacher can inspire hope, ignite the imagination, and instill a love of learning. - Brad Henry
Reader Response Draft 3 (Final)
In the article “Advancing Sustainable Infrastructure with Envision”, Nelson (2015) shares about the Envision rating system. It is the new reference model adopted worldwide for the best practices for all types of infrastructure, ascertaining their sustainable achievement. She explains that the rating system consists of 60 credits, and awards will be presented in 4 ranks based on the credits achieved. The author reveals that currently there are six projects that have received the award after completing third-party verification. She also emphasises the usefulness of Envision as it can be used in any point in the project life cycle such as providing guidance in the decision-making process. I have to agree with the author on the usefulness of Envision because it is the only system that is designed for a vast array of non-building infrastructure projects. Envision expands the concept of sustainability from buildings to non-building infrastructure.
Envision was introduced in 2012, created by the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure (ISI). The idea behind Envision is related to LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design), a green building certification program that certifies a building with outstanding sustainable achievements. As quoted by Nelson from an interim city engineer, Deborah Weintraub, “Envision expands our over a decade long use of green rating systems for buildings to civil engineering projects.” Non-habitable structures, such as bridges, treatment plants and other types of civil infrastructure are not what LEED was designed for. Therefore, with the need to be designed with sustainability in mind, Envision was launched.
Clark (2014) interviewed the president and CEO of the ISI, Bertera. Bertera mentions that Envision should be thought of as another LEED system. Envision is an assessment tool designed and structured just for non-building infrastructure projects, basically covering what LEED is unable to rate for. Mikel Wilkins, a Dallas-based civil engineer who was mentioned in Clark’s article, used Envision on a pipeline project in 2009. Considering that Envision integrates the social, environmental and economic aspects, Wilkins commented that through the rating system a better plan was produced. By so, the cost throughout the project lifecycle was measured using the system as well. He ended by praising Envision as a system that works regardless of the scale of the projects. This verifies Envision as a well-rounded system that is similar to LEED, providing the non-building infrastructure community with a complete palette to make themselves sustainable.
Envision is a highly flexible system. It covers a wide range of infrastructure project types. The project types include energy, water, waste, transport, landscape, and information. In Clark’s article, Wilkins also talked about how the credits in the system helped them marked out more targets after he and his partner opted for Envision. From there, they managed to come out with more plans to implement green infrastructure. Likewise to what Nelson emphasises in the article, Envision guides the decision makers. It allows them to see best practices in civil engineering from another perspective. As a result, it will force them to think out of the box therefore discovering new opportunities to make a project more sustainable. Thus, sustainability can also be achieved in different non-building infrastructure projects by making use of Envision.
However, we cannot assume that this is the perfect system for non-building infrastructure projects yet. Envision is the newest and only system for rating non-building infrastructure. As a result this would be the best system so far. The short term effects are satisfying. Then again, there has not been a chance to evaluate the long term effects. There may be underlying long term harm that is not shown at the moment. Nelson mentioned in her article that there had only been 6 projects evaluated to date. Based on these six projects, it is very hard to come to a conclusion for Envision. As the sample size is still small, I do not consider it to be reliable. More data will be needed in order to prove its reliability. Even so, there is no doubt that this is a promising system. Even though the sample size is small, it is still a good start. The six projects managed to complete third-party verifications and received awards. I think that it has potential to go a lot further in the future.
In conclusion, Envision is undeniably a helpful tool as it targets sustainable non-building infrastructure. By including the triple bottom line into the rating system, it helps to oversee the three aspects where other rating systems do not. The concept of Envision is akin to LEED. However, both rating systems are on different tracks even though they are leading towards the same goal. I believe with Envision, LEED and the other rating systems, more improvements can be made to the buildings and infrastructures. And by so, we can work towards a more sustainable future.
References
Beach, S. (2014, February 26). ISI Envision: Sustainable Infrastructure Rating System. PermaTrack North America. [weblog]. Retrieved September 24, 2015, from http://www.permatrak.com/news-events/bid/100073/ISI-Envision-Sustainable-Infrastructure-Rating-System
Clark, A. (2014, June 26). LEED for roads: Greener infrastructure gains momentum. GreenBiz. Retrieved September 21, 2015, from http://www.greenbiz.com/blog/2014/06/26/envision-greener-infrastructure-momentum
Landoll, C. (2013, December 9). Green certifications for your non-building projects. Currents: Enviornment, Landscapes, Interpretation. [weblog]. Retrieved September 23, 2015, from http://www.watershedco.com/blog/green-certifications-for-your-non-building-projects/
Nelson, D. (2015, June). Advancing sustainable infrastructure with Envision | civil + structural ENGINEER. Retrieved September 19, 2015, from http://cenews.com/article/10098/advancing-sustainable-infrastructure-with-envision
Rowe, J. (2015, July 23). How to Envision Green Infrastructure’s Triple Bottom Line. Retrieved September 21, 2015, from http://sustainability.autodesk.com/blog/triple-bottom-line-for-green-infrastructure/
Sustainableinfrastructure.org, (n.d.). Institute For Sustainable Infrastructure (ISI): Rating System. Retrieved September 21, 2015, from https://www.sustainableinfrastructure.org/rating/index.cfm
Vock, D. (2015, September 16). ‘Envision’ System Helps Cities Build Sustainability. government technology. Retrieved 21 October 2015, from http://www.govtech.com/fs/Envision-System-Helps-Cities-Build-Sustainably.html
Xlgroup.com,. (2014, November 10). Envisioning Sustainable Infrastructure: An Interview with Tim Psomas | XL. Retrieved September 23, 2015, from http://xlgroup.com/fast-fast-forward/articles/envisioning-sustainable-infrastructure-an-interview-with-tim-psomas
Assignment : Reader Response Draft 2
In the article “Advancing Sustainable Infrastructure with Envision”, Nelson (June 2015) shares about the Envision rating system. It is the new reference model adopted worldwide for the best practices for all types of infrastructure, ascertaining their sustainable achievement. She explains that the rating system consists of 60 credits and awards will be presented in 4 ranks based on the credits achieved. The author reveals that currently there are six projects that have received the award after completing third-party verification. She also emphasises on the usefulness of Envision where it can be used in any point in the project life cycle such as providing guidance in the decision-making process. I am inclined to agree with the author on the usefulness of Envision because it is the only system that is designed for infrastructure projects. It expands the concept of sustainability from buildings to infrastructure.
Envision is introduced in 2012, created by the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure (ISI). The idea behind Envision is related to LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design), a green building certification program that certifies building with outstanding sustainable achievements. As quoted by Nelson from an interim city engineer, Deborah Weintraub, “Envision expands our over a decade long use of green rating systems for buildings to civil engineering projects.” Non-habitable structures, such as bridges, treatment plants and other types of civil infrastructure are not what LEED was designed for. Therefore, with the need to be designed with sustainability in mind, Envision was launched.
Clark (June 2014) interviewed the president and CEO of the ISI, Bertera, for her article where she mentions Envision should be thought as another LEED system. Envision is an assessment tool designed and structured just for infrastructure projects, basically covering what LEED is unable to rate for. Mikel Wilkins, a Dallas-based civil engineer who was mentioned in the article, used Envision on a pipeline project in 2009. He commented that through the rating system, they managed to produce a better plan and measured the cost throughout the project lifecycle. He then ended off by praising Envision as a system that works regardless of the scale of the projects. The incorporation of triple bottom line in the rating system is well reflected in Wilkins’s example. Sustainable projects often come in high costs, thus the triple bottom line concept evaluates the benefits over the full life cycle, allowing limited budget projects to become cost-effective as well as creating the most public value. This verifies Envision as a well-rounded system that is similar to LEED however, catering only for infrastructure projects.
In addition, Envision is highly flexible and it covers a wide range of infrastructure project types. The project types include Energy, Water, Waste, Transport, Landscape, and Information. Taking the previous example, Wilkins also talked about how after they opted for Envision, the credits in the system helped them marked out more targets. And from there, they managed to come out with more plans to implement green infrastructure. Likewise to what Nelson emphasises in the article, Envision guides the decision makers. It allows them to see best practices in civil engineering from another perspective. As a result, it will allow them to spot opportunities to make a project more sustainable.
However, we cannot assume that this is the perfect system for infrastructure projects yet. Envision is the newest and only system for rating infrastructure, as a result this would be the best so far. The short term effects are satisfying, then again, there have not been a chance to evaluate the long term effects. There may be underlying long term harm that is not shown at the moment. Nelson mentioned in her article that there are only 6 projects that are evaluated up to date. Based on these six projects, it is very hard to come to a conclusion for Envision. As the sample size is still small, I do not consider it to be reliable, more data will be needed in order to prove its reliability. Even so, there is no doubt that this is a promising system. Even though the sample size is small, it is still a good start. The six projects managed to complete third-party verifications and received awards, hence I think that it has potential to go a lot further in the future.
In conclusion, Envision is undeniably a helpful tool as it targets sustainable infrastructure and by including the triple bottom line into their rating system, it helps to overlook at the three aspects where other rating systems do not. The concept of Envision is akin to LEED however, both rating systems are on different tracks even though they are leading towards the same goal. By the end of this essay, I have to agree with the author about Envision, and I believe with Envision and the other rating systems, more improvements can be done for infrastructure and buildings and together, working towards a sustainable future.
(814 words)
References
Beach, S. (2014). ISI Envision: Sustainable Infrastructure Rating System. Retrieved September 24, 2015, from http://www.permatrak.com/news-events/bid/100073/ISI-Envision-Sustainable-Infrastructure-Rating-System
Clark, A. (2014). LEED for roads: greener infrastructure gains momentum. Retrieved September 21, 2015, from http://www.greenbiz.com/blog/2014/06/26/envision-greener-infrastructure-momentum
Landoll, C. (2013). Green Certifications for Your Non-Building Projects. Retrieved September 23, 2015, from http://www.watershedco.com/blog/green-certifications-for-your-non-building-projects/
Nelson, D. (2015). Advancing sustainable infrastructure with Envision | civil + structural ENGINEER. Retrieved September 19, 2015, from http://cenews.com/article/10098/advancing-sustainable-infrastructure-with-envision
Rowe, J. (2015). How to Envision Green Infrastructure’s Triple Bottom Line. Retrieved September 21, 2015, from http://sustainability.autodesk.com/blog/triple-bottom-line-for-green-infrastructure/
Sustainableinfrastructure.org,. Institute For Sustainable Infrastructure (ISI): Rating System. Retrieved September 21, 2015, from https://www.sustainableinfrastructure.org/rating/index.cfm
Xlgroup.com,. (2014). Envisioning Sustainable Infrastructure: An Interview with Tim Psomas | XL. Retrieved September 23, 2015, from http://xlgroup.com/fast-fast-forward/articles/envisioning-sustainable-infrastructure-an-interview-with-tim-psomas
Edited on 01/10, 4.15pm
Edited on 02/10, 12.55am
Assignment : Reader Response Draft 1
In the article “Advancing Sustainable Infrastructure with Envision”, Nelson (June 2015) shares about the Envision rating system. It is the new reference model adopted worldwide for the best practices for all types of infrastructure, ascertaining their sustainable achievement. She explains that the rating system consists of 60 credits and awards will be presented in 4 ranks based on the credits achieved. The author reveals that currently there are six projects that have received the award after completing third-party verification. She also emphasizes on the usefulness of Envision where it can be used in any point in the project life cycle such as providing guidance in the decision-making process. Even though Envision is a new rating system, I have to agree with the usefulness and effectiveness of it that the author is trying to suggest in this article.
Envision was introduced in the 2012, created by the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure (ISI) and the Zofnass Program for Sustainable Infrastructure at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design. The idea behind Envision is related to LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design), a green building certification program that certifies building with outstanding sustainable achievements. Nelson quoted from an interim city engineer, Deborah Weintraub, commenting “Envision expands our over a decade long use of green rating systems for buildings to civil engineering projects.” Non-habitable structures, such as bridges, highways, treatment plants and other types of civil infrastructure are not what LEED was designed for. Therefore, with the need to be designed with sustainability in mind, Envision was launched. With that, it further expands the concept of sustainability to infrastructure.
Clark (June 2014) interviewed the president and CEO of the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure, Bertera for her blog where she mentioned that Envision should be think as another LEED system. Envision is an assessment tool designed and structured just for infrastructure projects, basically covering what LEED is unable to rate for. One example mentioned in her blog is a Dallas-based civil engineer Mikel Wilkins, who used Envision on a pipeline project in 2009. He commented that through the rating system, they managed to produce a better plan and measure the cost throughout the project lifecycle. He then ended off by praising Envision as a system that works regardless of the scale of the projects. Nelson brought up in the article regarding the incorporation of triple bottom line in the rating system that is well reflected in Wilkins’s example. Sustainable projects often come in high costs, thus the triple bottom line concept evaluates the benefits over the full life cycle, allowing limited budget projects to become cost-effective as well as creating the most public value. This verifies Envision as a well-rounded system that is similar to LEED however, catering only for infrastructure projects.
In addition, Envision is highly flexible and it covers a wide range of infrastructure project types. The project types include, Energy, Water, Waste, Transport, Landscape, and Information. Taking the previous example, Wilkins also talked about after they opted for Envision, the credits in the system helped them to mark out more targets. And from there, they managed to come out with more plans to implement green infrastructure. Likewise to what Nelson emphasises in the article, Envision guides the decision makers. It allows them to see best practices in civil engineering from another perspective. As a result, it will allow them to spot opportunities to make a project more sustainable.
In conclusion, Envision is undeniably a helpful tool as it targets sustainable infrastructure and by including the triple bottom line into their rating system, it helps to overlook at the three aspects where other rating systems do not. The concept of Envision is akin to LEED however, both rating systems are on different tracks even though they are leading towards the same goal. By the end of this essay, I have to agree with the author how useful Envision is, and I believe with Envision and the other rating systems, more improvements can be done for infrastructure and buildings and together, working towards a sustainable future.
(673 words)
References
Nelson, D. (2015). Advancing sustainable infrastructure with Envision | civil + structural ENGINEER. Cenews.com. Retrieved 19 September 2015, from http://cenews.com/article/10098/advancing-sustainable-infrastructure-with-envision
Sustainableinfrastructure.org,. Institute For Sustainable Infrastructure (ISI): Rating System. Retrieved 21 September 2015, from https://www.sustainableinfrastructure.org/rating/index.cfm
Clark, A. (2014). LEED for roads: greener infrastructure gains momentum. GreenBiz. Retrieved from http://www.greenbiz.com/blog/2014/06/26/envision-greener-infrastructure-momentum
Rowe, J. (2015). How to Envision Green Infrastructure’s Triple Bottom Line. AutoDesk Sustainability Solutions. Retrieved from http://sustainability.autodesk.com/blog/triple-bottom-line-for-green-infrastructure/
Xlgroup.com,. (2014). Envisioning Sustainable Infrastructure: An Interview with Tim Psomas | XL. Retrieved 23 September 2015, from http://xlgroup.com/fast-fast-forward/articles/envisioning-sustainable-infrastructure-an-interview-with-tim-psomas
Landoll, C. (2013). Green Certifications for Your Non-Building Projects. The WaterShed Company. Retrieved from http://www.watershedco.com/blog/green-certifications-for-your-non-building-projects/
Beach, S. (2014). ISI Envision: Sustainable Infrastructure Rating System. Permatrak.com. Retrieved 24 September 2015, from http://www.permatrak.com/news-events/bid/100073/ISI-Envision-Sustainable-Infrastructure-Rating-System
Assignment : Summary (Edited)
In the article “Advancing Sustainable Infrastructure with Envision”, Nelson (June 2015) shares about the Envision rating system. It is the new reference model adopted worldwide for the best practices for all types of infrastructure, ascertaining their sustainable achievement. She explains that the rating system consists of 60 credits and awards will be presented in 4 ranks based on the credits achieved. The author reveals that currently there are six projects that have received the award after completing third-party verification. She also emphasizes on the usefulness of Envision where it can be used in any point in the project life cycle such as providing guidance in the decision-making process.
Edited, 11.15pm
Assignment 2: Summary
In the article “Advancing Sustainable Infrastructure with Envision”, Nelson (June 2015) shares about the Envision rating system. It is the new reference adopted worldwide for the best practices for all types of infrastructure, ascertaining their sustainable achievement. She explains that the rating system consists of 60 credits, categorized into 5 clusters. The author added awards will be presented in 4 ranks based on the credits achieved. She reveals that numerous projects are on their way towards attaining awards and currently only six projects have received the award after completing third-party verification. She also emphasizes on the usefulness of Envision where it can be used in any point in the project life cycle such as providing guidance in the decision-making process.
2nd Draft
(With Paraphrasing, 96 words)
Nelson (June 2015) discussed about the Envision rating system where it is the new reference adopted worldwide for the best practices for all types of infrastructure, ascertaining their sustainable achievement. The rating system consists of 60 sustainability criteria. Based on the points achieved, different levels of awards will be presented accordingly. Countless projects are on their path towards an award, only six projects have completed third-party verification and received awards. Besides assessing projects for a score, Envision can be used in any point in the project life cycle such as providing guidance in the decision-making process.
10:30am
1st Draft
(W/O paraphrasing, 403 words)
Nelson (June 2015) discussed about the Envision rating system where it is the new international reference for best practices for all types of infrastructure, determining their sustainable achievement. Envision was created as a joint collaboration between the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure (ISI) and the Zofnass Program for Sustainable Infrastructure at Harvard University Graduate School of Design. Envision has been in the industry for three years and is used to improve hundreds of projects and thousands of professionals have earned the Envision Sustainability Professional (ENV SP) credential. These professionals are trained in the use of the Envision rating system and is credentialed by ISI. Nelson quoted in the article, an interim city engineer from Los Angeles, Deborah Weintraub commented that “Envision expands our over a decade long use of green rating systems for buildings to civil engineering projects. We believe this is urban design at its best.” The Envision rating system has a scoring metrics where the triple bottom line was incorporated into and together with the transparent framework, the true value of the project features were brought out. The rating system consist of 60 sustainability criteria, or to be known as credits. They are organized into five general categories: Quality of Life, Leadership, Resource Allocation, Natural World, and Climate and Risk. Based on the points achieved by addressing the 60 credits, awards will be given accordingly, starting with bronze, silver, gold, and lastly, platinum. Countless projects are on their path towards an award however there are six projects which have managed to complete third-party verification and received awards. One of them would be The William Jack Hernandez Sport Fish Hatchery located in Anchorage, Alaska. This project was awarded the Envision Gold Award. This Sport Fish Hatchery was redeveloped from a brownfield by incorporating recirculation technology thus transforming it into a sport fishing recreational area with public park-like setting while protecting the onsite stream. The other five projects are the Snow Creek Stream Environment Zone Restoration in Placer County, California, The South Los Angeles Wetland Park in Los Angeles, The Sun Valley Watershed Multi-benefit Project in Los Angeles County, California, The Line J, Section 1 Pipeline in north central Texas, The Grand Bend Area Wastewater Treatment Facility in Ontario, Canada. Besides rating projects for a score, Envision can be used in any phase of the project life cycle to guide the decision-making process, improving funding prospects, criteria in design contests, and facilitating public outreach.
19/09/15 11:25pm
SIE2016 T05 - My English Language Journey
I grew up in a Chinese-speaking family. Therefore, I always have to struggle with English during my Primary and Secondary education. I still remember my classmates would be sitting at one corner, reading Enid Blyton’s storybooks. Her books were really popular among primary school students back then. Others could probably list a handful of her books, however for me, I could only list roughly 3 of her books. I just did not find reading as interesting and because of their good command of English, my classmates seem to always fluently converse in English. I remembered I really hated English because this was the only subject that I could never seem to score. And whenever we were required to submit compositions, I would always get the lowest mark or only a pass while others were scoring ‘A’s. On the other hand, i really love the Chinese language, maybe partly because of the environment that i grew up in, I love reading Chinese storybooks. I scored really well for the tests and exams, which is one of the factors that encourage me to do better and love the language more, unlike for English. Up till now, I still continue the practice of finish reading one Chinese storybook every month, be it the physical storybook or the e-books found online.
Surprisingly, I carried this “hate” for English as I moved on to my secondary school. However, the situation got better as I got to know new classmates and I was influenced to read more English books. I have to thank my literature teacher that taught me for my senior years as he introduced me to his favourite author, Stephen King. Well, the genre might be a little unsuitable for a student that was taking her O Levels, as he is well-known as a author of horror and suspense. I believe i would not be writing any horror or suspense compositions for my O Levels. Nonetheless, it was one of the few books that I have really enjoyed and up till now I can still remember the story plot. From then on, I started to read more books, mostly Stephen King’s and other young adult fiction storybooks as well. Even though my English did not improve tremendously throughout the years but it was indeed better than before.
With that, I believe that languages cannot be taught like how Math or Science are. It’s through reading and communication that will improve your language skills.
The limits of my language means the limits of my world. - Ludwig Wittgenstein
Serene :)
Edited: 11/09/2015 11:20pm
Edited: 11/09/2015 11:30pm
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