Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Clemson Adds Outdoor Lab Site for Construction Science Students

  • By Dian Schaffhauser
  • 10/22/20

A South Carolina university has just set up a three-acre site to give their construction students a permanent space for hands-on learning. Students in Clemson University's Nieri Family Department of Construction Science and Management will be able to use the "Experiential Learning (XL) Yard" to construct full-scale structures and try out construction equipment. The new yard includes an 1,800-square-foot learning center.

Experiential Learning Yard. Image Credit: Clemson University Relations

All of the department's students — 250-plus — will take classes at the site, including a safety course and a construction science workshop.

"It's really our outdoor laboratory for construction," said Mike Jackson, chair of the department, in a university article.

The classroom and yard also will also host guest lectures by construction professionals. "They'll bring their expertise to the classroom," added Richard Gauthier, the department's experiential learning program coordinator. "Some will also bring equipment to work with in the yard."

The prompt for developing the space came from the students themselves, who told the university in surveys that they'd like more "hands-on experiences." Students in the program are required to complete 800 hours of internships prior to graduation.

Up to now those students have gained a lot of their practical experience by working on initiatives such as Habitat for Humanity, a nonprofit that builds homes for low-income people who put in sweat equity. Each fall, over the course of a month, students build a Habitat house in connection with homecoming. Those houses are transported to sites in the county, where the new homeowners occupy them.

While that "time-honored project" will continue, students will also be able to construct smaller structures — tiny houses and gazebos — for auctioning off to support future projects at the XL Yard.

The yard was made possible through multiple donations. The classroom was donated by Michael Nieri, a graduate and founder and president of home developer Great Southern Homes. In 2019 Nieri and his wife donated $5 million to the department, which now carries the family name.

"Our corporate partners have been very generous," said Jackson. "We are very blessed to have such a wonderful group of industry supporters at Clemson and in the Nieri Family Department of Construction Science and Management."

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • Year-Round Schools Require Year-Round Indoor Air Quality Planning

    While many schools are out for the summer, year-round schools follow a more “balanced” schedule with shorter, more frequent breaks spaced throughout the school year. Even though this offers educational benefits, these facilities have less downtime for building maintenance. This can become an issue when facilities managers overlook the importance of routine HVAC maintenance and air duct cleaning services.

  • UCF Modernizes College of Hospitality Management

    The University of Central Florida in Orlando, Fla., recently completed a major renovation effort for the Rosen College of Hospitality Management, according to a news release. The project modernized 77,600 square feet worth of academic classrooms, teaching labs, and collaborative spaces to support both students and faculty.

  • ZeroEyes, Academic Innovators Partner to Provide Safety Solutions

    ZeroEyes, which produces a multi-analytics weapons detection and threat intelligence platform, recently announced a partnership with Academic Innovators, according to a news release.

  • nursing students talk while studying in a hallway

    Elsevier Launches VR Simulation Solution for Nursing Students

    Elsevier has introduced Shadow Health Lab with Virtual Reality, a simulation platform that allows nursing students to interact with virtual patients and build clinical judgment skills in a safe, realistic environment.