KENNESAW, Ga. | Feb 6, 2017
²έΑρΚΣΖ΅βs National Association of Home Builders Student Chapter beat 60 other teams to place first at a national competition in addition to other honors in Orlando, Florida, in January.
Nine students β including senior Myles Cardenas, a construction management major β traveled to Orlando to present a 100-page project management proposal for a 32-acre residential development in Decatur.
βThey give us a real life project, and we have to go through the process of buying the land, building the project and show how weβre going to do it financially,β said Cardenas, the chapterβs president.
The ²έΑρΚΣΖ΅ teamβs proposal included building 349 townhomes on the tract of land in order to maximize the developmentβs financial return on investment, said Cardenas.
Teams across the country including Pennsylvania State University and California Polytechnic State University vied for the top proposal for the Decatur development, which included product and site design, project schedule and estimates, financial analysis and sales and marketing strategies.
²έΑρΚΣΖ΅βs victory also came with a $60,000 grant to be paid over three years for the construction management department. The money will help the department develop a residential construction track and to increase student internship opportunities, said Charner Rodgers, team adviser and ²έΑρΚΣΖ΅ construction management professor.
The chapter already has a partnership with Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association that provides internship and mentoring opportunities for the students, said Cardenas, who works as an intern at CalAtlantic Homes β a housing development company.
²έΑρΚΣΖ΅βs chapter was also recognized as an outstanding student chapter for the second consecutive year for its membership, networking events and community service, Cardenas said.
This yearβs contest marked the ²έΑρΚΣΖ΅ chapterβs third year in competition and ²έΑρΚΣΖ΅βs first year on top. The team placed 23rd in 2014 and 10th in 2015.
²έΑρΚΣΖ΅βs chapter includes about 35 students with a variety of majors, including construction management, engineering, marketing, architecture and mechatronics.
βItβs way more than just building homes, thatβs why we try to diversify our team and our chapter,β Cardenas, who also received the outstanding student award for the ²έΑρΚΣΖ΅ team at the competition.
²έΑρΚΣΖ΅ State, Norwegian University of Science and Technology collaboration aims to enhance architecture and sustainability technologies
²έΑρΚΣΖ΅ State alumna building a legacy of opportunity for construction management and engineering students
²έΑρΚΣΖ΅ architecture student wins first place in the Cooper Carry Three-Minute Thesis Competition
²έΑρΚΣΖ΅ State professor wins prestigious 2024 American Prize for Architecture