Students had the opportunity to visit not just one but two residential building sites as part of their learning in the Construction Technology Small Buildings course.

One of the sites was at a pre-line stage and the other was at the foundation stage.

Students got to observe elements of timber-framed structures including framing, cladding, insulation, excavation and drain laying.

They found it a great learning opportunity where they could see all the various parts of a structure that they had learned about in class.

Student Haiyi Yu said the visit helped him see how the construction process could be so fast and simple, yet the houses were strong.

“This visit is meaningful to help me understand how small buildings are built.”

Student Jiao Xin said the site visits were hands-on experiences that helped her connect theory and practice.

 “It provided me with a very intuitive understanding of the structure, materials and construction sequence of the building through close observation, which enable me to further understand what we learned in the class.”

She had the opportunity to see how water supply systems, drainage, and electricity went through the wall frames and floors, and this reflected what she had learned in class.

She could also observe details in practice that had been confusing on drawings.

“In general, site visits give me an opportunity to identify the difference between theory and practice and correct the misunderstandings.”