Alexander Schreyer, Author at Department of Environmental Conservation

BCT Students’ Preconstruction Team wins First Place at ASC Region 1 Competition

November 13, 2023November 13, 2023 by Alexander Schreyer Comment Closed

We are thrilled to announce that after a semester of hard work and dedication, BCT's amazing preconstruction student team, under the skillful guidance of Prof. Fernando Romero, have achieved their goal and brought home the first place trophy at the 34th Annual Associated Schools of Construction Region 1 Student Competition and Conference in Albany, NY. Our student teams were able to secure 3rd place in 2021, 2nd place in 2022, and this year, we clinched the ASC competition and brought home the 1st place trophy. As Prof. Romero said: "I am incredibly proud of each and every one of my students who made this possible, and it is a true testament to our collective effort and commitment. Your outstanding performance was noticed, and the judges were thoroughly impressed by your fantastic presentation." Additionally, the UMass Commercial team's hard work and dedication earned them a commendable 4th-place finish. The team members were: Preconstruction: Jocey Krooks, Madison Mathieu, Connor Perley, Brendan Ware, Lucas Kubaska, Luke...

UMass DesignBuild Program Celebrates Completion of 2023 Build with an Open House

November 3, 2023 by Alexander Schreyer Comment Closed

On Thursday, November 2, the UMass DesignBuild Program celebrated the completion of its 2023 project, Paper House, named after Holyoke, The Paper City. There, in Holyoke in collaboration with OneHolyoke CDC, the Paper House will be placed on its permanent site where it will become a contributing member to Holyoke’s affordable housing inventory, addressing the inequities of affordable housing and climate justice in an underserved community. In addition to many Building and Construction Technology, Architecture, and Five College Architectural Studies faculty, plus all the students who participated in the DesignBuild program, as well as donors and sponsors of the program, the celebration was attended by multiple UMass officials: Chancellor Javier Reyes; CNS Dean Mike Fox; Humanities Associate Dean Pari Riahi; Environmental Conservation Head, Paige Warren; and Diane Barstow, CNS Development Head. The celebration was additionally honored with the attendance of the Director of OneHolyoke CDC, Mike Moriarity, and President of DOC, Joubin Hassanein both major collaborators. Fresh Cider and Atkins donuts were enjoyed...

Hammer Time: How Students, Faculty, Local Businesses and Holyoke’s Community Development Corporation Are Teaming Up to Fight the Housing Crisis

September 27, 2023September 27, 2023 by Alexander Schreyer Comment Closed

They call it “Paper House”: a modular, 500-square-foot, high-performance, net zero, low carbon house designed and built by the students in UMass DesignBuild, a joint effort between the Building and Construction Technology Program and Department of Architecture at UMass Amherst and the Five College Architectural Studies program. DesignBuild is in its second year, and it seeks to address major problems, both in the educational world, and in the broader world at large. “A builder might go through their whole education and never see the work involved in designing a house,” says Carl Fiocchi, a lecturer and professional master’s program coordinator in the Building and Construction Technology Program. “The reverse is true for architects, too, who might never get any experience actually building their designs.” The DesignBuild class seeks to bridge this gap between the builders and designers with a two-semester sequence. In the spring semester, students are given a set of design parameters—the house’s overall footprint, budget, materials, etc.—and with those in place, design the...

Interested in transferring into BCT?

September 2, 2021 by Alexander Schreyer Comment Closed

Many of our BCT students transfer into the program during their studies at UMass or from other colleges. This was highlighted in a recent interview where Kevin Van Develde, Senior Assistant Director of Transfer Admissions, talked to BCT program director Alexander Schreyer about the program, career options, and how to join the program. You can watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jUbUuUZ49z8 Interested in learning more about the BCT program? Contact us here....

We congratulate our 2021 Natural Resources Conservation graduates!

May 19, 2021May 18, 2021 by Alexander Schreyer Comment Closed

Congratulations Natural Resources Conservation graduates! We are so very proud of you and all of your accomplishments these past years. Good luck out there, in the workforce, graduate school, or on other life adventures. Keep in touch, and keep us as part of your professional network. We wish the best for you and will continue to be here for you. Find our Senior Celebration page here with a recording of our spring 2021 Awards ceremony, where students were recognized for exceptional work and accomplishments....