THIRD YEAR UNDERGRADUATE
Mars Makdissi—Hanscomb Award
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Mars Makdissi—Hanscomb Award
About the Award
Hanscomb Award:
For the student with the best average in ASC 522 and ASC 622.
About Me.
My name is Mars Makdissi, and I am currently completing my second semester of co-op.
I view architecture as a public service, where the privilege to shape the built environment comes with the responsibility to design within the context of humanity and empathy.
Before moving to Canada to continue my education, I double-majored in Architecture and Psychology in the Middle East. This foundation has instilled in me a lasting appreciation for Genius Loci and a profound interest in how architecture shapes human emotion, behaviour, and belonging.
I have remained, and will remain, actively involved in the student community and have sought to advocate for those who feel unable to speak for themselves.
Construction Documents.
The Documentation and Construction Contract course (ASC622) equipped me with the technical and practical skills needed to communicate effectively across disciplines within the AEC industry and to translate design into built form.
In this course, I collaborated with my colleagues Marko Jovanovic, Luis Frias, Richmond Dakay, and Evelyn Foster to develop a comprehensive, coordinated set of construction documents, as is done in professional practice.
The skill set I developed in ASC622 has proven invaluable during my co-op placement.
The technical and technological knowledge I gained, along with a deeper understanding of architectural, structural, mechanical, and electrical conventions, has enabled me to quickly interpret and coordinate shop drawings and engineering drawings.
In addition to the practical skills mentioned above, this course has undoubtedly strengthened my soft skills, particularly my ability to work collaboratively and to adapt to different working styles and strengths.
Project Economics.
The Project Economics course (ASC522) helped me build on my professional skill set, equipping me with the essential skills to effectively coordinate project progress and delivery.
In this course, I collaborated with Luis Frias on a data-driven design project, analysing energy end-use statistics, lifecycle costs, and potential energy savings through the optimisation of the built form and the development of a comprehensive cost schedule.
Additionally, the aforementioned group members and I developed a series of client-oriented communications in which we performed bottom-up, top-down, and market-based calculations to assess the feasibility of a proposed project.
We developed a Work Breakdown Structure and a project schedule in the form of a Gantt chart to support our proposed project planning and phasing.
These skills have also proven essential in my professional practice to date, where coordinating with colleagues, clients, and contractors can often be challenging.
In Gratitude.
I am deeply honoured to receive the Hanscomb Award and would like to sincerely thank my teammates for their support and collaboration throughout my academic journey. Their professionalism and willingness to accommodate different working styles have been of immense help.
I would also like to express my gratitude to everyone who has contributed to my journey and supported me in reaching this point.
Hanscomb Award:
For the student with the best average in ASC 522 and ASC 622.
About Me.
My name is Mars Makdissi, and I am currently completing my second semester of co-op.
I view architecture as a public service, where the privilege to shape the built environment comes with the responsibility to design within the context of humanity and empathy.
Before moving to Canada to continue my education, I double-majored in Architecture and Psychology in the Middle East. This foundation has instilled in me a lasting appreciation for Genius Loci and a profound interest in how architecture shapes human emotion, behaviour, and belonging.
I have remained, and will remain, actively involved in the student community and have sought to advocate for those who feel unable to speak for themselves.
Construction Documents.
The Documentation and Construction Contract course (ASC622) equipped me with the technical and practical skills needed to communicate effectively across disciplines within the AEC industry and to translate design into built form.
In this course, I collaborated with my colleagues Marko Jovanovic, Luis Frias, Richmond Dakay, and Evelyn Foster to develop a comprehensive, coordinated set of construction documents, as is done in professional practice.
The skill set I developed in ASC622 has proven invaluable during my co-op placement.
The technical and technological knowledge I gained, along with a deeper understanding of architectural, structural, mechanical, and electrical conventions, has enabled me to quickly interpret and coordinate shop drawings and engineering drawings.
In addition to the practical skills mentioned above, this course has undoubtedly strengthened my soft skills, particularly my ability to work collaboratively and to adapt to different working styles and strengths.
Project Economics.
The Project Economics course (ASC522) helped me build on my professional skill set, equipping me with the essential skills to effectively coordinate project progress and delivery.
In this course, I collaborated with Luis Frias on a data-driven design project, analysing energy end-use statistics, lifecycle costs, and potential energy savings through the optimisation of the built form and the development of a comprehensive cost schedule.
Additionally, the aforementioned group members and I developed a series of client-oriented communications in which we performed bottom-up, top-down, and market-based calculations to assess the feasibility of a proposed project.
We developed a Work Breakdown Structure and a project schedule in the form of a Gantt chart to support our proposed project planning and phasing.
These skills have also proven essential in my professional practice to date, where coordinating with colleagues, clients, and contractors can often be challenging.
In Gratitude.
I am deeply honoured to receive the Hanscomb Award and would like to sincerely thank my teammates for their support and collaboration throughout my academic journey. Their professionalism and willingness to accommodate different working styles have been of immense help.
I would also like to express my gratitude to everyone who has contributed to my journey and supported me in reaching this point.
