At 8:30am on May 20, 2017, the opening ceremony of The 5th Construction Season Of Chongqing University is held at the gate square of Campus B, Chongqing University. This activity is a part of the scientific and technological activity week of Chongqing, and is also a creative practice activity held as a part of the second step of material and construction teaching in the basic course teaching of architectural design organized by the Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning of Chongqing University. The activity is organized by the Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning of Chongqing University, and co-organized by the Faculty of Built Environment, the Science and Technology Association, the Architecture Popular Science Education Base, the Key Lab on Mountainous Town Construction and New Technology under the Ministry of Education, Chongqing Association for Science and Technology, Shapingba Association for Science and Technology, and the Academic Committee of Mountainous Urban and Rural Planning under China Association of City Planning. This activity is held in conjunction with the “Little Eagle program” launched by Chongqing Education Commission, the dissemination of science program under Chongqing Science and Technology Commission and the dissemination of science program under Shapingba Science and Technology Commission. Representatives of 5 key senior middle schools in Chongqing, and 5 key primary schools in Shapingba District are invited to the activity.
Students participating in this Construction Season activity include a delegation of 28 undergraduate students majoring in architecture, urban and rural planning and landscape architecture of 2016 from the Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning, a delegation of middle school students from Chongqing No. 1 Middle School, Chongqing Nankai Middle School, Chongqing No. 7 Middle School, Chongqing No. 8 Middle School and Bashu Middle School, and a delegation of elementary students from Shuren Primary School, Shapingba Primary School, Nankai Primary School, Yuying Primary School and Attached Primary School of Chongqing University. The “Construction Season” is also one of the 80th anniversary series activities held by the Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning, as commemoration of the development of the Faculty in the past 80 years.
The erection activity is officially started at 9:00am. There are two erection areas, Area A and Area B. Area A is located at the square at the main entrance to Campus B of Chongqing University. Area B is located at the half space on one side of the Architecture Building. There are four types of main construction material for this Construction Season, including wood construction, bamboo construction, PPE semi-transparent vacuum slabs and piping. The elementary students use PVC piping; middle school students use bamboo, and the undergraduate students use PP vacuum slab, bamboo and wood as their construction materials. Besides physical object erection, as one of the main events, there is 3D freehand sketching experience activity, earthquake-themed children’s painting exhibition and scientific knowledge propagation exhibition of earthquake. Those are included to attract public involvement, and make the Construction Season more interesting and interactive.
“Construction Season” is an architecture design competition that is full of challenges and inspirations. The team members are expected to present innovative and characteristic design, and have the ability to assign team tasks in a planned manner. They are required to make a creative structure in joint efforts within only 8 hours. From start to the end, the students of each delegation are indulged in the construction process, while overcoming difficulties in the process. Despite the drizzle half way, the students are enthusiastic about the construction all the time, without a stop.
By 5:00pm, the construction is finished after 8 hours of intense working. The host announces the end of the on-site construction, and the judges start to score the structures. Seven judges, including Chen Chaohui, Li Zhong, Wang Kai, Zhou Zhiwei, Zhou Ting and Liu Bin, are invited to the event to score the construction results. One representative from each team is assigned to introduce the design concept, structure system, construction measures and utility function of their works, and briefly go over the entire process from scheme design to construction implementation.
At 7:00pm, judges finish scoring the works. Class 1 of Architecture of the undergraduate student group, Class 4 of Architecture and Group 1 of Class 4 respectively win the first prize of the bamboo construction group, wood construction group and PP slab group. Chongqing No. 1 Middle School wins the first prize of the middle school group. As for the elementary school group, the works are unique in their own way, and each group wins a certain prize.
In the Construction Season activity, middle school students and undergraduate students of Chongqing University, as well as elementary students, are offered a chance to be in one competition. In this way, longitudinal exchange between those students is fostered, and the non-professional senior middle school students and elementary students are allowed to develop in-depth cognition and perception of the initial construction, space and function of architecture. In the meantime, it also arouses the enthusiasm of the public about architectural aesthetics and space composition.
The 5th Construction Season of Chongqing University is brought to an end with satisfactory outcomes. The Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning of Chongqing University will carry forward the teaching reform, and explore an education and teaching reform mode with unique characteristics and much students involvement. Through such activities, it aims to constantly improve teaching quality and talent cultivation quality, and play an important role in liberal education and science popularization education among middle school students, elementary students and the public.
