College of

Engineering, Architecture and Technology

 

In an era of high-quality digital technology and artificial intelligence, the traditional way architecture students learn the design process and how structural systems function remains grounded in the same concepts that have existed for decades.

   

Physical models are integral to the architectural engineering design process, where students can visualize their designs and gain knowledge on concepts like structural integrity and spatial organization.  

 

In November, students in the School of Architecture in the College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology at Oklahoma State University had the opportunity to meet and learn from Márcio Sequeira, a Brazilian architect with a master’s degree in civil Engineering and founder of the Mola Structural Project. He visited OSU as well as MIT, Northeastern and Rice University.   

 

This company produces architectural model kits that are designed to simulate how a building behaves structurally.

   

Professor Christina McCoy, associate professor of architecture, said Sequeira was on campus for three days, hosting a lecture and a series of workshops where students learned from him first-hand. 

  

One workshop was a competition between third- and fourth-year architectural engineering students. Eight teams of two documenters and builders were created. Sequeira built a Mola model in one room, and the documenters had to draw the structure and pass it off to the builders without speaking, with the documenter trying to replicate the model's exact design. 

 

Another competition included building towers and testing them on a shake table to simulate an earthquake. 

  

The other workshops involved all students in the School of Architecture, where they learned a lot about communication, structural stability and how oscillation/vibration affects a building. 

  

“The Mola kits are used by educators, architects and engineers worldwide,” McCoy said. “Although the kits’ primary purpose is to model structural behavior, as we learned through our workshops, there’s a multitude of other ways to utilize the kits to spark creativity and collaboration."  

 

Students can expand their knowledge base while learning hands-on from a professional such as Sequeira. This visit was so successful that McCoy said there are plans to host interactive workshops featuring the Mola building kit in the future.

 

“The Mola kit is a highly designed educational tool, from the way it works to the quality of the box,” McCoy said. “It’s good for students to see those principles of design – quality and functionality – combined in a way that enhances their learning. It’s so engaging, and Márcio’s enthusiasm is contagious.”