Building construction program takes students to East Africa

May 7, 2008

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The University of Florida M.E. Rinker Sr. School of Building Construction will take six students to Tanzania for a research project this summer as part of the new International Research Experience in East Africa, a program sponsored by the National Science Foundation’s Office of International Science and Engineering.

For nine weeks, the students will research sustainable construction within the East African context in collaboration with Ardhi University and the University of Dar es Salaam. The research will focus on sustainable construction elements such as building materials, a reclaimed and recycled water supply and thermal comfort for heating and cooling. At the end of the project, the students will use their research findings to design and construct a demonstration building unit for a local town.

The program is UF’s first building construction project in Africa. The NSF’s Office of International Science and Engineering supports the highest quality international research experiences for U.S. students to help educate a globally engaged science and engineering workforce capable of remaining at the forefront of world science and technology.

UF building construction assistant professor Esther Obonyo is the three-year program’s principal investigator, with UF building construction assistant professor Robert Ries and the University of Nairobi’s Alfred Omenya acting as co-investigators. The program, also supported by the UF International Center, will take students to selected locations in East Africa each summer to work alongside foreign mentors.

“The theme of the program is a global perspective on engineering sustainable building systems,’’ Obonyo said. “We will expose the students to the current sustainable development efforts in East Africa and engage them in deliberations with community members. This will enable them to experience what it’s like to develop appropriate building technologies in real-life situations where sustainability is vital.”

In addition to researching East African construction issues, the students also will investigate the broader issues of engineering sustainable building systems, specifically the requirements for support from social and economic networks.