Judges selected the finalists from 10 submissions by MCAA student chapter teams on the basis of scores given for: overall quality of the written proposal (20 percent); project management and organization (25 percent); feasibility of construction and program schedules (20 percent); quality of conceptual design (15 percent); and accuracy/feasibility of conceptual costs (20 percent).

The four teams will compete for cash and honors during the March 1 Student Chapter Competition at MCAA's Annual Convention. Each team will deliver a 20-minute oral presentation consisting of a 15-minute prepared, formal presentation and five minutes of questions from the panel of judges. The judges will score the presentations to determine the first and second place winners, who will receive $5,000 and $2,500 respectively. The other two teams each receive $1,000.

The subject of the competition is the construction of a 14,000-square-foot educational facility located on a hypothetical college campus in Miami. The project was presented to MCAA by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), which used the project for its 2003 student competition. MCAA added mechanical elements and made other changes to enhance the project's interest and challenge to the students.

MCAA's Student Chapter Competition is in its third year and is sponsored by MCAA's Career Development Committee. The competition was developed to provide students with a realistic project to test their knowledge of mechanical systems, design, and problem-solving skills.

For more information about MCAA's student chapters or the MCAA Student Chapter Competition, contact Ann Mattheis at amattheis@mcaa.org.

Publication date: 01/26/2004