Its funny when I look back at when I was a kid, trying to figure out what I wanted to do when I grew up. I didn't have a clue, or at least I didn't think I had a clue. And maybe that is just because I didn't know what was out there. I always loved to draw forms and shapes, build with blocks, and visit my mom at work in Boston to look at all the great buildings in the city. I was also always very environmentally aware, riding my parents to shut off the water or lights, to not litter, and to recycle. So I guess its fitting that I ended up at a Construction Management firm, and the timing couldn't be better with the current focus on more environmentally responsible building practices.
A couple years back I went to lunch with a former professor and I expressed the need for the department to prepare the current students for the green building movement. I thought I was providing feedback for department direction. I didn't realize I was volunteering to teach a course. So to my surprise a few weeks later, I received word that my proposal for a course had been accepted and I would need to submit an abstract and syllabus.
I have found that teaching from a textbook is good at providing the fundamentals, but not so good at capturing the real life examples and experiences that my day job provides. And therefore I am here, starting a blog with the hopes of catching some of that real-life experience mixed with some personal accounts while working on projects with sustainable development goals.
I hope to provide others with a glimpse into the many decisions that go into a building project, some behind the scenes looks at the work in progress, and ultimately I hope to inspire others to act more sustainable in their every day life, to help make good decisions today that preserve what we have now for our future generations. -mk
