New ITE facility uses mock-ups, simulations for training

It is designed to help built environment students hone digital and technical skills

- Isabelle Liew

A new facility at ITE College East will train students in architecture, engineering and construction courses by simulating work environments they will encounter in the real world.

Spanning over 2,000 sq m, the Sustainable Built Environment Hub is the first of its kind and will help students hone their digital and technical skills, ITE said on Aug 19.

The built environment industry has been moving towards incorporating sustainable practices and technology to minimise environmental impacts during construction.

For instance, a mock-up home in the facility has prefabricated modules of a kitchen and bathroom that might be used to teach students design for manufacturing and assembly.

Design for manufacturing and assembly is a way of prefabricating structures at an off-site facility before assembling them on-site in a Lego-like manner, saving time and manpower. This method, which is used to build Housing Board flats, is more sustainable as it minimises the use of resources and reduces waste.

The facility also has simulated lift and escalator systems that allow students to learn to troubleshoot problems and practise on the models in a safe environment.