As a member of the Institute of Professional Engineers (
IPENZ) who has always taken a keen interest in community activities, Keola director and engineer, Sanjesh Lal, was delighted to be involved in a project with Blockhouse Bay Primary School. The project was a competition entry for the country wide Neighbourhood Engineer’s Award – a programme geared towards creating greater awareness of the engineering profession from a young age and encouraging innovative thinking in the areas of engineering and technology in New Zealand.
Sanjesh’s responsibilities involved project managing and mentoring a group of primary students as they devised an analytical, solution-based approach to an issue that the school or community was facing; in this case – the design of a new playground.
The scope of the project was to:
1.Identify a genuine issue, need or opportunity in the community
2.Undertake appropriate research
3.Discuss solutions and justify decisions
4.Consult with affected parties and analyse required changes
5.Finalise the solution
6.Reflect on the original brief and determine if project outcomes were achieved
Sanjesh guided the children through the relevant aspects of engineering design, from a survey of the needs and desires of end users to an analysis of the constraints such as space, budget, key stakeholders, timing, longevity and future extensions. He also oversaw discussions on the use of sustainable materials, the reuse or recycling of existing materials, the safety concerns and consents required as well as meeting the requirements of the local council and the Ministry of Education. In particular, he taught the children to break the brief down into manageable portions, prioritise items in terms of the main constraints of time and budget, and then evaluate outcomes.
With such leadership and enterprise, it was no surprise that the project won the prestigious Neighbourhood Engineer’s Award, with the panel particularly impressed by the good definition of scope and the clarity of design, as well as the children’s awareness and consideration of special access for disabled students.
See IPENZ magazine coverage.
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