One of the best things about my job is that I get to see all of the cool things that the University of Calgary is doing. Today I went on a tour of the Energy Environment Experiential Learning Building. After taking the tour it really is exciting to see what is just around the corner.
Before going on the tour we had to wear safety boots, goggles, and a hard hat.
This building is being built with sustainability in mind. In fact, there’s a very high chance that it will receive “Gold” status and possibly even “Platinum” status by the LEED(Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) building certification system once it is complete. The new building will have spaces for undergraduate laboratories, classrooms and seminar rooms, group and individual study spaces and research laboratories.
One really interesting feature in this building is the location and the size of the stairwell. Placed prominently in the center of the building, it was planned this way to encourage the use of the stairs as opposed to the elevators. It’s almost like having a reverse design, in that its usually the stairs that are tucked away and the elevators located at the center. It will be interesting to see if there’s a decrease in elevator traffic because of this feature.
The building is still about a year away from completion but things seem to be progressing nicely. As I mentioned earlier there are numerous ways in which this building is using the latest technology to make highly energy efficient. For example, a great amount of natural light is let in from outside, reducing the need for excessive interior lighting. This is accomplished by maximizing windows, and minimizing traditional walls within the building. A large amount of glass will be used in the building to let the light shine in. By the way the glass in the windows is tripled glazed, multiplying the insulating “r” value from about 3(in a regular window) to a 7, a significant difference.
Another interesting thing is the use of external sun shades on the windows. Not only is it esthetically pleasing to the eye from the outside but it eliminates the phenomenon of heating one part of the building while cooling another part of the building at the same time due to too much sun on a certain spot. Some of these shades are controlled by a computer in the building that will make continually make adjustments throughout the day.
There are many other systems within the building that will help to heat it and cool it. I’m a bit sketchy on the details but air can be drawn into the building and pumped below the ground where it can be used to help heat or cool the rest of the building. Here’s a few more shots of the “guts” of the building.
Posted in Work.
By Michael
– August 25, 2010
I never buy magazines but when I saw the cover of this one I just knew I had to have it. Yes, I like Will Ferrell. Too bad I had to buy whole magazine when all I wanted was the cover, but sometimes you’ve got to bite the bullet.
This cover is going up on my cubicle at work. I will look to it when I need inspiration, motivation, and information.
Posted in Comedy.
By Michael
– August 23, 2010
Today I took a tour of the University of Calgary’s Medicine department.
There are many reasons why a prospective med student should come to the U of C. The coolest thing that we saw was the use of sophisticated robots for medical students to practice on. The dummy above was very expensive but can replicate a variety of symptoms. From a collapsed lung to a heart attack this dummy can do it all. All one needs to do is program a code on the console beside it and it will mimic a variety of conditions. The chest moves up and down and if you put a stethascope on the chest you’ll hear the heart beating. Depending on the condition of the heart, the sound and breathing will change. One one setting I could hear the heart changed beats and saw the veins in the neck expand.
The dummy above was even more advanced than the first one. You’ll notice the IV bag and also the monitors to the side. There’s even an oxygen and air supply so that the room is just like a real patient’s space. The genitalia can be changed between female and male although we didn’t get a look at that. Off to the side is a control room where instructors can control whats happening to the dummy through mirrored glass. The dummy can even talk and answer questions just like a real person. There are also multiple cameras mounted on the walls recording all of the action. After the scenario plays out students and instructors can review the tapes, very much like instant replay in sports. These dummies also have a variety of sensors implanted in the body and can also record the sensitive details of how hard CPR was performed providing valuable feedback to the instructor and students.
These dummies are so real that when students “lose” their “patients” they are often depressed. I can totally understand because even after just spending a few minutes with these dummies it’s so easy to forget that the patient isn’t real. Pretty cool stuff.
Posted in Calgary.
By Michael
– August 20, 2010
I don’t usually blog much on new consumer products but the other day I stumbled upon Doritos Cheeseburger Chips. I think they’re new and when I saw them I couldn’t help myself. Even if they were full price. Anyway they definitely taste like a cheeseburger and they were very good. I highly recommend them.
Posted in Sausages!!!.
By Michael
– August 19, 2010
Today at work we completed an “Insights” seminar, which is supposed to help facilitate team-building within your work group. It helps you and your co-workers understand what you’re all about. I know many people aren’t too crazy about doing these types of things due to the “touchy-feely” perception but our group had a lot of fun with it. I’m new to my job and my team and since it helped me learn more about them I thought it was a really positive experience.
We had to answer a number of questions to determine our “true colour” and I think my assessment came out fairly accurate. My favorite part of the morning exercise though was when everyone drew a picture of their likes and dislikes. At first this was quite challenging for me due to my shocking lack of artistic ability. However after I thought about it some ideas started to form and this is what I drew….
The sun is large and represents the fact that I feel pretty good these days. I’m in a new and exciting job and I have many things to be thankful for. The green and yellow person represent myself and my girlfriend. The caption reads “La la la. I’m so happy cause you’re so happy.” (That last sentence was inspired by the song, “Happy” by Travis.)
The car and the long winding road represent all the traveling I’ll need to do in my new job. The car also has a Japanese flag which was added by my co-worker Steve on account of my passion for Japan.
The three people in the bottom of the picture represent my superiors while I’m in the airplane. The captions read “Fly fly fly away and find us some students while you’re at it young man!” I reply with “I certainly will David!”
Finally, I had to include something that stresses me out, enter the MBA that I’m doing… There’s a calendar and clock which represent the many deadlines and stress because of them. However underneath that is my bike, which I like to ride and helps relieve stress…
Anyway there you have it! The whole thing is pretty silly but in many ways, not that far off!
Posted in McKinlay Musings.
By Michael
– August 18, 2010
My name is Michael McKinlay and I live in Calgary, Alberta Canada. Although I was born here, I have lived in a few other places in Western Canada such as, Saskatoon, Regina, Medicine Hat, and Edmonton. I also spent time in Hong Kong and Japan. [
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