Teaching Old Buildings New Tricks

Selden Middle School Students Design Classroom HVAC/R Systems via Two-Dimensional Drawing and Three-Dimensional Models

CENTEREACH, NEW YORK (MARCH 2021)—Middle Country Central School District’s technology students at Selden Middle School learned how to stay cool under pressure through the completion of their recent Heating, Ventilation, Air Condition and Refrigeration (HVAC/R) projects.

The project, which coincides with the district’s Introduction to Skilled Trades unit, challenged the architectural design skills of Mr. Walsh’s eighth grade technology students to create a real-life simulation of a classroom air conditioning system. Using a 2-D drawing approach, students used paper and pencil to draft an image of the classroom and then proceeded to build the ventilation and heating systems in 3-D. The hands-on experience marched students swiftly through the nuts and bolts of how an HVAC/R system operates and positioned them as thought leaders and creative thinkers.

Middle Country’s Introduction to Skilled Trades unit provides tangible advice on steps students can proactively take to prepare and position themselves for a successful career in the field of skilled trades. The unit familiarizes students with eight trades: mason, plumbing, small engine repair, HVAC/R, electrician, landscape architecture and design, residential carpentry, and welding.