Coalescence
“To enhance War Memorial Hall into a landmark wellness space in a way that advocates Physical and Mental Health, Social Interaction, and Innovative Missions, so that Students, Faculty, and all other Stakeholders feel Comfortable and Secure in a Collaborative Environment.”
-Coalescence
Construction
I am Justin Charles a fifth year Architectural Engineering student in the Construction Option. The reason I chose Penn State is becuase it is the top university for Architectural Engineering where I was able to learn how to build and design a building while creating friends along the way. My main contributions in the Coalescence design was integrating the construction team within all the other mechanical, structural, lighting, electrical, and architecture of the building.
Justin Charles
Penn State is such a special place to me where I met and interacted with so many amazing professors and students. The Architectural Engineering department is great and has taught and prepared me to go into the construction industry. My main contributions to the project were with the construction option, where I worked a lot with scheduling, estimating, and safety/quality assurance. I will be moving on to work for Grunley Construction Company as an Engineer starting in July of 2020!
Jake Mitolo
Lighting/Electrical
Ashlee Bacvinskas is a fifth year Lighting/Electrical option. Within Coalescence, she focused on the electrical systems within the building- from sizing equipment to wiring fixtures. After graduation, she plans to pursue a career in electrical design in Boston, Massachusetts.
Ashlee Bacvinskas
Brennan studies Lighting/Electrical at Penn State. Lighting Design is about aesthetics, calculations, sustainable practices, codes, efficiency, cost, and peoples psychology. When designed right, a building’s personality can truly stand out due to its lighting. I integrated with the team to accomplish the exterior architecture, daylighting, and lighting design.
Brennan Drapeau
Mechanical
My name is Aaron Adams. I am proud to be from Duquesne, Pennsylvania (a small city right outside of Pittsburgh). Going into college I had no idea what kind of an impact that the AE department at Penn State would have on my life. There were a lot of options originally for myself and many paths that I could have taken, but after finishing my five years at Penn State I could be more content and excited with the path I chose deciding to be apart of the AE family. I have met some many great people and I am proud to call those people friends. The AE department at Penn State is something that you can always count on. I am looking forward to my future endeavors as they cross my path and can’t thank Penn State enough for the many opportunities that this university has presented to me throughout my years there. Before I finish, I want to thank my family for all of the work that they have done in order for me to attend a university like Penn State. Lastly, thank you Penn State for the memories and thank you to the AE department for being the best in the country and providing me with an education that challenged my abilities more than they could know.
Arron Adams
George will graduate May of 2020 with a Bachelor of Architectural Engineering with a focus in the Mechanical option. Following graduation, George will begin his career as mechanical engineer at Vanderweil Engineers in their Philadelphia office.
George has completed four internships in his college career, three with Vanderweil in 2017,2018 and 2019 and in the summer of 2016 George worked as an intern for the architecture firm Clarke Caton Hintz in Trenton, NJ. In his internships George has worked with mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire protection designs for healthcare, commercial, and educational projects.
​n his time at Penn State, George has been a teaching intern for AE457 where he has helped teach and create mechanical controls lecture activities. He has also held executive positions in the Penn State’s chapters of ASHRAE and the Student Society of Architectural Engineers. George also regularly competed in IM football, soccer, and volleyball.
George Hibbs
Structural
Dana Ciffarelli is a 5th year in Architectural Engineering, graduating with a masters degree in the structural discipline. She will be moving to San Francisco, CA to begin her career in Building Technology and Structural Forensics. She helped alongside Tyler Smith and Brandon Hummel to design the structural systems and assist with the overall integration of Coalescence's design for the new War Memorial Hall for the 2020 AEI Competition. In Dana's free time, she loves spending time with friends, hiking, cooking, and when she's feeling lazy she loves indulging in some Netflix binge sessions such as Blacklist and New Girl. She is excited to be graduating from Penn State University and is thankful for everything that she learned and experienced in her five years here.
Dana Ciffarelli
As a member of the structural team, I worked extensively on the roof structure and long-span trusses as well as establishing the column grid. I also worked on designing the foundation and retaining walls of our substructure as well as other specialty areas
Brandon Hummel
Tyler Smith
Tyler was born and raised in State College, PA where he first found his love for engineering. His first desire to be an engineer stemmed from the idea of being a problem solver. Diagnosing advanced problems and producing complex solutions at high stakes is what drew him specifically to be a structural engineer.
During his time at Penn State Tyler has enjoyed the opportunity to grow and learn inside and outside of the classroom. The Architectural Engineering curriculum helped teach him how to be a great engineer, leader, and communicator. Outside the classroom, Tyler enjoys playing basketball, golfing, or exploring local breweries and restaurants with friends. Upon graduation Tyler plans on relocating to the Washington-Baltimore Metropolitan area to continue his career as a structural engineer.