UniSA Creates SiteSeer Program for Construction and Architecture Students

UniSA students can safely and freely navigate building sites and connect theory to practices using the SiteSeer program. Students experience a realistic digital environment of construction sites and learn to translate two-dimensional plans into three-dimensional structures to bridge the gap between plans and built reality.

 

GALLERY  

UniSA architecture senior lecturer Doctor Sean Pickersgill says the program’s development is stemmed from logistical challenges faced by academics when coordinating physical construction site visits as part of the student’s practical learning.

“Organising physical site visits for students is challenging because there’s no way to ensure that all students receive the same experience without organising a site visit for the entire class. This is where coordination challenges arise because there’s no guarantee that a construction site’s schedule will align with the students’ learning progress,” he says.

“Then there’s the organisational complexity of arranging student access to construction sites which requires significant liaison with builders and there’s also safety and liability concerns with having students on site.”

He adds that there’s the difficulty of students’ travelling to building sites, sometimes outside of regular teaching hours: “For some students it’s impractical, especially if they rely on public transport or have long commute times, and because of that in the past we’ve observed higher absentee rates as students are reluctant to attend.”

Four UniSA academics developed the original digital platform OnSite in 2015 to counteract the complexities. It captured the five stages of the construction process of site set out, slab, single-storey wall framing, double-storey wall framing and roof framing.

The project grew with more than 1,000 first-year students engaging with the program as part of an inductor course on Australian construction practices.

In 2024, Onsite transformed into SiteSeer which contains more than 70 distinct phases of the construction process of a small, double-storey studio. It is a mixture of timber frames and a brick veneer as the new structure demonstrates a range of construction phases a first-year student is expected to understand.

Dr Sean says students in construction and architecture observe real world methods which reflects the apprenticeship model where trade skills are learnt alongside professionals.






Get our enews

Design and development news that comes to you

Subscribe
                 


Dulux Colour Forecast 2026: Tenderness and Connection Through Colour

Dulux has revealed its annual Colour Forecast for 2026, which sees a rise in calming and connecting colours ...

Island Resort Seeks Approval for Cabin Variation

Luxury resort developer Ika Shima Pty Ltd, trading as Rumi on Louth, has lodged a planning variation to ...

FIBA Certifies Rebound Ace Impact as Champion Standard

The International Basketball Federation (FIBA) has given its stamp of approval to ICP Group’s California Sports Surfaces for ...

Charter Hall’s Hyde Park Tower Wins Key Planning Support

Charter Hall’s proposed $925-million skyscraper at 201 Elizabeth Street has secured crucial backing from the City of Sydney’s ...

Mixed-use Hotel Proposed for Gawler Historic Main Street

Family-based South Australian developer Ginos Group has lodged plans for a three-storey mixed-use project at the gateway to ...

  MORE  

Stay connected to the SPEC

Join our reader network by signing up to our weekly newsletter and receive design and development news straight to your inbox





Specifier Source is brought to you by the same company that publishes Home Design, Grand Designs Australia Magazine, Kitchens & Bathrooms Quarterly Magazine, Outdoor Design Source, Build Home, CompleteHome and many more.

© 2022 Universal Media Co. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy. Terms of Service. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Universal Media Co.