Jared L. Cohon Student Seminar Series

For the next seminar in the Jared L. Cohon Student Seminar Series, we will feature Tannaz Afshar. Tannaz is a second-year Ph.D. student at Carnegie Mellon University in Architectural Engineering and Construction Management, with a master's degree in the same field from CMU. Her research explores integrating circular economy principles, material reuse, deconstruction, and advanced technologies like BIM and digital twins in the built environment. With a background in architecture and practical experience from internships at Kaarta, Construction Junction, and Volpatt Construction, she has presented her work at conferences, including Build Reuse, the ACSA/AIA Intersections Research Conference, and The Future of Building Webinar Series.

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Tannaz will be presenting her research titled "Urban Mining in the Rust Belt: Lessons from Pittsburgh’s Deconstruction Pilot Project"

This research investigates the deconstruction of condemned buildings in Pittsburgh as an alternative to traditional demolition. Using LiDAR technology and Building Information Modeling (BIM), the study explores the process of material recovery and reuse, to reduce construction waste and promote a circular economy. The project compares conventional methods with scan-to-BIM techniques and assesses deconstruction's social, environmental, and economic benefits, providing insights into urban planning and sustainability.

Lunch will be provided.

Host or Publisher CMU Scott Institute for Energy Innovation