In 1.101 Introduction to Civil and Environmental Engineering Design, students tackle real-world challenges through creative problem solving, hands-on design, and collaboration

The course introduces students to the creative design process in the context of civil and environmental engineering by exploring the idea-to-product trajectory. Throughout the semester, students learn how to identify a design question or problem, evaluate constraints, and create a prototype that solves a real-world problem.

“The goal is for students to gain the experience of transforming an idea into something real—something they can present, discuss, and take pride in,” says instructor Tal Cohen, Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Mechanical Engineering.

The mid-term project tasked students with reimagining residential trash collection in Cambridge, addressing challenges that resonate with cities nationwide. In Cambridge, narrow sidewalks hinder pedestrian accessibility, and garbage removal trucks create city wide congestion. The project called upon students to evaluate the feasibility of transitioning to robotic trash carts that empty autonomously at a designated site, offering an innovative solution to streamline waste management, improve traffic and urban living.

Students identified seven design objectives: reducing road congestion, minimizing sidewalk congestion, enhancing sanitation, improving public perception, ensuring convenience for residents, streamlining maintenance and operations for the City of Cambridge, and improved work conditions. Their proposed solution was using communal electric dumpsters. These electric dumpsters would reduce the number of bins on the sidewalk. The proposed dumpster would also be equipped with a proximity sensor to automatically open the lid for convenient disposal, and a hydraulic lid with a silicone seal ensuring a tight closure that prevents odors from escaping, creating a more sanitary environment.

In the second half of the semester, students gathered in groups and began the design process to build a prototype of their choosing. Many students, including Civil and Environmental Engineering student James Henriquez, appreciated the self-directed nature of the class.

“The most valuable takeaway for me was completing a project that was entirely independent and self-driven,” says Henriquez. “Having this project under my belt will help me feel comfortable tackling similar tasks in the future, which I find indispensable.”

For their final project, Henriquez and group members Zack Ivanisevic and Rita Zambrano investigated the effectiveness of various materials in attenuating sound, aiming to improve sound isolation in practice rooms at MIT. They wanted to develop a more isolated and focused environment for musicians and individuals studying in nearby rooms. To achieve this, the group built a practice room prototype and tested several materials, including carpet, canvas, felt, and foam, as well as a range of sounds to find which would best attenuate sound within the box.

Wonu Abiodun, a junior double majoring in architecture and civil engineering, shared a similar perspective emphasizing the class’s unique approach, “I valued how self-directed this class was and the opportunity it gave us to choose our own projects. I really enjoyed collaborating with my group as we navigated the design process. Getting to experience using tools like laser cutters, 3D printers, and a variety of others to develop our prototype, made the experience even more rewarding.”

Abiodun, along with group members Megan Eaton, Jordyn Goldson and Joyce Yambasu, proposed an autonomous dumpster system for improved residential waste management in Cambridge, expanding on the classes earlier design project. The team’s proposed dumpsters featured self-driving capabilities to navigate city streets efficiently and an internal conveyor belt system to level out trash during transport and facilitate automated unloading at accumulation sites.

“The course was good at building the fundamentals of what we need to know about the design process so when we actually did our final project, it was laid out for us on how to create a successful model,” says Yambasu.

For their final project, Cordelia Hu, Maeve Chen, and Alison Anderson created a scale model of an urban environment to study the urban heat island effect. The team chose three distinct neighbors in New York City—Bed-Stuy, a high-density residential area, Brookville, a low-density residential area, and Hunts Point, an industrial area. The variation in locations allowed them to compare how factors like building density, construction materials, and green spaces effect how heat is absorbed and radiated.

Team members Josh Woren, Haylea Brock, Sheila Nguyen, and Tananya Prankprakma identified heavy rainfall runoff from conventional rooftops as a significant contributor to flooding in Cambridge.  To address this problem, they proposed modular green roofs as a more feasible and sustainable solution compared to monolithic systems, especially for older buildings. Their final project involved designing, 3D-printing, and testing three different modular prototype designs to simulate rainfall and measure water retention to mitigate urban flooding.

“This semester, the students learned so much about the design process, from understanding the roles of various stakeholders—clients, designers, and users—to tackling open-ended, unstructured questions,” says Cohen. “They gained hands-on experience with tools like laser cutters and 3D printers and worked with different materials and prototyping. Through teamwork and communication, they learned how to collect and analyze data, manage their time effectively, and each group turned their ideas into tangible, meaningful projects.”

(Main photo credit: Lillie Paquette)