Hiiiiiiiiii my name is Jacob Totaro AKA Jake.
I’m currently a 2nd year MS in SDC. I completed my undergrad at USC in LA in Environmental Engineering. While at USC, I co-founded a nonprofit startup that manufactured and distributed shelter-improving products for displaced and houseless populations living long-term in tents and encampments. Following my undergrad, I worked in the environmental investigation and consulting field, drilling and developing various wells for deep groundwater and soil investigation. I quickly realized two things: 1) my job was to reduce liability for clients who are contaminating the most, and 2) I wanted to build things. Thus, I came to Stanford to learn more about our built environment and how I can deliver more equitable and sustainable infrastructure projects to communities.
I’m excited about this course because I have never modeled in Revit, and this is a critical skill I’ll need in my future work as a Project Management Consultant largely focused on design coordination between architects, engineers, and construction teams. I’ve also always been interested in architecture so I’m looking forward to designing my first building from scratch. By the end of our ten weeks, I hope to become proficient in Revit and gain a better understanding of how buildings can reflect biology and evolution to become symbiotic with their environments throughout the entire life cycle of the project, including materials, energy and water use, and aesthetics.