Summary Reader Response Draft 1

Summary
In the article “Use of cladding in buildings here have grown in recent times: Experts” from Faris Mokhtar, Today Online (June 20, 2017) states that although there are benefits of cladding on a building, it can be a threat as it serves as a fire hazard.

Mokhtar (2017) states that the usage of cladding has shown to provide many benefits for the building. According to Assistant Professor Fadeyi (2017), cladding has shown to benefit in the reduction of energy consumption and the increases sustainability of the building.  According to Assistant Professor Budig (2017), he mentions that Singapore practices another style of cladding which enhances the shade of the building.

However, usage of cladding has been contributing in the rapid spreading of fire as it endangers the fire safety in the building as the oxygenation could escalate the fire (Mokhtar, 2017). According to Mokhtar (2017), cladding may have contributed to the fire that struck the Grenfell Tower, which led to multiple fatalities.

Thesis statement
In recent times, some buildings with cladding in singapore have been tested to have non-Class'0' cladding. As such, more stringent rules and fire test should be implemented. These stringent rules are critical to the fire safety of the building and the prevention of another cladding related fire.

Descriptive Reflection

Subject: Brief Introductory Letter

Dear Miss Lim

I am Lai Ming Wei, from class SIE2016 SEM03. Having previously studied Environmental Management and Water Technology in Singapore Polytechnic from year 2012 to 2015, my interest in the built environment sector grew. It was then that I decided to enroll into the Singapore Institute of Technology’s Sustainable Infrastructure engineering (Building services) programme to further develop my competency in this field.

A communication strength that I possess would be active listening. During my time of study in Singapore polytechnic, I found it was important to be an engaged listener. As I interacted with my course mates and lecturers daily, being an active listener helped me better understand the speaker and what they were communicating. This in turn helped me to work better with people and also in forming new relations.

However a weakness that I have, would be the skill to assert myself in a group setting. Having done various group projects in a large group setting of about 6-7 members before, I found it difficult to express my views and thoughts as there were other people in the group who were more assertive and outspoken. This led me to keep my thoughts to myself and simply follow the more assertive people in the group.

My goals for this module would be to develop my confidence and ultimately being able to assert my thoughts and views in a large group setting. And also to improve on my written communication skills. I feel that to be able to communicate effectively, one must possess both verbal and non-verbal communication skills as well as strong written communication skills, and it is something that I would want to take away from this module at the end.  

Yours Sincerely

Lai Ming Wei