My name is Anoosh and I am a senior at George Washington University, majoring in Civil and Environmental Engineering and minoring in Sustainability. This past Summer, I was an interdisciplinary intern with Biohabtiats. I was interested in this position because not only did I get to expand my engineering skills and directly apply them but I was a part of a team whose mission I aligned with: to use technology and science to restore, conserve, and regenerate natural systems to sustain all life.
I have previous experience working in labs, but I was excited to work on more material real world projects and to get out in the field. I worked with Sarah Emrich on completing stormwater BMP inspections throughout Annapolis. I learned about various stormwater management practices such as permeable pavements, rain gardens, and barrels and their importance in
filtering stormwater and preventing it from overwhelming the municipality. I enjoyed speaking to homeowners about their stormwater infrastructure and the importance of maintaining it. One of my favorite field days was going to Minebank Run Stream to complete the first maintenance/management check for a previous restoration project to assess the stream’s physical characteristics to ensure its health and stability. I completed cross-section measurements of the stream to assess stream morphology using tools I never have before. I got to see deer, foxes, and birds and spend the day outdoors. Having the balance between behind the scenes technical work in the office and going out in the field to see how things are put into practice was an aspect of Biohabitats I really enjoyed.
I was introduced to the Living Building Challenge at Biohabitats which is a certificate, framework, and philosophy of how to construct buildings in such a way that it is as efficient as a flower, intaking energy from the sun and using only the amount of resources it needs, even producing more. The building is often self-sufficient and remains within the resource limits of its
site, it connects occupants to light, air, food, and nature, and it creates a positive impact. Biohabtiats has worked on many Living Building Challenges, specifically offering support on the project’s “Water Petal.” For my final project, I did a Living Building Challenge analysis of the Biohabitats headquarters at Baltimore. I looked at the building’s energy sources, stormwater practices, and material use and offered suggestions for how the building/company can better embody the Living Building Challenge.
I truly enjoyed my Summer at Biohabitats and growing my technical skills but also learning about frameworks and companies that are fascinating, innovative, and necessary for the future. I learned about the work I want to do and efforts I want to be involved with.
