Sharing My Practical and Hands-On Learning for Aspiring Construction Professionals
My experiential learning philosophy is based on the conviction that students learn construction best by engaging with real problems, real people, and real consequences. Construction is not an abstract discipline; it is contextual, collaborative, and deeply human. Experiential learning allows students to internalize this reality by placing learning within authentic professional and community settings.
Experiential learning in my courses is intentional, structured, and reflective. Students do not simply “gain experience”; they are guided through carefully designed activities that require observation, analysis, decision-making, and evaluation. These experiences are paired with reflection that encourages students to connect technical outcomes with broader considerations such as ethics, affordability, constructability, and social impact.
A cornerstone of this philosophy is service-learning, particularly through multi-semester projects focused on affordable housing and community partnerships. By working alongside organizations such as Habitat for Humanity and local stakeholders, students confront real constraints — limited budgets, labor availability, material choices, and scheduling pressures — while contributing to projects that matter beyond the classroom. These experiences foster empathy, civic responsibility, and an understanding of construction as a public good.
Experiential learning also supports the development of professional identity. Through applied projects, students practice communication, teamwork, leadership, and accountability. They learn to navigate uncertainty, balance competing priorities, and make informed trade-offs — skills that cannot be fully developed through lecture alone.
Reflection is essential to this process. Students are encouraged to examine not only what they built or calculated, but how they thought, collaborated, and responded to challenges. This reflective practice transforms experience into durable learning and prepares students for lifelong adaptation in a changing industry.
Through experiential learning, students move from being consumers of information to active participants in the construction process. They graduate with a deeper understanding of materials, systems, and people — and with the confidence to apply their knowledge responsibly in service of communities and the built environment.
Each fall, Bowman Field becomes one of Clemson University’s most inspiring construction sites — where students, faculty, and community members raise the walls of a Habitat for Humanity home in just ten days.
This year marked the 32nd anniversary of the Homecoming Build and the completion of our 33rd home. Students from across campus came together to learn, lead, and serve — many of them first introduced to the project through my Creative Inquiry in Building Affordable Housing course in the Nieri Department of Construction and Real Estate Development.
The experience blends classroom learning with real-world construction, creating a model for how education and service can build stronger communities.
Watch the full video produced by Clemson Student Life: 2025 Homecoming Build Video
Dozens of Clemson students volunteered to help construct the annual Homecoming Build house on Bowman Field, sponsored by the Pickens County Habitat for Humanity chapter. Kirk served as a Construction Supervisor for two afternoons.
Several Construction Science and Management students and Kirk dedicated significant time to assist with constructing the annual Homecoming Build house, organized by the Pickens County Habitat for Humanity chapter.
I had the pleasure of coaching a six-member student team from our CSM 4320/4330 Residential Construction Management Studio class. The students and I traveled to Orlando to compete in the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) student competition at the International Builders Show (IBS). Our students were given a problem statement to develop a tract of land in Liburn, GA. and put together a new community proposal for the site. They created a site plan, the floor plans, calculated construction costs, and develop a construction schedule. They also put together a full market analysis of competition in the market in order to finalize expected margin and pricing. Our students presented their proposal to a judge of industry professionals from the production home building indsutry.
I had the pleasure of coaching a six-member student team from our CSM 4320/4330 Residential Construction Management Studio class. The students and I traveled to Las Vegas to compete in the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) student competition at the International Builders Show (IBS). Our students were given a problem statement to develop a tract of land in Georgetown, TX. and put together a new community proposal for the site. They created a site plan, the floor plans, calculated construction costs, and develop a construction schedule. They also put together a full market analysis of competition in the market in order to finalize expected margin and pricing. Our students presented their proposal to a judge of industry professionals from the production home building indsutry.
I had the pleasure of escorting a five-member student team from our CSM 4320/4330 Residential Construction Management Studio class. The students and I traveled to Las Vegas to compete in the National Association of Home Builders student competition. Our students were given a problem statement to select an available lot on Lake Allatoona near Atlanta, Georgia and put together a custom home design-build project. They created a site plan, floor plan, elevations, calculated construction costs, and develop a construction schedule. They also put together a full market analysis of comparable lakeside homes in order to finalize expected margin and pricing. Our students presented their project to a judge of industry professionals from the custom home building segment.
I had the pleasure of coaching a five-member student team from our CSM 4560 Construction Management Studio II class. The students and I traveled to Atlanta to compete in the Associated Schools of Construction student competition. Our students had 12 hours to put together a complete bid proposal for a design-build food processing plant. Our students presented their proposal to members of the construction team from A.M. King that were directly involved in the actual construction of this processing plant.
Students from both Materials and Methods of Construction (CSM 2030 and CSM 2050) toured the new Forestry and Environmental Conservation job site. This building has a concrete foundation and uses mass wood construction for the building structure.
Students from both Materials and Methods of Construction (CSM 2030 and CSM 2050) toured the new Advanced Materials Innovation Center building. This building is framed with sitecast concrete plus some structural steel protecting the mechanical equipment on the roof deck.
Our CSM 4540 Construction Capstone students and myself visited a Ryan Homes community for a walk through of wood frame construction, mechanical rough-ins, interior and exterior finishes.
Our CSM 4540 Construction Capstone students and myself visited a Lennar community for a walk through of wood frame construction and mechanical rough-ins..
George Lazano from Baker Roofing delivered a presentation on commercial roofing construction types to the CSM 2050 Materials and Methods: Concrete/Steel Construction class.
Mike Oliver from Metromont delivered a presentation on precast concrete construction to the CSM 2050 Materials and Methods: Concrete/Steel Construction class.
Taylor Densmore from Lithco delivered a presentation on cast in place concrete construction to the CSM 2050 Materials and Methods: Concrete/Steel Construction class.
Dan Crosby from Metrocon delivered a presentation on ready-mix concrete construction to the CSM 2050 Materials and Methods: Concrete/Steel Construction class.
Tamara Dourneyfrom Pickens County Habitat for Humanity spoke about the Habitat for Humanity Internationa's new Strategic Focus to our CSM 4990 Creative Inquiry in Building Affordable Housing class.
Dalton Weed and Madison Wade from SteelFab spoke about Structural Steel Fabrication and Erection to our CSM 2050 Materials and Methods: Concrete/Steel Construction class.
Jeremy Bailey and Parker Lowrance from Brasfield and Gorrie spoke about Construction of the Clemson Alumni Center Building to our CSM 2050 Materials and Methods: Concrete/Steel Construction class.
Mike Oliver from Metromont delivered a presentation on precast concrete construction to the CSM 2050 Materials and Methods: Concrete/Steel Construction class.
Ben Goodwin & Taylor Densmore from Lithko delivered a presentation on sitecast concrete construction to the CSM 2050 Materials and Methods: Concrete/Steel Construction class.
Dan Crosby from Metrocon delivered a presentation on ready-mix concrete construction to the CSM 2050 Materials and Methods: Concrete/Steel Construction class.
Allison Tucker and Marv McDaris from DRB Homes discussed the land book approval process with the CSM 4320/4330 Residential Construction Management Studio I & II class preparing for the 2025 NAHB Student Competition.
Mike Oliver from Metromont delivered a presentation on precast concrete construction to the CSM 2050 Materials and Methods: Concrete/Steel Construction class.
Henry Martin from Thomas Concrete shared insights on concrete construction and mix design with the CSM 2050 Materials and Methods: Concrete/Steel Construction class.
Mike King from Component Estimator spoke about Material Itemization in Construction Estimating to our CSM 4540 Construction Capstone class.
Larry Beasley from Baker Concrete spoke about Concrete placement for commercial and industrial construction projects to our CSM 2050 Materials and Methods: Concrete/Steel Construction class.
Garrett Dickinson from Dillard-Jones spoke about Design-Build best practices in the custom home building segment to our CSM 4540 Construction Capstone class.
Sam Verzella from Ajax Building spoke about Project Planning, Crane Placement, and Vertical Transportation for high-rise construction to our CSM 2050 Materials and Methods: Concrete/Steel Construction class.
Andre Harris from A M King spoke about Design-Build best practices in the commercial construction segment to our CSM 4540 Construction Capstone class.
Bradley Robinson and Madison Wade from SteelFab spoke about Structural Steel Fabrication and Erection to our CSM 2050 Materials and Methods: Concrete/Steel Construction class.
Jeremy Bailey from Brasfield and Gorrie spoke about Construction of the Clemson Alumni Center Building to our CSM 2050 Materials and Methods: Concrete/Steel Construction class.
Kirk Harmon from Lennar spoke about Production Homebuilding Scheduling to our CSM 4540 Construction Capstone class.
Sam Verzella from Ajax Building spoke about Project Planning, Crane Placement and Vertical Transportation for high-rise construction to our CSM 2050 Materials and Methods: Concrete/Steel Construction class.
Henry Martin from Thomas Concrete spoke about Concrete Construction, Concrete Mix Design and about the Carolinas Ready Mixed Concrete Association to our CSM 2050 Materials and Methods: Concrete/Steel Construction class.
Alley Linder from J Davis Construction spoke about Habitat for Humanity and Challenges with Affordable Housing to our CSM 4540 Construction Capstone class.