You build a house. Add the walls, the roof, the windows.
Done, right? Not quite.
Because once the house is standing, a whole new set of questions starts to pop up.
Why does it get warmer in one spot than another? Does sunlight make a difference? What happens when air moves through the space? And if you could change the design, what would you do differently?
These are the kinds of questions engineers think about when they design real buildings. And with the Design and Monitor a Building System Kit, students get to explore them on a much smaller scale.
They build their own model house, monitor temperature and humidity, collect real data, and use what they discover to think about how buildings can work better.
Turns out, a tiny house can lead to some pretty big ideas.
A Building Is More Than Walls and a Roof 🏠
We spend a lot of time inside buildings, but we don’t always think about everything happening behind the scenes.
A comfortable room doesn’t just happen by accident.
Sunlight, airflow, insulation, temperature, humidity, and even the direction a building faces can all affect what it feels like inside. Engineers and building professionals have to consider those factors when deciding how a space should be designed.
With this project, students get to start making those connections for themselves.
• Instead of simply learning that shade can help keep a space cooler, they can collect data and see what happens.
• Instead of hearing that ventilation matters, they can start asking why it matters.
That small shift, from being told an answer to investigating it, is where STEM gets interesting.
First, Build It. Then Put It to the Test. 🛠️
Building the model house is only the beginning.
Students use a digital sensor to measure temperature and humidity, then view and interpret the information using a mobile app.
Now the house becomes an experiment.
What happens if it sits near a sunny window?
What changes if it moves into the shade?
Does the temperature stay the same throughout the day?
Students can make predictions, gather readings, compare results, and look for patterns.
And suddenly, data isn’t just a chart in a textbook. It tells the story of something they built with their own hands.
Making Decisions With Data 📊
Engineers need evidence.
One of the most valuable parts of this project is that students learn to use information to guide their next decision.
The goal isn’t necessarily to find one perfect answer. It’s to notice what happened, ask why, and decide what to try next.
Observe, test, learn, improve. This cycle shows up everywhere in STEM.
It’s also an early introduction to data literacy. The same basic idea becomes increasingly important in smart technology: collect useful information, recognize patterns, and use those patterns to make better decisions.
Inspired by How Real Buildings Work 🌐
The Design and Monitor a Building System project was developed in collaboration with Johnson Controls, a global leader in thermal management, mission-critical building systems, energy efficiency, and decarbonization.
Through the STEM 101 Connections Program, Johnson Controls is one of the industry partners helping students see where the skills they’re learning can actually lead.
Alongside the hands-on project, students can hear from Johnson Controls professionals through short Virtual Mentor videos. They share what they do, the kinds of problems they work on, and how STEM shows up in their careers.
It gives students a chance to connect what they’re learning with the people who work with these ideas every day and to see where those skills could take them.
Maybe somewhere along the way, a student starts to wonder: Could I do something like this for a career someday?
That’s really the goal of the connection: to help students see that STEM isn’t just a subject they study. It’s a world of careers they can actually picture themselves being part of.
