We all had some sort of class in high school, like home ec or woodshop, that was supposed to teach us valuable life skills. But the students at an eastern Kentucky school are way ahead of the curve as they’re learning just how to build a house!
Logan Reed and AJ Maloney are two high school juniors who are a part of Lee County Area Technology Center, and for the past six months, they’ve been embarked on the construction of a 200-square-foot home. The year-long project is a custom-built home for an 81-year-old woman living in West Virginia.
Helping the students go from blueprints to a full building is carpentry instructor, Tommy Judd. And it’s not easy either, they’re outside whatever the weather.
Logan explained in the video below, “We have to really work around the weather. Come out here when it’s cold, when it’s hot.”
The building program was brought in six years ago, thanks to a grant from Kentucky Valley Educational Cooperative. And now, with all the tiny homes that get built, students have a chance to be “Building it Forward” one home at a time.
Tommy has said of the project, “Once that tiny house sold, that money came back to us to put into another one. We’ve went from a $15,000 tiny house up to over a $30,000 tiny house now.”
Even though they’re students, Tommy still has standards when it comes to building things. He wants them to be equal in quality to the types of homes that he built while at his old company – homes that can withstand all types of natural elements.
The ATC Principal, Craig Herald, noted the quality, saying in the interview below, “Bolted to the trailer, you know, these extra hurricane straps and stuff, and some of that stuff is kind of expensive, but Mr. Judd wanted to make sure the quality is there, and it showed up.”
“They’re a tiny house, the size of an RV or a camper but they’re built a whole lot stronger, and I don’t think a camper could’ve survived that,” Tommy said.
As for the students, not only does it give them a chance to build real-world experience, but it also allows them to make a difference. Their work is helping to give others shelter and a home, which can be such a big relief for some people.
The home currently under construction should be finished later this year – dependent on the students’ availability due to the current COVID-19 pandemic.
Check out the progress:
What do you think of these homes? Let us know!