Overview
Denver School of Science and Technology, 2016
I designed and built a 90 square foot, two-level tiny house in partnership with Mortenson Construction and Habitat for Humanity of Denver for a total construction cost of $3700. Housing prices are increasing, sometimes faster than an average American can afford—a problem certainly apparent in my home city of Denver. One solution is a housing trend that has been appearing more and more in recent years—tiny houses. I wanted to combine a popular trend with the real-world problem of providing affordable housing. Therefore, the house does not have plumbing or electrical. Multiple homes similar in design can be in a community with a central communal kitchen and bath in order to achieve more affordable housing by directing where cost is necessary to build each home. I donated the house to Habitat for Humanity so that the proceeds would directly benefit affordable housing projects.
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Partnerships and Funding: Mortenson Construction – donated $2500 to the project, constructed the shell of the house (walls, roof, loft, and foundation). Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver – donated $500 in gift card form to use at local ReStores for recycled materials. I also raised $700 using GoFundMe.
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Tasks: Modeled/designed using Google SketchUp, researched construction methods, created budget, project management, and project documentation. Finished construction by doing exterior siding, drywall, flooring, design and build of furniture, and other finishing touches such as paint, pictures, a railing for the loft, etc. Developed final presentation for a panel of industry professionals and peers. Worked within the limitations of building over a mud pit in the school parking lot, the daily logistics of the car pick-up/drop-off line, and limited access to the school fabrication lab.
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Project Duration: 5 months (1 month for design and planning, 4 months for build time)
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Outcome: The house was donated to Habitat for Humanity where it was auctioned for $4200 to directly benefit the organization.
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Media: Featured on local Denver news programs (9News, CBS, and Channel 2 Daybreak) to promote the auction
See news articles and videos by clicking below:
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