This high school class builds an entire house every year | Hacker News Reader

This high school class builds an entire house every year

popularmechanics.com

30 pointsJeremyMorgan10 comments

Does the school pour the foundations too? It is clear from the article they frame it, but it is unclear overall what is and is not included in what the students do (electrical? plumbing? interior walls? kitchen/bathroom installation? etc).

A project like this wouldn't shock me in other countries, but knowing how litigious the US is and the potential liability, I am surprised it got green lit. From other articles I've read even a lot of fieldtrips in the US are denied because of the supposed "danger."

In the article:

"We hire a team to dig out the foundation and get professional help for the plumbing, electrical work, and drywall, but everything else we do ourselves. We'll frame and raise walls, add windows, and even put up the roof supports, or trusses.'

This is one of the most inspirational articles I've read in months...incredibly creative approach to providing internships for willing students, especially at a time when funding for education is limited...

Bravo! Birt Hansen(founder) and Chris Higginbotham(current administrator)...

>In four decades,it's remained completely self-sustaining: The profits from one house pay for the materials for the next.<

That sort of longevity blows my mind...

I've volunteered on a couple of Habitat for Humanity work sites and recommend it...the way you feel at the end of the day, well that's the best kind of "tired" out there...the kids who have access to this program are lucky indeed...

This is my Alma Mater and I participated in in it (95). Birt Hansen was one of the most inspirational people in my life hands down. He convinced students that the world is conspiring in your favor, that that everything within your reach if you just want it bad enough.

When I met him I had little direction other than liking to draw and tinker with electronics (when I wasnt chasing girls). He convinced me to take a drafting class. In a few years I was doing advanced architectural drafting and learning this fancy new "AutoCad" stuff that we managed to get a grant for. With AutoCad I discovered Object Oriented methodology and scripting. Things grew from there.

Long story short, 21 years later I am enjoying a career as a software engineer doing exactly what I love and want to (they pay me for this? really?) and I have no problem giving Birt massive credit for what I've achieved.

Sorry, bit of a tangent but just wanted to say this guy was awesome.

There was no doubt in my mind, as I read the article, that he had to have been an incredibly positive influence in the lives of many...what a wonderful opportunity to learn a trade and develop a solid work ethic at the same time...

It sounds as if you've done well for yourself...congratulations!

Thanks for confirming with your post...

What kind of supervision was there?

I can't speak much to the construction end of it, but things like plumbing and electrical were still contracted out because of code/liability issues. There were many "subject matter experts" checking things out.

For the drafting side, we agreed on a design and used our learned techniques to create the drawings, guided by Mr. Hansen and a residential architect. The plans had to be proofed by an engineer and the usual building code folks with the city.

The kids design and build the thing but there is some oversight to make sure everything is up to snuff. From my experience and what I've been told over the years the houses exceed code standards in many ways which is one of the reasons they always sell quickly. Word gets around fast in this area.

My highschool (Spring Lake Park, MN) had a program like this when I was a student in the 90s. It was a specific course you signed up for like autoshop.

The basement and foundations were dug and laid by contractors but all of the other, non heavy equipment, construction was done by students under supervision from pros (like helping out a habitat for humanity project). Everything from framing, plumbing to electrical. Students would rotate and get their hands on every part of the house. Returning students took on leadership roles and more skilled tasks.

My Junior High in the early 1980s had a class like this as well. These sorts of classes are more common than some think...

I know someone who once bought a house built by students, but I'm not sure whether they were high school students or community college students. They didn't do any excavation work though, and it ended up being moved to the final site rather than any excavation work being involved. This was in southern Maine.

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