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Habitat build like lab for students
KAREN MCKINLEY
11/29/2009

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Just a few weeks ago the build site at 1401 Cumming St. wasn‘t much more than a hole in the ground.

Now, the site has a nearly completed home built by donations and volunteer time.

On Friday – College Corporate Day – Confederation College faculty, student union, staff and administration members helped put the finishing touches on the home Habitat for Humanity said would be ready by Christmas.

This build is a special one for the college‘s school of engineering technology and trades, as it is the beginning of what associate dean John Kanola hoped would be a partnership.

“Builds like this one are invaluable for the faculty and students to learn, and Habitat to get volunteers to help complete their builds,” he said. “We need a live lab like this home to teach students the fundamentals of building homes and the best way is to build one.”

The plan is to get students to apply their teachings to the building of a real home and allow them to put in their mandatory 48 hours of community service. The build time also goes towards their work placement.

“We‘re also hoping to get the architecture and design groups involved to help with the design aspect, not just do physical labour,” Kanola added.

This isn‘t the first home building project that came from teamwork involving both Confederation College and Habitat for Humanity. Butch Petrone, professor of architectural technology, said they also helped with a build on Harold Street. But that was a retrofit, not a new home.

“With this partnership we can combine charity and technology,” he said. “This is the best way we can teach students. The build is faster than an average home, but that‘s because Habitat works weekends.”

The build is helpful as well because many of Habitat for Humanity‘s homes include environmentally-friendly aspects, such as solar-power, steel frames and low-energy technology. These are not just trends of the present, Petrone said, but the way of the future as construction becomes more efficient and cost effective.

Habitat is getting more help from the community through coffee as well, with a $5,000 cheque from Robin‘s Donuts for the third time in two years. The gift is a collaborative effort from the staff at Robin‘s Donuts. They ran a coin box campaign at every store location in Northwestern Ontario.

The donation was made at the Victoriavile Mall location Friday afternoon.
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