House built by students hits the road, headed for Michigan City – nwitimes.com

Some 60 students have been involved in constructing the house so far, but others are involved as well, Martinson said, including interior design and architecture classes. Thats a total of some 75 to 100 students involved in the homes completion, he estimated.

Its nice to see every kid matters here, Martinson said.

Instructor Kevin Ortiz said the three-bedroom, one-bathroom house measures 26 feet by 40 feet. It was built in two halves at the high school. Beginning Tuesday, the pieces will be tied together and finishing work can begin. Drywall and other work had to wait until the house could be protected from the weather, he said.

All seven seniors working on the house plan to go into the construction business, Ortiz said. A partnership with the carpenters union will allow interested students to go straight into an apprenticeship and skip the waiting period, he said.

Student Claire Jones, of Chesterton, has helped build the home.

Ive learned its very important to be a team working here, she said.

Jones plans to go into project management and architecture. Learning the nuts and bolts of construction will help her in the future, she said.

Travis Konarski, of Chesterton, said he likes working with his hands. This year, the students took the partially finished home from last year and straightened the walls and did other work, he said. Konarski plans to pursue a degree in construction management.

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House built by students hits the road, headed for Michigan City - nwitimes.com