Oakland County Construction Technology Students Build House

Press release from the Oakland Schools:

Construction Technology students from Oakland Schools Technical Campus (OSTC) Northeast unveiled a 1,368 square foot home they built during the course of the 2019-2020 school year which was moved today to a location in Pontiac and made available for purchase to a local family.

The 19 students, one female and 18 male, hail from various high schools around Oakland County: Pontiac High School, Pontiac Academy for Excellence, Auburn Hills Avondale High School, Rochester High School, Rochester Stoney Creek High School, Rochester Adams High School, Oxford High School, Lake Orion High School and Michigan Great Lakes Virtual Academy.

“Oakland Schools Technical Campus programs allow students to gain essential skills for working in the real world,” said Oakland Schools’ Superintendent Dr. Wanda Cook-Robinson. “This house build is a prime example of the type of learning experiences offered for those enrolled in these programs.”

Some facts about the build:

The home had six state inspections and passed all six on the very first inspection.

Over 50,000 nails and screws went into the construction of this home.

If placed end to end, the two-by-fours used to build this house would stretch over one mile.

Students worked 7,300 hours to complete this project.

The house weighs approximately 164,000 pounds.

Just the drywall alone weighed over 4 tons.

Students learned to operate heavy equipment and worked with the crane operator to install the roof trusses.

Students completed the framing, roofing, window installation, insulation and drywall.

Professional tradesmen and tradeswomen worked with our students to complete the electrical, mechanical, plumbing and drywall phases of this home.

The students spent a week learning to operate sky trac and skid steer equipment.

The home was built in partnership with OLHSA’s Venture, Inc., Oakland Schools, the Oakland County Treasurer’s Office, Onsite Solutions, Community Housing Network, and Oakland County Community and Home Improvement.

Several local dignitaries attended the ribbon cutting. The event highlighted the unique educational experiences OSTC students garner, helping them secure a bright future.

Click to view a time lapse video of the construction or photos of the unveiling event.

This press release was produced by the Oakland Schools. The views expressed here are the author’s own.