Westlake Students Taking Part In Model Home Contest

WESTLAKE, OH — More than 20 Westlake High students could have their home designs displayed during the Great Big Home & Garden Show in Cleveland. The students will be taking part in the annual Student Model Home Design Contest, hosted by the Cuyahoga Valley Career Center (CVCC).

Judging for the contest will take place Jan. 17 at 5:30 p.m. in the commons. An awards ceremony will then be held at the CVCC on Jan. 18.

This year, the event's theme is "The Great Opportunity Zone." Students will work with developers to design model single family houses. Each group of students will be given the parameters of a typical housing lot to use as the basis for the design. Participants will have to adhere to Cleveland's building and housing codes in their designs.

The goal of the program is to design affordable, full-time homes for families who want to live in Cleveland. Smart and green technology should be incorporated into the design, wherever possible. The total possible budget for the program is $242,000.

This year's contest will include the work of 93 students from seven Ohio schools. Participating schools include Westlake High, Avon Lake High, Auburn Career Center, Excel TECC (Mayfield Schools), Theordore Roosevelt High (Kent), 4 Cities Compact (Wadsworth) and Cuyahoga Valley Career Center. A total of 29 designs will be judged on Jan. 17.

An awards presentation for winners will be held at 10 a.m. on Jan. 18. The top 10 winning models and drawings will be displayed at The Great Big Home and Garden Show, which opens Jan. 31 and continues through Feb. 9 at the I-X Center.

The grand prize winner of this year's contest will receive a $1,000 scholarship.