SOUTH BEND — Before South Bend Career Academy students set out to transform a shipping container into a tiny house, there was a discussion this past winter about whether to buy certain items or build them.
“I said, ‘We’ve got to spice this up and make it different,’” said Charity Vaughn, a junior who is among nine students in the charter school’s building and trades course.
Vaughn hatched a plan to design a folding table on wheels for the structure, which is being built by students on a trailer behind the school.
Students are putting the final touches on the house by connecting the wiring and plumbing, and the project is expected to be done in June. The goal is to sell the home later this year, using the proceeds to build another house next school year.
Vaughn, who wants to be an architect and engineering manager, said building the house was “really hard” and required students to “think quick on our feet.” Students needed to replace a window they installed, for example, with one that is compatible with a folding bed.
“I learned that if you have an idea, make sure you keep an open mind because it might change,” Vaughn said.
The house, which will feature a kitchenette along with a bathroom and shower, will be on display in front of the school this summer. Students will also showcase it at various summer events, including the St. Joseph County 4-H Fair.
Lee Ann Solberg, a counselor at the academy who has some construction experience, said she stepped in to temporarily serve as teacher of the building and trades course this school year; the plan is to hire an instructor for next school year.
Solberg said she and the academy superintendent, Alex Hammel, decided building a tiny house would be a great way for students to learn construction skills firsthand. Tiny houses, after all, are becoming increasingly popular.
“They still get all of the skills they need with the electricity, plumbing, walls and floors,” said Solberg, who enjoys building things in her free time; among other things, she has built a shed, bunk beds and a teardrop-style trailer.
Solberg said she gave students the freedom to experiment with the tiny home’s features. Sometimes corrections needed to be made, but it was part of the learning experience.
“If they wanted to try something that ended up wrong, it wasn’t going to hurt anything,” she said, adding that she enjoys watching students solve problems together. “It’s fun to the kids when the lights come on.”
Aaron Daily, a senior who plans to become an electrician, said building the home was like solving a big puzzle.
“The biggest part was trying to find space for everything,” he said. “You can’t be too huge with a lot of the materials. ... If it’s too huge, it will fall off.”