Jide Amole

SMALL HOUSE CONSTRUCTION BLOG

BACKGROUND

Problem Statement

The 2013/2014 cohort of the Master in Integrated Design and Construction (MIDC) was tasked with trying to build a small house for $2000. The initial idea was to build a house that would serve a temporary housing for folks affected by tornadoes that struck in the summer. The class was divided into four groups for the design phase of the project. These groups were assigned different tasks to be performed in a week when each team was in charge of the project, and then had off to the next group. The class finally agreed on floor plans and the shape of the house, then proceeded to the construction phase. The final cost of the house was a little over $3200.

PRIMARY DUTIES
During the construction stage, I was assigned to the group that kept tabs on the budget. Our primary responsibility was to interface with the acquisition group and keep records on the daily/weekly purchases of building materials for the construction of the house. I kept a log of daily expenses and distributed same to all class members and instructors as a means of keeping everyone updated about the financial situation at very point of the project. I also worked on wrapping of the house with a waterproof membrane, building walls, window installation and other mundane tasks as were assigned to me. This was in addition to waste management and site clean-up that every member of the class performed at the end of each work day.

RESEARCH ISSUE

Egress

The main topic I researched on was floor plans and how to incorporate the ideas we had into such a small house without making the occupants feel restricted. The one recurring issue for me was how to manage the space allocated for the bathroom with the backdoor that was required by code.

We initially wanted bigger windows on just one side of the house that would act as a means of egress in case of emergencies, but after class discussions we proceeded in adding a backdoor just aft of the bathroom.

REFLECTIONS

When were you most engaged?

I was most engaged with the wrapping of the house with waterproofing. I also had a bit of work installing fascia boards.

When were you least engaged and why?

I was least engaged with the installing of the roof and shingles. As much as I wanted to participate in that activity, I had a knee injury that required me to wear a brace, climbing ladders or kneeling on the roof was almost impossible.

What surprised you about the project?

The most surprising thing to me was how factors that were out of our control led to quick thinking and variations from dimensions. Issue as bowed pieces of lumber and how we compensated to make the house work showed that plans don’t automatically work out on the construction site.

Who/What contributed to your learning on the project?

I was able to learn from most people during the construction of the house. Even people who didn’t have prior hands-on experience where able to contribute ideas that ended up making the house work. The main takeaway for me was the roofing of the house where I could ask questions from colleagues who had a better understanding than I did, and for the most part where patient enough to elaborate things that were not clear.

What would you suggest for additional projects of this type?

I would suggest that future projects like this have a detailed, probably written, program outlining the responsibilities of each team member. The main issue I had with the construction of the house was with some people’s attitude about the construction phase of the house. I felt like some people thought they handle the construction on their own, while a few other could have shown more interest in the house. Then there were some in the middle. There seems to be a division within the class that made what would have been a very teachable experience into one that was barely tolerated. I felt like some people who had prior experiences could have done better in passing along the knowledge to others without coming across as irritable.

At the end of the project though I had taken away many things about residential construction. I was able to learn from my peers and instructors and also assist in problem solving as they came up on the jobsite.