CBCS student-build house taking shape on town-owned property

Swinging hammers, making progress, building confidence

By Aimee Eaton

The foundation is in and the first-floor walls are up on the student-designed home being built at 906 Butte Ave. in Crested Butte.

The home, which will be owned by the town and used for town employee housing once completed, is a roughly 1,000-square-foot, two-story building that was designed by students in Crested Butte Community School teacher Todd Wasinger’s classroom over the course of the last school year.

Now, the design stage is finished and many of those same students who worked on the plans and permitting for the house are the ones swinging hammers and making measurements to bring the residence to life.

“We’re two weeks into the build and we’re starting on the second floor. That’s pretty good for what is pretty much a bunch of rookies,” said Wasinger during a short break at the build site. “The house is being built to the industry standard, but we’re not out here doing production carpentry. Every step is a process with teaching and learning happening.”

There are 18 students working on the build aspect of the project. Work goes on four days a week, and the students work in five- or six-person shifts.

“Jeff Bearthe and John Stock, local builders, have been incredible,” said Wasinger. “Jeff was out here for the first two days, and after the second day we had all four exterior walls standing. They have just been great teachers and they’re great with the kids. Their involvement has removed all the anxiety from the project; we’ve got this.”

One of the most important things the kids have learned so far is to try, said Wasinger.

“It’s easy to get stuck in moments of uncertainty or indecision,” he said. “But after they made their first few mistakes and realized that mistakes can be fixed, and more than that, that they are learning the skills to fix them on their own, they started to develop more confidence. Now, we see that it’s good for them to make mistakes.”

Before the students started on the build, CBCS teacher Adam Ofstedahl offered a fundamentals of buildings class to any student wanting to learn basic carpentry. That class prepped many of the kids involved in the home construction for the work being done.

“They came in already knowing a fair amount about what things were called, and how basic carpentry worked,” said Wasinger. “Overall things have been going pretty smooth, and it’s been a lot of fun for me. I get excited about coming to work everyday.”

Tommy Linehan will be a junior at CBCS this fall. He’s been working at the build site for the last two weeks, and his newly purchased tool belt is beginning to show signs of wear. The latest aspect of the home he’s been involved with is the staircase from the first story to the second.

“The whole build has really made me appreciate houses and how my house was created, and so much more,” says Linehan, after climbing off the ladder where he was measuring space for the stairs. “I understand so much more how everything had to go together and have gratitude for why the lights come on. There are so many little pieces that have to be figured out.”

Linehan is at the build site two days a week, and will receive high school credit for his work. He said one of the best parts has been working with Ofstedahl and Wasinger, and really gaining an understanding of the hands-on work. The most challenging part?

“Some of the math,” he said. “Especially on the stairwell there’s a lot of math, and so many different little pieces have to go into it.”

The build will continue through the summer with the goal of putting up the second story next week. Soon after that, the roof will go on. The students will be there every step of the way.

“I’m pretty excited to come back in 10 years and say, ‘I built this,’” said Linehan.