Students in the construction program work with nonprofits in the carpentry class, such as Habitat for Humanity, to build tiny homes and full-sized homes.
Students enrolled in the CONST 106 Rough Carpentry II Floors, Walls, and Roof Framing courses build three tiny houses as part of four classes that are each eight weeks long. They start with the foundation and framing of the houses and end with the interior design of the tiny houses, while also building average sized houses alongside Habitat for Humanity.
“It really does give you confidence in going forward with your own construction endeavors,” said Carlos Carrasco, a Cosumnes River College laboratory technician of construction and alumni who took the class in 2015 . “I would definitely take this class again.”
Ryan Connally, a CRC professor who teaches CONST 106, said students go off campus to build the houses. Students in the carpentry courses are working on the framing process of two houses in Oak Park with Habitat for Humanity.
“We’re one of the few programs that does go off campus with the nonprofit,” Carrasco said. “It’s been awesome working with them.”
The construction program stores three tiny homes on campus near the northeast technical building. All student-built and designed. One of the houses was built by students from Sierra College.
“These homes live on campus to showcase what this program can do,” Carrasco said.
In past classes, there’s a collaboration between the architecture and construction students. The architecture students give presentations of their designs to the construction students and they converse on what can and can’t work.
Connally said it’s similar to cross-pollinating the design and the build. The design students learn they can’t just build anything they want.
The construction students are in the process of building another three tiny homes this school year with the same foundation and framing, in hopes of working with another nonprofit.
The tiny homes built in the past were arranged to be with nonprofit organizations as well.
“I think just helping families that are in need right now, that are in transitional housing,” Carrasco said. “When we were there last, I believe 20 families come and gone through that certain nonprofit and it just shows it helps. It’s good to know we’re able to help here, there at CRC.”
Carrasco said after he took this class he was able to remodel his own house and do his own flooring. He said it really opened up a lot of possibilities for him.
“A lot of the time, students will take just like, one class and they find out we have networks with employers, and take a class and get a job and they elevate into the industry faster too,” Connally said.