LAN Designed it
High School Students Built it
It's a Home for a Family in Need
LAN Designed it
High School Students Built it
It's a Home for a Family in Need
If two things define LAN’s mission as architects and engineers, it’s a commitment to the educational sector and a connection to the communities we serve. So, when the opportunity arose to help the students and staff at Mount Academy build a house for Habitat for Humanity, our team was glad to be part of the project.
LAN partnered with The Mount Academy, the Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS), and Habitat for Humanity of Ulster County to build a modular house designed to provide affordable housing to a family in need. LAN provided the design’s construction documents, and Mount Academy students built the house under the direction of qualified teachers and trade professionals.
The MDS provided funding for building materials, and Habitat for Humanity acquired building permits, determined the final location of the house, and prepared the foundation. The Mount Academy’s Construction Technology program, consisting of 24 students, helped build the house on the Academy’s property before it was moved about 15 miles down the road to its permanent location.
The Mount Academy reached out to LAN to provide the construction documents that would determine the house’s design specifications and allow proper architectural and engineering oversight for permitting purposes. For this project, LAN’s architects updated the design from a previous collaboration of the same nature with Mount Academy to provide construction documents for a 1,352-sf house with a three-bedrooms, two baths, a kitchen, a dining area, a living area, and a utility room. The front of the house has a coved porch, and the roof is composed of prefabricated trusses that were installed once the two modular sections were set on the foundation.
“When we first contacted LAN, we were working under a very tight time constraint on an unusual and very small project. Once we explained our situation to the LAN staff, we were amazed at their quick response,” said David Mercer who teaches construction tech to students at Mount Academy. “LAN scheduled an in-person meeting in a matter of days, and the plans were drawn and ready sooner than we could have hoped. They truly delivered personalized service just when we needed it the most.”
Once the house was completed, it was moved to Saugerties, NY, to become home to a deserving family in need. The students watched the house get set on the foundation and saw their work finally completed.
“Watching the community come together to help the students construct the house was heartwarming,” said LAN Senior Associate Peter Manouvelos. “Local carpenters, electrical contractors, and plumbers volunteered their time to help educate the students on their trades and guide them through the process. Mount Academy, Habitat for Humanity, and The Mennonite Disaster Service not only funded a house for a family in need but also helped teach students valuable skills and life lessons. I’m just glad LAN Associates could do our part to contribute.”
This is the second modular house design LAN has provided to Mount Academy for a Habitat for Humanity project. LAN has designed several similar projects including a modular home for Rockland Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) and one for Broom-Tioga BOCES, who referred LAN to Mount Academy.
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