You know that feeling, when you're building something, and all your measurements and calculations work out properly on the wood, the pieces fit seamlessly together, the bevel joints are flush, and everything harmonizes perfectly?
You do? What's it like? I can't even hang up a picture.
Dave Kipp's construction class at Westdale Secondary knows the feeling full well, literally and figuratively.
They're nearing completion on an absolutely inspired project for which their curiosity and passion around building are joined smoothly, like elements of carpentry, with the larger purposes of their education and broader themes of socially responsible living.
They are constructing what teacher Dave calls, alternately, a "tiny house," and a "mobile classroom."
The project flows out of a current in contemporary thought — simple, more efficient, less wasteful living. Dave has, for some time now, been very interested in the "small house" (sometimes called "tiny house") movement.
"I attended a seminar on it, buying them or building your own, and we've been looking at it," he says, but it didn't seem affordable.
Then, last year, partners stepped up. Lowes kindly supplied the wood, "blue" wood, and several other building materials. AMA Roofing produced the roofing supplies, and Jarvis Insulation is going to spray foam the place when it's done.
"The students are getting construction experience and an education in simple living," says Dave.
The project started last spring when all the framing went up. This September it resumed, with the roofing, siding and other phases of the building.
When I visit the place, students are crawling and climbing all over it, two of them on the roof, all of them wearing yellow hard hats, brandishing tape measures, hammers and other tools. (Not only do they practise skills on a house and learn about the small house movement, they also refine what they've learned about working at heights, first aid, WHMIS, and power-actuated tools, such as nail guns.)
The house looks terrific, almost done, except for the interior, which is still in the roughed-out stage. But there are plans — a composting toilet, kitchen, sleeping loft and other amenities. There's already a skylight in the roof, and solar panels will be going up at some point, furnishing the place with power.
It's 106 square feet — 16 feet long, seven feet wide and 12-plus feet high. The 23 students, along with Dave, designed the place. They did scale models.
"Since I was a little girl I've been helping my dad build things," says Madeline Goshgarian-Lueth, part of the building team and the student who wrote up the grant applications that helped get help from contributors like Lowes.
"I was thrilled when this came through. It's such an opportunity."
"I come to school happy every day," says Ben Woodley, who's been putting up some of the pine siding. "I get to work with my hands."
Emily McDonald's been working the roof. The height's no problem. "I like to be up there where I don't have to worry about what they're doing on the ground."
On this day she and Connor Thompson are putting up metal sheets, ice and water shield, strapping. I have no idea what all that is, but the roof looks great.
As much as anything, the students enjoy teamwork. They appreciate how their efforts coalesce into a unity, a house.
"It's not easy to find a class where you get along with every person and work for the common good," says Lucas Robichaud.
For Evan Hamilton and Nicholas Elsasser the thrill has been watching the house develop, from the ground up. They worked on it last term, when the walls weren't up and now it looks, well, like a house, a small house, but a house.
And that's a big, big deal.
Teacher Dave says when the project is done they will tour the house (it's being built on a flatbed trailer) to elementary schools to introduce students to project-based learning.
