In November, carpentry students from Wrenshall High School toured a super-efficient, net zero house in their neighborhood. Students measured the temperature of the floor slab in different parts of the house and discussed the passive solar energy and heat pump technology keeping the house comfortable. Perhaps most memorably, students oohed and aahed when the homeowner demonstrated the air tightness of the house by turning on the stove fan: the windows audibly moved in response to the air pressure created by the fan.
This tour is a part of the Green Design Build Capstone project, where Just Housing is partnering with Wrenshall and Cloquet high schools to bring green building into the classroom. In addition to the tour, students will build their own scaled-down, solar-powered, high performance “tiny buildings”. A compact 96 sq. ft., the buildings will be continuously insulated, exceptionally airtight, and will draw from best building practices in the industry. Construction will begin in March and finish by the end of the spring semester, but the hope is to provide the skills, connections, and inspiration for students to continue working in high performance construction.
Students will gain the critical building skills needed for a changing climate: installing continuous installation, connecting the air barrier across different materials, and protecting the building against the intrusion of water. They will also gain exposure to solar powered electrical systems and heat recovery ventilation systems.
The demand for a skilled green trades workforce is high, but climate-forward coursework is not yet integrated into high school curricula. This project will assist high school teachers in expanding their capacity to teach high performance building skills, and it will also aid the teachers’ own professional development. In addition to exposure to green building, students will also gain connections to career opportunities while contributing to their community.
Many hands have made and continue to make this project possible. Funding for the project comes from the Northeast Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships through UMN Extension. Chris Gustafson and Dusty Rhoades will be leading the building projects in their carpentry classes in Wrenshall High School and Cloquet High School, respectively. John Goeke of Star Power Electric, Randy WIlliams of Willcon Inc, and Sue French of Square Peg Workshop will serve as local professional partners and provide hands-on assistance building the sheds. Many industry partners are involved as well: Intectural, Huber Engineered Woods, The Rockwool Group, Dakota Steel, and Andersen Windows are generously providing material donations. Just Housing designed the buildings, and will be providing classroom training for the students on drafting, blueprint reading, building science, and more.
At the end of the project, the buildings will be donated to Divine Konnections Inc., a local non-profit providing housing support to young mothers, and Fond Du Lac Tribal Community College. The tiny buildings can be used as study rooms, art studios, small meeting rooms, and decompression spaces.
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