SFA students build tiny homes as part of college course

NACOGDOCHES, Texas (KTRE) - Steven F. Austin’s construction management students showcased their four newly built tiny homes today.

These homes were built to give students hands-on experience. SFA’s construction management students started building these tiny homes back in September, and today they showed off their hard work. There are 17 students in the class, and each were put in four separate groups.

Sally Ann Swearingen, professor for the construction management class, said this is a newer program. She said they don’t have a classroom or lab for the students to learn in, so she applied for a grant.

“And with that, we were able to buy two cargo-type trailers, and we were able to buy tools and equipment that enabled us to have kind of a mobile classroom,” Swearingen said.

Aaron Triplet, a junior construction management student, said at the beginning of the project some people in the class didn’t know how to do a lot of the hands-on things needed to build these homes.

“But we learned, you know. The first day, one of the guys didn’t know how to hook up a nail gun, and the last day, he was nailing in trim and important stuff that you’ll see,” Triplet said. Triplet said this allowed him to apply the things he learned in class to real work.

Kyle Hudson, sophomore construction management student, said they plan on building more.

“This was the guinea pig just to see if we can even do it, and as you can see it works. We have learned a lot along the way, and next time we come out here they will be even better,” Hudson said.

Swearingen said interior design students will decorate the homes next. These homes, once finished, will be donated to The Village Nac.

“It will have the opportunity to have someone that has been homeless or someone that doesn’t have a home to be able to live in those,” Swearingen said.

The interior design work will start next semester.

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