SAN ANTONIO – In November, Construction Careers Academy Principal Phillip Edge brought in three shipping containers for his students to turn into livable homes.
Four months later, the students have turned the rectangle metal boxes into something impressive.
They have put siding on the outside and hung sheet rock on the inside. The students have done the electrical work, the plumbing, hung the windows and are in the process of putting in the cabinets.
"I did a lot of the building, from siding to tape-and-float to decking to trim," said freshman Travis Peterek.
There are also future engineers and architecture students as well. The entire project has been conducted by the students from beginning to nearly the end.
"Before the containers came in, we measured all the places and we figured out where to place them," said Genesis Segura, a CCA senior and future engineer.
She is also one of those who has been called on to do whatever needs to be done.
"From painting to construction to cutting to just cleaning up," Segura said.
There are three different homes being built: one that is handicap-accessible, a "man cave" and a green home. The latter will use solar and wind-power and has a rainwater collection system for its garden.
The project is more than just learning to build a home. The students are learning to build teamwork skills.
"My favorite part of working here is that we learned how to work together as a group," Segura said.
"There is a lot of teamwork that goes into it," said Audrey Ethridge, CCA program director.
The homes will be completed in the next few weeks. On May 16, the CCA will hold a Parade of Homes that will be open to the public.
The homes will then be auctioned off to the highest bidder.