Think big, build small: Students’ tiny home hits Showcase
After two years of sweat and sawdust, five BOCES seniors unveil their ambitious tiny home project at Saratoga’s Showcase of Homes this weekend.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY — Saratoga’s premier new home tour has its eye on the future.
A group of WSWHE BOCES students — some of whom could join the next generation of star builders — will unveil a two-year construction project at the Showcase of Homes, presented October 4-5 (this weekend) and October 11-12. Their home? An Adirondack log cabin-style tiny house.
“These students started last October with a J & J Trailers and donated foam from North East Spray,” says the class’s instructor, John Coffinger. “After the installation on the flooring was complete, we started framing.”
While the seniors from last year aren’t around to see the final product, five students have been with the tiny home from start to finish — and will be on hand at DeGraff Bloom Custom Builders Showcase home #10 during all four days of the Showcase (see the event’s map for details).
After building nine modular homes with previous classes, Coffinger tackled a tiny house (built more for a camp than full-time living) for the first time for this project. The small dwellings have become a popular trend in recent years, as many people fall in love with the minimal lifestyle — and reduced costs — of having a 400-square-foot home. The BOCES house is even smaller at eight feet by 24 feet, with a small bathroom and a handy Murphy bed that opens up some space during the day. Cabinets are on order, as is a sink and fridge.
“The students do everything from beginning to end,” says Coffinger, who’s been a BOCES instructor for 24 years. “They do the wall framing, roofing and siding. They install the windows and the door, and they even did the wiring. The plumbing was the only thing we had a guy come in and help a little bit with that.”
After two years of hard work, Coffinger lit up when asked about the pay-off.
“It was pretty exciting when it all pulled together and the siding went up,” he says. “That’s when the kids really saw that, ‘Hey, this actually looks like something!’ The biggest ‘a ha’ moment was the day — not long ago — that we plugged it in and everything worked. We all shared a moment of, ‘thank goodness.’”
Buy Showcase tickets online or at any showcase home during tour hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. (Tickets are $25 and come with a now-signature shoe-tote bag.)
Showcase proceeds benefit Rebuilding Together Saratoga County and Habitat for Humanity of Northern Saratoga, Warren and Washington Counties . For more information and to buy tickets, visit saratogashowcaseofhomes.com.