3/13/02

AU STUDENTS TO 'TOP OUT' UNIQUE HABITAT HOUSE MARCH 15

AUBURN -- Auburn University students and local officials on Friday (March 15) will "top out" the construction on a one-of-a-kind Habitat for Humanity house that students are building in Opelika.

The topping out -- a construction term to signify the completion of the main structure of a building -- will be at 10:30 a.m., at the site of the house, in the 300 block of Avenue A between 3rd and 4th streets in Opelika. The ceremony will include the traditional placing of an evergreen tree on the roof of the house to mark the occasion.

The prototype house was designed by 16 architecture and building science students for Alabama affiliates of Habitat for Humanity dubbed DesignHabitat by the students.

The project began last August when architecture faculty member David Hinson was approached by Design Alabama officials about creating a new house design for Habitat. The class was formulated, and AU partnered with the Alabama Association of Habitat Affiliates and Design Alabama, a non-profit, citizen-led organization formed by the state Council on the Arts.

Hinson, an associate professor of architecture, said the students, along with volunteers from East Alabama Medical Center's Cornerstone Society, worked hard to get this far in such a short time.

"It's gone really, really well and we've been lucky with the weather," he said. "We hit the ground running and haven't stopped."

The house is being financed by EAMC's Cornerstone Society, an employee assistance program, and built in partnership with Lee County Habitat for Humanity.

The four bedroom, 1.5 bath house has 1,250 square feet and was designed with Alabama's climate and culture specifically in mind, Hinson said.

"It's designed to promote both cross and natural ventilation and the house has a reasonably large, room-sized screen porch. The porch is a key cultural response," he said. "It's an integral part of a Southern neighborhood and we wanted to design it with a more robust porch than you find on Habitat houses.

"The house is oriented on the site to respond to the path of the sun, and the roof has deep overhangs. The roof will be of white metal to reflect as much summer heat as possible," he added.

Hinson said the project is on schedule for completion by May. The next goal is to get the roof completed, windows and doors in by the time AU students go on spring break March 25.

"After spring break, we want to move into siding the house and the interior," he said.

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mar02: AU-designhabitat

CONTACT: Hinson, 334/844-5438.

(MEDIA NOTE: Directions to the DesignHabitat House: From Auburn, travel Opelika Road into Opelika, over the railroad bridge. At 7th, 8th or 9th streets, turn right and go past Railroad Avenue. At Avenue A, turn left and look for the construction site in the 300 block of Avenue A.)