BCTC Student Built House, Berks County PA
BCTC Student Built House, Berks County PA
The Berks Career and Technology Center (BCTC) provides students with defined career paths and education across a broad spectrum of building and construction trades. For the students enrolled in construction-related trades at BCTC’s Oley Campus, this is exemplified by their student-built house project. Under the supervision and guidance of their instructors, the program teaches students how to build a house from start to finish, using a hands-on approach. Over the course of the project, various trades are incorporated, ranging from masonry and carpentry, to painting, interior design and horticulture. The project is treated as a real-life job site and provides students with invaluable experience as they move to the next stages of their careers.
This project began before the start of the COVID-19 Pandemic, and was completed in June 2023. Typically, the student-built homes take on average three years to complete. Due to COVID-19 restrictions this project took a little over three years. This house is located in a quiet cul-de-sac alongside other BCTC student-built houses from previous years. The home is just under 2,000 sq ft and was built entirely by students in the program. For this build, Viwinco donated a white S-Series new construction window and door package, for the students to install.
This house incorporates a number of different styles from the Viwinco S-Series product line. Some of the styles include double-hungs, twin double-hungs, casements, triple double-hungs, and a 2-panel patio door. The units are designed with flat internal colonial grid patterns which is consistent throughout the home. The home consists of four bedrooms, three bathrooms (two full, one half), a backyard porch, a laundry/mudroom, a spacious basement and a two-car garage. The living space and kitchen areas incorporate an open concept design which feels even more spacious, given the high vaulted ceilings. The BCTC Cabinetry students made the cabinets which match the warm natural tones found throughout the living space. Although the home is just under 2,000 square feet, the floor plan makes the most of the space, which makes the home feel even larger.
Statistics show an increasing shortage of skilled labor in trades in relation to the homebuilding industry. Because of this, we feel strongly about providing education and training to the next generation of professionals within the home building trades. Supporting the BCTC students on their student-built house project is one that we feel strongly about and are happy to be a part of. We appreciate the hard work, dedication, leadership and attention to detail that went into this home and look forward to the work these students do as they continue on in their careers.
