They'll design and help build a home for a deserving Lawrence Co. family

PITTSBURGH, Pa.-- A group of Carnegie Mellon students are designing a home for a Lawrence County family.

The future architects are part of a two-part course for their senior project. The class gives the students freedom to design the home from the ground up.

"It gives them a sense of professionalism while still doing something for the greater good," CMU professor John Folan said.

This project differs from previous ones because what they're designing will actually stand on the corner of E. Madison Ave. and Newell St. in New Castle, Pa.

"That's probably the scariest part," CMU architect student Joy Kang explained. "This is a real life product."

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The class is split up into two groups. One is working with Lawrence County's Habitat for Humanity. The other is constructing a home in Garfield, a neighborhood in east Pittsburgh.

Students are expected not only to work on the homes in the studio on campus, but also on the construction site. For some students, this is not their first time getting their hands dirty with an organization like Habitat for Humanity.

"I did a couple work trips in high school," CMU architect student Dan Quaintance said. "It'll be a great experience to meet the family and the volunteers helping build the home we designed."

Along with building the home, the students attend events in the Lawrence County area. A few of the future architects took the polar plunge into the ice covered waters at Lake Arthur for the second annual Douse for the House Feb. 18.

The project will take about two years to complete. The students work a couple days a week from 8 or 10 AM to 4 PM designing and collaborating on the home. Though it's time consuming for the future architects, most believe it's an experience that can't be taken for granted.

"Someday I'm going to come back and drive by the house and show my kids," CMU architect student Issac Kwon said. "I'm going to be like, yeah son, I helped make that!"

Lawrence County Habitat for Humanity officials hope to start construction later this year.