Collegiate Times

The Virginia Tech Habitat for Humanity has partenered with the New River Valley chapter to assist with projects in the area, while prearing to break ground on its own endeavor.

The Virginia Tech campus chapter of Habitat for Humanity will build its first house from scratch since the chapter first started under adviser Jack Davis, dean of the college of architecture and urban studies.

The Virginia Tech campus chapter petered out over the past few years, but under new adviser Greg Tew, chair of the interior design program in the School of Architecture and Design, the chapter has found new life."We've been around for a while, but it died out," said Mary Milazzo, a senior, interior design major and co-president of the Tech chapter. Before deciding to embark on the new project, the campus chapter had provided volunteers to their covenant chapter, the Habitat for Humanity New River Valley chapter, to help with projects. This new building project will be the first house being built from scratch by the Virginia Tech chapter under Tew."We are hoping to have land and house design by spring semester," Tew said. In order to bring this house to life, the chapter has to raise $40,000. Since the decision to build this house from scratch, the chapter has raised around $32,000 for the project. With $8,000 left to raise, the chapter has discovered a new fundraising technique that has proven to be successful in Blacksburg.

The innovative technique the chapter has chosen to use is flamingo flocking. In order to raise money, the chapter scatters several pink plastic flamingos throughout a person's yard and in order to have them removed the person must contact the chapter. Donations are accepted and people can also donate money to have the flock moved to a friend or neighbor's yard. This is the first time the chapter has used this fundraising technique.

"Fundraising is a huge part," said Stephanie Westrick, a senior, interior design major and co-president of the Virginia Tech chapter.

Five to six upper class students that have been involved with the chapter before will create designs for the new house. The hope is to have the design completed by the first part of spring semester and the approval and building finished by the end of the spring semester.Compared to houses built in the past, this house will be designed significantly differently. The goals of the project are to create a more sustainable house as well as make it more aesthetically pleasing. This is different from the past boxy style of the houses. They hope to create a newer, more attractive look.

"We hope to add more jazz," said Matt Schmidt, building and construction major and co-building coordinator. The entire building project has to be covered by the $40,000 dollar budget. Individual costs of materials aren't finalized at this time."It's a challenge to build a quality house at the low price of $40,000," Tew said. Most of the costs will come from the materials needed for the project; however, labor is mostly unpaid.

"Most of the labor is volunteer to keep costs as low as possible," Westrick said. Following completion of the project, the New River Valley chapter will choose who will be selected to receive the house. Each semester the revamped Habitat for Humanity Virginia Tech Campus chapter hopes to have at least three building project dates.