Student-built house shifted to Westport

 One lucky Westport homeowner is about to take delivery of their brand-new, Tai Poutini Polytechnic student-built house.

The house will be lifted by crane from its current location at Lombard Street tomorrow (Tuesday 9 December) and loaded onto a truck for delivery to its new Westport site.

Each year West Coast residents have the opportunity to enter a ballot to have a new home built for them by Tai Poutini Polytechnic carpentry students. The home is built at the Greymouth campus then delivered to its new owner for just the cost of materials and a small administration fee.

Winner of the 2014 ballot, Brenda Soares, says she is looking forward to seeing her new home arrive in Westport.

“It’s been a great process to be involved in and I can’t wait to get the house on site and move in. Working with the Polytechnic and students this year has been a wonderful experience and I am excited that we are almost finished.”

Tai Poutini Polytechnic Facilities Manager Doug Griffin says the ballot is cast around this time each year for people interested in taking part in the process. The owner of next year’s house has just been drawn and is right now working with Polytechnic staff on the plans for their new home.

“It’s a great way for us to give the students the opportunity to work on a building, under real quality and consent conditions, while also being able to give something back to the community. It is a great opportunity for anyone looking to build a house – they get a good, solid three-bedroom house built closely to their own design requirements for just the cost of materials.”

Carpentry Tutor Rick King says building the house each year under real work conditions is an essential experience for carpentry students. “They’re not only learning the practical skills of the trade, they’re also working directly with the client and subcontractors to make sure the whole process runs smoothly. It’s as real as it gets.”

For more information contact:

Doug Griffin, Facilities Manager  

DDI 03 769 9419 | Email dougg@tpp.ac.nz