Harford Tech students take the LEED in building Habitat home

Jack McLaughlin
HBL Editor

Harford Technical High Schools students have been working with Harford Habitat for Humanity, Bank of America and other businesses and organizations to build a home for an Aberdeen woman and her daughter.

Such partnerships are not new, Harford Tech students built a modular home for an Edgewood family several years ago, but this home is a first for a Harford Habitat project.

The two bedroom, 1,008 sq. ft. modular home the students have been working on since the start of the school year will be LEED certified. It will be the first LEED certified modular home built by high school students and the first such partnership to help a Habitat for Humanity affiliate create a greener community. LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification is based on rating system devised by the U. S. green Building Council. The building process is detailed and documented and submitted to the council for review when various benchmarks are achieved. Each benchmark is awarded a point value. The total value determines the level of certification gold, silver or bronze.

The people involved in what has been dubbed the Habi-Tech Project hope to obtain a silver certification. Among the green features to be incorporated into the home are energy efficient HVAC, windows and appliances; insulation and drywall made of recycled materials and a rainwater collection and gray water reuse systems.

Both sections of the modular dwelling were to be taken to a home site on Mitchell Lane and joined May 14. About two weeks of finish work will be required before

Joy Duke ad her daughter Adrianna move into their new home.
“Bank of America is pleased to further Habitat’s efforts in our community and to provide affordable housing for working families like the Dukes,” said William Couper, MidAtlantic President, Bank of America, in a news release about the green home. “Creating more affordable housing is imperative in Maryland and in communities across the country. Bank of America has partnered with Habitat for Humanity for the past 20 years, and we are thrilled to work with Habitat and Harford Technical High School students to help make this family’s dream a reality.”

Bank of America has donated more than $16 million habitat for Humanity International projects since 2002, as well as $600,000 to Operation Home Delivery, Habitat’s hurricane recovery program. Bank of America employees contribute more than 25,000 volunteer hours annual to Habitat home builds.

Habitat for Humanity International was founded by Millard and Linda Fuller in Americus, GA in 1976. Since then the organization has been involved in the construction of 300,000 homes, providing shelter for 1.5 million people in 3,000 communities around the world.

Harford Habitat for Humanity, a 501 (c)3 organization incorporated in 1993, has used volunteer labor, donated materials and monetary donations in partnership with local businesses, schools churches and individuals to complete more than 40 homes.

Habitat partner families are chosen on level of need, willingness to partner with Habitat, and the ability to repay the no-profit, no interest loan used to finance construction of their homes. In addition to a down payment and mortgage payments, partner families must invest up to 500 hours of “sweat equity” in the building of their homes and houses of others.”

Information about Harford Habitat can be obtained by calling 410-638-4434 or going to www.harfordhabitiat.org.  LEED information can be found at www.usgbc.org.