Originally published in The Valley Reporter, December 27th, 2020.

Reported by Lisa Loomis

This fall’s Yestermorrow/UMASS-Amherst Semester in Design/Build students built an 850-square-foot-not-so-tiny house for less than $65,000.

Mac Rood, Waitsfield, was one of the instructors and last month at a tri-town leadership meeting focused on tackling the issue of housing in The Valley reported the feat, noting at the time that the cost was projected to be less than $70,000. When interviewed this week, he provided updated cost figures for the house.

Rood pointed out that the house was built by student labor and further noted that the people who commissioned the house still needed to do site work plus water and wastewater and electricity. But still – those present at the tri-town leadership meeting were encouraged that it might be possible to creating housing at something resembling affordability.

The house was commissioned by a former Yestermorrow student who had taken the design/build class in the past. That student now lives in Sharon and the house will soon be towed south.

The house is basically two boxes, Rood said. The outside dimension of the living space is 14-by- 38 feet. That piece is attached in an L-shape to a second piece that is 14-by-23 feet. The width is dictated by what can be trailered on the road. The unit is super insulated with double wall construction, the walls are R40 in terms of energy efficiency and the ceiling is R60. It has a bathroom with shower, sink, toilet and an open kitchen/living area...

Visit The Valley Reporter to read the full article. 

We're now accepting applications for the 2021 Semester Program.