Polytechnic’s charity build ‘good learning process’

A nine-month labour of love for more than 20 Otago Polytechnic Te Pūkenga students will go under the hammer next month.

Carpentry lecturer Kirsty Currie said this year’s annual charity house was a new design, which proved a challenge for all involved.

"We’ve had 20-odd students that we needed to keep involved at all stages, and it’s been a good learning process," Ms Currie said.

"It’s a great bunch of boys to keep busy, and they’ve really taken ownership of the project."

Ms Currie said the students learned a range of new skills they could take with them on other jobs.

"They build a house from literally nothing — as lecturers, we just supervised them," she said.

"They can do so many different tasks in so many different ways, and the students learn what’s best for them."

Otago Polytechnic Te Pūkenga students and lecturers celebrate completing the annual charity house...
Otago Polytechnic Te Pūkenga students and lecturers celebrate completing the annual charity house. PHOTO: GREGOR RICHARDSON
The three-bedroom house was built on bare land on Otago Polytechnic grounds.

It has been a nine-month job for the engineering, construction and living sciences students to create the 123sq m home, and Ms Currie said the sort of buyer interested in the home would include young families, farmers or property investors.

"Every year, there’s a real interest from the community in what these students produce," she said.

Last year, Otago Polytechnic raised $110,000 for a range of community groups, after auctioning a house built by students and staff.

The house sold for $405,000.

Over the past 17 years, more than $1.5 million has been given to Otago community charities through the project.

This year’s charity house will be auctioned by Bayleys on November 18.

matthew.littlewood@odt.co.nz

 

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