Ross Irwin has a vision. He wants to see a whole wing of the Olympia Master Builders (OMB) BIG Home Show filled with student home designs.
Modeled after a widely successful, 30-year-old contest in Connecticut, Irwin is now bringing the contest to Olympia-area students.
“There are architects and draftsmen with more than 30 years experience in Connecticut’s home building industry that still list, on their resume, that they won this contest in high school,” remarks Irwin who owns Cabinets by Trivonna when not volunteering on this project.
Irwin began working with administrators in Olympia, North Thurston and Tumwater school districts last winter. With the approval from the superintendents, Irwin then met with CTE Directors within the school districts to pitch the idea. Met with resounding approval, the contest is now moving into the high school curriculum.
Beginning this school year, high school drafting coursework will have lessons that coincide with the rules for submitting an entry to the next OMB Home Show.
“The plan is that a student taking a drafting course will be doing school work that leads towards creating an entry ready for the Home Show,” describes Irwin.
The culminating project will include blueprints of a house and a scale model.
Stacey Genzlinger, OMB’s Director of Member Services, adds that “a panel of OMB judges will critique the projects and select a winner.”
“We want to encourage youth to look at the building industry as a career. This is a project that gives high school students exposure and the opportunity to perhaps link up with an OMB member as a mentor,” comments Genzlinger.
OMB and Irwin hope to offer scholarships or internships for winners of the student design and build contest.
At the September Home Show, four models were on display to give attendees a taste of what’s to come. At the spring home show, slated for April 13 – 14, 2013, Irwin expects to see at least a dozen entries.
