The Tower Summer 2017 - 13

Thaddeus Stevens students have been
building homes in Lancaster City as
part of their curriculum for decades.
But the 2017 edition is making history.
It's the first Stevens-built home to be
entered into the BIA's Parade of Homes, and
it wowed the industry association, bringing
home six awards-best of show, best
exterior, best interior design, best kitchen
and best bath in its townhome division and
the prestigious Fulton Bank Award for top
overall townhome at any price point.
"We had the students who took ownership
from day one," says carpentry instructor
Dan McCord. "Once I saw their work ethic,
I wasn't surprised how it turned out. I'm
very proud of the students."
McCord took the lead in designing the
home and pushed to enter it into the
Parade, which happened thanks to support
from PPL.
"We want to put students out there who
builders are going to want to hire," he says.
"What better way to do that than to be a
part of their showcase?"
At the Parade gala, recent grads Carissa
Resch-Diorio, carpentry, and Josh Huneke,

"There's always a lot of pride going
to Thaddeus Stevens. We always
want to leave our mark."
masonry, accepted the awards on behalf of
the college.
"When we won all those awards, it just hit
me, and they just kept calling us and calling
us," says Resch-Diorio, who's now employed
by Heck Construction. "I kind of think, for
once, I felt speechless. I know that I tried
so hard all year to make that little bit of
difference in the work I contributed."
In all, more than 80 students in six
programs-carpentry, masonry, plumbing,
construction electric, cabinetmaking and
HVAC-participated in the build. The
home features a custom kitchen with island
and hand-crafted sold cherry cabinets with
soft-close drawers, custom milled staircase,
a master suite with cathedral ceiling and a
spacious finished basement (below).
And it's the little details that add up. Students
hand cut and placed tile in the master bath,
laid Dakota pavers in a herringbone pattern
with boarder in the front walkway, and added
brick accents to the corner of the home.

"I think it is a spectacular build,"
judges Rich McGowen, a 2017
plumbing graduate who is now
working for Frey Lutz, where he is
installing plumbing in Lancaster
General Hospital's new tower along
Lime Street. "Everything from the final
finishes to the high-end features."
The build is made possible by numerous
donations and in-kind contributions of
raw materials. In addition to PPL, donors
included, alphabetically, AmeriGas,
Certified Carpet, Drake Reed Door
Company, Hegeman's Landscape &
Tree Services, HVAC Distributors, Inc.,
Joel's Painting, Lowes, Rohrer's Quarry,
Schaedler YESCO (lighting fixtures),
Sherwin Williams, Sue Kauffman and
Company (staging) and Weiler Walls.
"We knew to win the Parade, we had to flex
our muscles, and that means using the best
materials," McCord said. "We're thankful
for so many donations."
The property, located off route 741 in
Lancaster Township, is the first home
Stevens students have built outside the city.
But the college owns additional lots in the
neighborhood, so it will be the location of
projects for the next several years-and
McCord says he's already designing next
year's house for the Parade. It may serve as a
motivator to future classes, as well.
"There's always a lot of pride going to
Thaddeus Stevens," McGowen says. "We
always want to leave our mark-and make
it a good one."



Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Tower Summer 2017

The Tower Summer 2017 - 1
The Tower Summer 2017 - 2
The Tower Summer 2017 - 3
The Tower Summer 2017 - 4
The Tower Summer 2017 - 5
The Tower Summer 2017 - 6
The Tower Summer 2017 - 7
The Tower Summer 2017 - 8
The Tower Summer 2017 - 9
The Tower Summer 2017 - 10
The Tower Summer 2017 - 11
The Tower Summer 2017 - 12
The Tower Summer 2017 - 13
The Tower Summer 2017 - 14
The Tower Summer 2017 - 15
The Tower Summer 2017 - 16
https://www.nxtbook.com/stevenscollege/tower/2022-annual-report
https://www.nxtbook.com/stevenscollege/tower/the-tower-annual-report
https://www.nxtbook.com/stevenscollege/tower/Tower_Summer_2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/stevenscollege/tower/Tower_Summer_2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/stevenscollege/tower/Tower_Summer_2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/stevenscollege/tower/Tower_Winter_2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/stevenscollege/tower/TheTowerSummer2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/stevenscollege/tower/TheTowerWinter17
https://www.nxtbook.com/stevenscollege/tower/TowerFall2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/stevenscollege/tower/Summer2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/stevenscollege/tower/Winter2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/stevenscollege/tower/fall2015
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com