Fresno State will hold a send-off celebration for its Tiny House Project at 9 a.m. Monday, Oct. 10, between the Engineering East and Engineering West buildings in Lot P21 on the Fresno State campus (Jackson Avenue, south of Barstow Avenue).

House tours will begin at 9 a.m. for the 190-square-foot, eco-friendly tiny home. At 9:30 a.m., students, supporters and Fresno State’s cheer team will gather to bid farewell to the Tiny House team as they travel to the Sacramento Municipal Utility District’s (SMUD) Tiny House Competition at Cosumnes River College. The competition takes place the week of Oct. 10, where colleges and universities throughout California will compete for $30,000 in prizes.

The tiny house was built by a team of construction management students from Fresno State’s Lyles College of Engineering who dedicated multiple semesters, class time and weekends to the research, design and implementation for the project. Throughout the build, they were joined by several volunteers who committed their labor and resources to complete the home, and students from Fresno State’s Media, Communications and Journalism Department helped promote the project.

The team will be judged in four categories, including architecture, energy efficiency, home life and communications. The other nine teams include Laney College, College of the Sequoias, University of California, Berkeley, Cosumnes River College, Santa Clara University, San Jose City College, University of California, Santa Cruz, Cabrillo College, California State University, Sacramento, and California State University, Chico.

At 9:40 a.m., the 8-foot by 24-foot trailer holding the tiny house will be hauled off by a truck driven by Brad Hyatt, chair of the Construction Management Department. The travel route will begin in Lot P21 at Fresno State and travel left on Jackson Avenue, left on Barstow Avenue, right on Cedar Avenue, left on Herndon Avenue and right on Highway 99 toward Sacramento.

“Tiny houses are a great way to teach key architecture, engineering and construction concepts on a simple and fun scale,” Hyatt said. “This project makes Fresno State unique since most construction management programs don’t include full-scale, hands-on builds. Plus it’s a great way for students to learn that the building process can be challenging, even on the simplest projects.”

Using modern building techniques and technology to maximize energy efficiency, the team incorporated a solar powered hydroponic garden for rainwater harvesting and food; smart, hand-crafted furniture; solar electricity; a smart energy monitoring system; high-efficiency heating and cooling; double glazed windows; eco-friendly lighting; gray water reuse for drip irrigation; and reclaimed redwood and pine from a barn built in the 1800s and corrugated metal siding.

“This independent study class has promoted creative thinking on green-building techniques and practices as well as space utilization, while bringing ample learning opportunities through real-world challenges, which allowed these students to sharpen their leadership and teamwork skills,” said Dr. Vivien Luo, associate professor of construction management and Tiny House Project faculty adviser. “Our students worked very hard to deliver this project. I am very proud of them. Many of them have had to juggle classes, work, family and the Tiny House Project on a daily basis.”

Luo, Hyatt and students, including sponsorship manager Thomas Dailey, will be on hand to answer questions.

For more information, join the Fresno State Tiny House Project community on Facebook and follow the competition throughout the week. Project updates are also available on Twitter and Instagram (@FSTinyHouse).

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