With the help of family, friends and volunteers from across the country, Michelle Hayes and her four daughters will build their new home — from start to finish — in one week. Reminiscent of an old fashioned “barn raising” Michelle and volunteers from Habitat for Humanity will converge on Yonkers, New York in mid-November to build the home on national television.
Home building champion and CBS correspondent Bob Vila will provide live reports throughout the week-long build on the CBS News program, This Morning, November 16-20, 1998. Joining the volunteers and the Hayes family will be representatives from the major sponsors including Premier Building Systems, Fife, Washington; APA — The Engineered Wood Association, Tacoma, Washington; and the Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing (PATH).
The design and construction of the 1,200-square-foot, two-story, Habitat home is a showcase of innovative technology and affordable home building trends. Florida architect Ed Binkley of the Evans Group submitted the winning plans in a national design competition developed by residential architect magazine.
“My primary motivation to enter the competition was based on a desire to design an affordable home which was simple to construct and offered unexpected amenities,” said Binkley of his winning entry. “And, through the use of structural insulated panels, an insulated foundation and engineered wood products we are able to lower energy costs which is very important to a family with limited income.”
The Hayes home will be one of the first PATH demonstration projects built since the public/private partnership was announced last Spring by President Clinton. PATH seeks to develop and promote the wide-spread use of new technologies designed to make homes stronger, safer and more durable, more energy efficient and environmentally friendly; easier to maintain and less costly to operate; and more comfortable and exciting to live in. The PATH partnership brings together key federal agencies, concerned with housing, with leaders from hundreds of home building, product manufacturing, insurance and financial industries and associations.
From the prefabricated, energy-efficient panels and engineered wood framing to the solar energy shingle systems and high-performance glazing, the Habitat house is a model of future building trends.
The CBS coverage will showcase these emerging technologies and document how they provide faster, more affordable and energy efficient housing alternatives. It will also focus on quality home building practices and Bob Vila will show helpful tips for consumers when buying or building a house.
“By using these proven technologies in this demonstration, our Habitat family is receiving a high-quality, energy efficient home and viewers will be introduced to the future of new home construction,” said Jim Killoran, president of the Westchester County Habitat for Humanity.
“We are extremely grateful to the various partners, including APA, Premier Building Systems and CBS, for shining a national spotlight on Habitat for Humanity and our mission to lend a helping hand to those in need.”
Bob Vila is a regular contributor to This Morning, reporting on home improvement and repair. He will provide live daily updates and remote broadcasts from the construction site during the five-day build. CBS This Morning airs weekdays at 7:00 AM ET/PT.
