MISSOULA — Around 300 Montana FFA students collaborated to construct a tiny house from a shipping container at the state FFA convention in Billings this April. Now, Tom Andres, the agriculture teacher and FFA adviser at Big Sky High School, is aiming for a comprehensive program where shop classes build tiny homes for affordable housing.
During the convention, students dedicated long hours to complete the house in five days, engaging in tasks ranging from wiring to plumbing. On October 16, the tiny house was showcased at the Missoula Public Schools agricultural center for a visit by Governor Greg Gianforte, who came to applaud the students’ work.
“We wanted it to be perfect for whoever’s in there,” stated Spencer Hielle, a senior at Frenchtown High School.
Andres has been developing this program for approximately three years. The process involves a shipping container with all the necessary supplies for transforming it into a home being dropped off behind a school shop, where students build it over a semester and then sell it to a buyer to provide affordable housing. The construction process offers valuable hands-on experience in trades like plumbing and wiring, and the student labor helps reduce the cost to around $25,000, covering only materials. However, schools do not have this amount readily available, so the houses need upfront funding. Andres is seeking a partner who would purchase the units prior to construction.
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“Everything was built by the students,” Andres mentioned. “It was designed with a kid in mind to be able to do it.”
The Missoula students identified the biggest challenge with the house they built as the time constraint. The limited time frame led to errors that wouldn’t typically occur in a semester-long construction project, such as a plumbing leak in a finished wall. However, Big Sky senior Ethan Rowe found it beneficial to learn how to work under time pressure.
“I want to see them go to a nonprofit organization and see people use them who couldn’t easily obtain their own house,” Rowe expressed.
Andres intends to find a buyer for the house eventually but is currently utilizing it for demonstration purposes. Due to being built with free student labor, Andres prefers for it and future houses to be sold to nonprofits rather than private developers.
“I believe the most exciting aspect for me is witnessing Mr. Andres’ passion for it,” FFA chapter president and Big Sky senior Grace Fisk shared.
Andy Tallman serves as the education reporter for the Missoulian.
