Pellissippi State Community College students taking on collaborative tiny home project

Two associate professors of Interior Design Technology at Pellissippi State Community College, Diane Riley and Julie Shubzda, have spearheaded an experiential learning opportunity for students across several programs that will raise awareness of important housing issues like homelessness, the overpriced housing market, and skyrocketing interest rates. 

According to an article on Pellissippi State Community College’s website, the project was made possible due to a $10,000 grant from the school’s Instructional Development Committee. The project was inspired by, according to Riley, by the school’s student body itself.

“We know of many instances where Pellissippi State students find themselves homeless – whether temporary, short-term or for extended periods of time. We wanted to do a project so that students could address housing insecurity,” she said.

The project is a collaborative effort between professors from several departments and students from several majors. There will be tasks handled by students from various programs throughout the duration of the project, which is expected to be complete by the end of the Fall 2024 semester.

The plans started with Riley’s students submitting design plans for the project. The shipping container home is 40 feet long and eight-and-a-half feet wide, and will include a bathroom, bedroom, kitchen, laundry area, and living room. When creating their designs, the students were tasked with research that would define the needs of possible occupants, including single parents, students, and veterans. Four designs were ultimately chosen and will be combined in some way to create the finished design that will be implemented.

The collaborative nature of the project brings opportunities for students across the school to have a hand in bringing the tiny home to life. Interior Design Technology students will draw up plans and create textiles, Civil and Construction Engineering Technology students will complete the necessary surveying, Welding Technology students will create doors and windows, Electrical Engineering Technology students will take care of the electricity, and Photography students will document the entire process. Even more students will be involved, taking on projects like creating a website and social media presence for the project, creating a theme song and logos, and implementing HVAC systems.

Students aren’t going to be heading into this project to complete things hypothetically: they will literally be doing the work and bringing the tiny home to fruition. “That way they will be able to see what goes on inside the ceiling and the floor and behind the walls,” said Shubzda.

To supplement the $10,000 grant, Riley and Subzda, along with other professors, will be seeking out donations of items that will help complete the tiny home. Dean Margaret Ann Jeffries of the Media and Engineering Technologies department said, “We have 27 years of Interior Design Technology graduates so they’re in every industry around here. If we need something like kitchen cabinets, we can reach out to our alumni through our private Facebook group.” 

When the tiny home is completed, it may be auctioned off to help fund even more experiential learning projects in the future. 

For more information about Pellissippi State Community College, visit the school’s website.