Open house Friday in Annandale at house built by teens
A brand-new house for sale in Annandale is really special –
it was built by teens from the Phillips School.
The community is invited to come see it at an open house
Friday, May 14, 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m., at 6459 Holyoke Drive. The house will be
priced in the low $800,000s.
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| Phillips students Michael Coxson (left) and Brandon Franzmann helped build a house on Holoyoke Drive. |
The house has four bedrooms, four bathrooms, a finished
basement, large closets, front porch, deck, and garage.
The Phillips School, on Braddock Road in Annandale, serves
teens with behavioral and learning issues.
Students in the school’s Building Futures program spend one
day a week working on the house and the rest of the week taking high school
classes.
“They get a chance to learn about residential construction,
from framing to power tools,” says Robert Jackson, the vocational education
coordinator at Phillips, who supervises the students on site.
Building Futures also motivates students to finish high
school, be more independent and responsible, and take pride in their work.
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| The house still needs a few finishing touches. |
Michael Coxson of Montgomery County, Md., says he had been
planning to drop out of high school before his parents enrolled him in the
Phillips School. He learned marketable skills in the Building Futures program
and already has a job lined up after he graduates in June.
A professional architect designed the house, and contractors
built the foundation, roof, and trusses and installed the HVAC and electrical
systems, Jackson says.
Students worked on the framing, siding, subfloor, windows,
tiling, drywall, deck, and windows, and roughed in the plumbing and water
lines.
The Phillips School will use the proceeds from the sale of
the house to buy another lot and building supplies for the next student-built
house.
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| Phillips students work on the deck with supervision from their teachers. |
This is the second house built by Phillips students. The
first one, at 6430 Holyoke Drive, was completed in 2016.
Holyoke Drive is part of the oldest Black neighborhood in
Annandale, Jackson says. A few of the homes – and homeowners from those times –
remain, although many of the old houses have been replaced by larger, modern
ones.
This is a wonderful program. I am glad it is still continuing – my son participated almost 20 years ago in the same program when it was at a different location.
Looks great! Nice work, everyone.
–kda
Amazing work! Great job Guys.
Its much better than the crap that these developers build. Every time i look at those baroque steroidal monstrosities that were built on Old Columbia Pike that replaced those elegant one story ranches perched on the hill, I want to scream that America is eating its own. If that is the best we can do then China will replace us as the #1 global power. Kudos to the teens, you give me some hope when I see accomplishments like this.
Glad to see this accomplishment & wish these teens success in their personal & career choices.