(Seguin) — Before the Seguin Matadors take the field Friday night against New Braunfels, another SHS team will be revealing the results of its victory — a tiny house built from the ground up by Seguin High School construction trades students. The completed home will be unveiled on the other side of campus during a pregame tailgate, giving the community a chance to see what students have accomplished over the past year and a half.
The event will include tailgate food, including sausage wraps, hot dogs and water, before attendees can head over for the Matadors’ game against New Braunfels.
Carlos Moreno, with the Seguin High School Construction Trades Booster Club, says the tiny house project was designed to be more than just another classroom project.
“We wanted to do is help make the program sustainable by selling a larger project and then giving the students something bigger to do. The tiny home was a project that was an anchor project that was going to help keep the program sustainable,” said Moreno.
Moreno says the booster club, which has been operating for about three years, has worked to build support for the construction trades program through memberships, sponsorships and donated materials. He says those efforts helped provide many of the materials needed for the tiny house, while the booster club purchased items including flooring and appliances.
Although the project took longer than originally anticipated, Moreno says he knows the community will be proud of the finished product. He says it reflects the quality and craftsmanship of the students and the community partners who helped oversee the work.
“This thing is well built. We just want to show you, you know, we got a company from Houston that’s going to be the one staging it. So, it’s going to be neat. It’s going to be beautiful. And it’s a chance for the community to see what we’ve been working on,” said Moreno.
The tiny home is approximately 400-square-foot home and features a metal roof, Hardie board and batten siding, foam insulation, air conditioning, a full kitchen plus other finished interior features.
Several local businesses also contributed expertise to the project, including ME Plumbing, Joe Cool’s Electrical, Masters Electric, Koehler Company and Lone Star Home Solutions.
The booster club ultimately plans to sell the tiny house and use the proceeds to help fund another major project for the construction trades students.
Moreno says the goal is to find a buyer who understands the significance of what went into building it.
“We’re hoping that we get a good buyer that has a good heart for this organization and we can then use it to do the next one,” said Moreno.
Moreno says not only will the home be complete, but it will be professionally staged by Chasing Design, an interior decorating business that is opening downtown.
He says he extends a special invite to all former students and families who have followed the project from its beginning.
“We’d love for you to come out and take a look at what the kids have done. I don’t know, they don’t know how good it is. When it’s staged, and when the final pictures are done, it’s almost like you don’t really see, you get to see how good it really looks,” said Moreno.
Students who worked on the project, along with construction trades teacher Jason Rice and booster club members, will all be on hand Friday night to answer questions. A specification sheet detailing the home’s features and materials will also be made available.
Moreno says the finished house represents the skills students have developed, but also the possibilities created when a community invests in those students.
“This is more than a tiny home. I can’t say it enough. This is a story that we’re selling. It’s not a tiny home that we’re selling. The amount of effort that these kids put into it,” said Moreno.
The tiny house will be available for viewing beginning at 5 p.m. Friday at the corner of Cedar Street and Lamar Drive. Community members, parents, former students, supporters and potential buyers are encouraged to stop by.