UMass Building and Construction Technology, UMass Architecture, Five College Architectural Studies
Always a milestone when the DesignBuild Build completes its tenure on the UMass Campus and heads to Holyoke where it will become a contributor to Affordable Housing. Follow along through pictures.
More pictures will follow as the Paper House becomes the Neighbor of the Hygge House on Dwight St.
Many thanks to Valley Crane for the move!
This will be a short post, just to keep everyone updated. Work continues toward completion.
Drywall has been completed, followed by sanding, priming of ceilings and walls, and finishing of ceilings. All done by BERGERON RENOVATIONS REMODELING, & DRYWALL CONTRACTORS
Repurposed Maple Flooring reclaimed last Spring and stored has been installed in the Main Space
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Install, preparation and priming of trim has begun. Door package to be delivered next week!
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Tile Floors in Bathroom and Shower are completed. Shower Walls coming up next!
ERV Ductwork is Installed, ready for Transportation to Holyoke!
What is up Next?
Completion of Flooring in the Barnacle.
Completion of Tile Work in Bathroom
Finish Electrical.
Trim package completed and Finished.
Cabinetry installed. Countertops Installed. Tile Backsplash installed.
Fixtures in Bath installed.
Hardware installed.
Walls finish coated.
We’ll keep you Posted
Remember:
Student DB Open House: 12:00 -1:00; Tues. and Wed. 10-24 & 10-25.
Public Open House 4:00-5:30; Thurs. 11-2.
OVER THE LAST FEW WEEKS
On the Interior
Once Yvonne and Tom completed the Drywall it was time for the arrival of Dan McCorkindale from BERGERON RENOVATIONS REMODELING, & DRYWALL CONTRACTORS to do the taping.
Once Dan was finished (an excellent job) the Paper House Drywall was sanded, and then vacuumed and is now ready for the priming of all surfaces and finish coating of the ceilings.
On the exterior
Final details on the exterior were completed. Some of the staging that is no longer necessary was taken down and the site is starting to be prepared for winter —- after the Paper House moves.
COMING UP NEXT
After the Drywall Priming and Ceiling Finishing we will start to dehumidify the spaces, dropping the Humidity to about 50%. Accomplished with fans and dehumidifiers. Once the humidity is satisfactory, we will move all of the flooring over from the Connex Box,stack and sticker it to allow for air flow and continue to dehumidify the space with fans blowing on the stacked and stickered flooring.
Humidity the summer has been very high, as we all know, and the Moisture Content (MC) of the flooring stored in the Connex Box is pretty high, 18-20%. We need to drop the MC to around 10% before the install. While the drying is going on we will complete the install of the ERV ducting, start the trim work on elements that do not contact the floor (yet to be installed), and begin finishing of installed trim where appropriate.
Ben will be continuing with the tile work in the Bath and we will post pictures as it moves along.
EBS studio has begun work on the cabinetry, which of course will not be installed until flooring is completed.
DATES TO THINK ABOUT AND PUT ON YOUR CALENDAR
All Build Students should attend all events, if at all possible.
Tuesday; October 24 and Wednesday October 25: Open House at the Build Site Noon to 1:00 PM for Faculty and Students.
Thursday; November 2: Open House at the Build Site 4:00 – 5:30 PM for UMass Administration, Faculty, Donors, OneHolyoke, and Daniel O’Connell.
It has been one month since the students wrapped up their DesignBuild Build commitment. For those of you following along the Spring Design and the Summer Build you are well aware of the impact the continued rainy weather has had on our Build Schedule, along with the late window delivery (supply chain issues), and our one week long effort to design, build, transport, erect, and then dismantle and store the auxiliary stage for the Green River Festival. All delaying completion while students were present.
However, progress has continued with Kent and Carl, along with Ben (when he could break away from Professor Jordan Kanter’s upcoming art installation in the UMass Olver Design Building (Reception and gallery talk 4:30 – 6pm on Thursday, September 7). Plus Bobby’s help with the ceiling strapping.
For this post, instead of the incredibly detailed and informative descriptions provided by Isabel and Jillian for each of our weekly efforts,the following is an outline accompanied by a sequenced photo journal of what has been accomplished.
Week 10
Work continued on the exterior of the Main Building (preparation for finish coating trim and clapboards). ERV intake and exhaust ports along with the stove fan duct port were resolved. Final details of electrical and mechanical, soon to be buried behind densepack netting and cellulose insulation, were checked over and resolved along with LVL bracing of two bays at the two main pickup points for “Main Roof” in the Main Building’s “Tall Wall”. Hemp Batt Insulation in Barnacle walls was completed. Final install of nailing members for drywall in miscellaneous corners were completed. The Plumbing (Jim O’Reilly, State Plumbing Inspector) and Framing Inspections (David Holmes, State Building Inspector) were signed off on allowing for insulation install (Rough Electrical Inspection had already occurred with Tina Shen, Amherst Electrical Inspector). Ben continued work on the waterproofing of shower floor and walls along with making tile layout decisions.
Then a delivery of STEICO Wood Fiber Insulation be used on future UMass DesignBuild Projects. Many thanks to Will Grupenhoff of GLOBAL WHOLESALE SUPPLY for donating the product. Will visited us later in the month and introduced us to new wood fiber insulation products (low carbon) that will become available.
Week 11
Work continued on the exterior but the main focus was the Densepack Cellulose install done by COZY HOMES PERFORMANCE. Beginning with the netting install and followed in sequence by the Densepacking of the Main Building walls, the Barnacle ceiling, and finally the Main Building ceilings. Install was by Johnny Rodriguez, Jeaon Leon, Jerry Ocasio, and DJ Hernandez. Many thanks to Mark Lantz, Owner,/Operator for the donation!
In between the netting install on the ceiling and the actual densepacking of the ceilings strapping needed to be installed along with careful inspection of all the 20 plus ceiling lite driver leads.
Week 12
With insulation completed and strapping installed, it was now time to get ready for the Drywall delivery and install. Windows air sealed with foam and SIGA Wigluv Tape, shimming of window jambs in prep for drywall returns, complete the shear wall dividing the main space with the bathroom and small bedroom. Plus miscellaneous odds and ends!
Weeks 13 & 14
On the Interior:
With the Insulation Inspection completed Drywall was installed by BERGERON RENOVATIONS REMODELING, & DRYWALL CONTRACTORS. Thanks to Jeff Bergeron for coordinating.
On the Exterior:
Trim and Siding is complete and finished. We are as far as we can go until we arrive in Holyoke and put the pieces together!
What’s Next?
Drywall is complete and Taping will begin next week after the Labor Day Holiday. When Taping is complete we will install the reclaimed maple flooring, install the trim package and cabinetry, complete the tile work, and paint the interior.
Then, when foundation is complete in Holyoke the trip south for the Paper House will happen.
Welcome to the ninth and final week of the summer build! This week was a major push to bring our project as close to completion as possible. Initially planned for an eight week build phase, we found ourselves adding this extra ninth week to compensate for the days lost due to unpredictable weather and holidays off. Despite the extended deadline, our team met this challenge with enthusiasm and dedication.
Monday kicked off with a bang, with groups focusing on siding, electrical connections, and various other tasks. Siding progressed similarly to last week, with the installation of the horizontal Hardie Boards on the main house. Each piece was measured, cut, and secured in place using Gecko gauges to keep a uniform reveal throughout. To ensure the utmost security in our modular and transportable build, we’ve continued to adopt a “belt and suspenders” approach, securely fastening the siding boards with both glue and nails. (We cannot wait to bid farewell to the construction adhesive that has left its mark on our clothing and skin throughout this journey!) Meanwhile, inside the house, students attended to details by sealing penetrations made for electrical fixtures with fire block caulking—an essential step in fireproofing the home.
During another visit from Graham Electric, the electricians performed a final check to ensure seamless connections and a clean appearance for inspection. The professionals connected each circuit to the breaker panel, and worked to “make up” all of the boxes. Our wiring primarily utilized 14-2 or 12-2 cables (where a lower gauge signifies thicker wire and higher amperage load). In these cables, the two load-carrying wires are distinguished by white for neutral and black for “hot,” carrying the current from the breaker panel to the powered component. Additionally, there is a bare or uninsulated copper wire for the vital ground connection. As the house is yet to reach its final location, the electricians connected only the neutral and ground wires, while the hot awaits connection to the devices (switches or receptacles) during electrical finish . Our heartfelt gratitude goes to Graham Electric for the help, time, and materials they have contributed to this project! Special thanks to Zack Walters, whose guidance during these past few weeks has been truly invaluable. Plus, thanks to Chris Sliwa, Colby Goodnow, Mike Wall, & Alex V. who made short work of “making up the boxes” for the final step before the rough Electrical Inspection.
On Tuesday, siding continued along with work in the bathroom. We focused on the following tasks to pave the way for tile installation:
As if on cue, a typical rainy day arrived on Tuesday, welcoming Professor Wolff’s BCT CityLab pre-college course to our active building site. Despite the weather, enthusiasm remained high as Professor Fiocchi delivered a lecture on building science and technology. Undeterred by the downpour, work persisted on siding and preparing for the installation of the grand French door.
Wednesday saw the upper gable ends of the house receiving their siding, requiring precise cutting and angling to fit beneath the overhangs. Smaller strapping pieces were added to ensure sufficient nailing areas and provide a secure hold.
Also on Wednesday, we had the honor of hosting visitors from Daniel O’Connell Construction (DOC) , Christine Jablonski, Johanna Hodge, and Mike Haley. We are enormously grateful to DOC for their significant funding supporting our Site — which has made this project possible. From providing essential tools, ladders and scaffolding, two storage containers, and power tools.Their commitment has been unwavering. We extend our thanks to the team at DOC for helping turn our vision into a reality!
On Thursday, our team put forth a great effort to finish the official last day strong. One of the highlights of the day was the installation of the glass French door, lending a finished look to the south facing wall. Up above, various tasks were underway on the roof in preparation for transporting the house to Holyoke. Here’s what we accomplished to ensure a secure and durable roof structure:
Our homework the previous night had been to look into “bad” drip edge corner joints in the hopes of learning what not to do. As with any construction technique, we learned that there are differing opinions on the best approach! We used a combination of Kent’s suggestions and YouTube to create the corner overlaps of the drip edges. We carefully slit the prefab metal drip edge, creating a tab that would fold over the corner and rest beneath the abutting drip edge on the rake side. Working our way from the bottom of the roof to the top we overlapped the drip edge so ensure water runoff would flow over the joints rather than underneath.
With the drip edge successfully in place, our focus shifted to applying the ice and water shield over the sheathing. This step involved rolling out the rubberized asphalt shield, layer by layer, across the roof. We then peeled back the film on the shield’s underside, revealing the adhesive that bonds the asphalt to the roof. However, this step was halted midway due to– you guessed it– rain! Even on our final official day we cannot catch a break. Even so, the class rallied to collect all our materials, clean up, and batten the hatches for the night, saying a soggy goodbye to those who could not make it the next day. Thank you all for your amazing contribution to the class!
Friday marked the true end of the program as the stragglers banded together to finish odd jobs around the site. Ice and water application was completed, but only after removing the first course to get to those key screws that would have made folding the eaves impossible. Some last touches went into installing all the roof vent baffles, which help to create unobstructed channels for the air to flow in the roof without the insulation getting in the way and clogging these vents. The door jamb for the french door also received some attention, and any random spots on the South wall in need of strapping before siding were addressed. The door was fine- tuned and adjusted to sit perfectly plumb and level in the rough opening; putting some extra time and effort into getting the door right now saves some grief down the line and ensures the door closes tight and the hinges don’t bind. Finally, insulation in the barnacle was completed, with the hemp bats lining each of the framing bays.
The day ended with iced teas and a nice chat with Kent and Carl regarding the course and what we all thought of it. As this is the first year that one cohort saw the project through from design to build there is a lot to talk about! While we all agreed that this was an incredible and enriching experience that added a lot to our education, there are some kinks to work out to make the program even better in the years to come. Finally we reluctantly left the site for the last time, with heartfelt thanks and goodbyes.
While the formal build phase is over, there is still much to do before we can bring the house to Holyoke. A schedule is set for the month of August, to be worked on by Carl and Kent, with students welcome to join in on a voluntary basis to keep pushing the project forward. Although the students can unwind and soak in the summer this August, the site will not be idle. Next steps include inspection, drywall, insulation, flooring, and more, leading up to the eventual move to Holyoke and some on site final touches. We hope to hold an open house once everything is complete and in place. Thank you for coming along with us on this journey, and stay tuned to witness the next chapter of how we’ll continue this remarkable project!