House 47

Alfred State College students enrolled in several applied technology programs on the Wellsville campus worked cooperatively to complete house 47 on Meservey Hill in Wellsville. 

Houses are built and detailed by the ASC building trades students in a subdivision owned by the Educational Foundation of Alfred, Inc.  These houses, valued at over $200,000, are subsequently sold and occupied.  Under the supervision of their instructors, tomorrow's craftspeople prove themselves by building for discerning homeowners.  For students, it's an unmatched opportunity to put their learning into practice.  The result is that students can enter the construction industry with a real-world level of expertise that is not experienced by students who learn in more restricted, less realistic settings.

Situated on 7.65 acres, this two-story, 2,470-sq.-ft. home features a two-car garage, full walk-out basement, four bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, formal dining room, living room, family room with stone fireplace, first-floor laundry, breakfast room, kitchen with custom oak cabinets and vinyl floor. Exterior features include vinyl siding with a stone front, stamped concrete sidewalk and rear patio, and first floor deck.

House 47, however, is a true product of the 21^st century.  This house has stepped into a new level of service for its homeowners. The construction and maintenance electricians joined forces with the robotics and computerized control technology students to add a professional quality phone system, data, and communication networking system, as well as a centralized system for video cable. This level of network and patch panel design has never been integrated into the building of the houses before.

"What was most exciting for our students was to have the ability to work with another curriculum and learn a new aspect of our trade," said Jeff Stevens, assistant professor, electrical construction and maintenance electrician program.  "The two groups of students, both electricians and computer technicians, were able to teach each other and together they accomplished something that in the construction field today would take at least two different subcontractors."

The newer wiring methods allow for the new homeowners to make changes to their home's system as their needs change. The layout and design of the hub, or central control, for the three systems has been placed in a focal point in the basement that allows for any changes or adjustments needed as the homeowners' personal needs change.  Adjustments such as multiple phone lines connected to different rooms, Internet access, digital cable, in-house video, satellite communication, DSL, and much more can easily be made from the network hubs.

"Everyone involved in this project has been very excited about these new additions," Stevens added. "That includes the students, the faculty, and the board members of the Educational Foundation. We're so proud of it, we dubbed it our Smarter Home."

This home was constructed by the Alfred State College School of Applied Technology Building Trades and Electrical/Electronics students, as a hands-on learning experience. This learning opportunity is funded by the Educational Foundation of Alfred, Inc., a private foundation dedicated to improving the Alfred State College community through the support of educational programs.