TSCT Home Construction Project Dinner

09.22.17 | TSCT News

Lancaster, PA - On Thursday, September 21, 2017, Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology held Annual Home Construction Dinner to thank partners for all their assistance in winning this year's Parade of Homes.

Thaddeus Stevens students have been building homes in Lancaster City as part of their curriculum for decades. But the 2017 edition is making history. It’s the first Stevens-built home to be entered into the BIA’s Parade of Homes, and it wowed the industry association, bringing home six awards—best of show, best exterior, best interior design, best kitchen and best bath in its townhome division and the prestigious Fulton Bank Award for top overall townhome at any price point. “We had the students who took ownership from day one,” says carpentry instructor Dan McCord. “Once I saw their work ethic, I wasn’t surprised how it turned out. I’m very proud of the students.”

McCord took the lead in designing the home and pushed to enter it into the Parade, which happened thanks to support from PPL. “We want to put students out there who builders are going to want to hire,” he says. “What better way to do that than to be a part of their showcase?” At the Parade gala, recent grads Carissa Resch Diorio, carpentry, and Josh Huneke, masonry, accepted the awards on behalf of the college.

“When we won all those awards, it just hit me, and they just kept calling us and calling us,” says Resch-Diorio, who’s now employed by Heck Construction. “I kind of think, for once, I felt speechless. I know that I tried so hard all year to make that little bit of difference in the work I contributed.” 

In all, more than 80 students in six programs—carpentry, masonry, plumbing, construction electric, cabinetmaking, and HVAC—participated in the build. The home features a custom kitchen with island and hand-crafted sold cherry cabinets with soft-close drawers, custom milled staircase, a master suite with cathedral ceiling and a spacious finished basement.

And it’s the little details that add up. Students hand cut and placed tile in the master bath laid Dakota pavers in a herringbone pattern with boarder in the front walkway and added brick accents to the corner of the home. “I think it is a spectacular build,” judges Rich McGowen, a 2017 plumbing graduate who is now working for Frey Lutz, where he is installing plumbing in Lancaster General Hospital’s new tower along Lime Street. “Everything from the final finishes to the high-end features.” The build is made possible by numerous donations and in-kind contributions of raw materials. 

“We knew to win the Parade, we had to flex our muscles, and that means using the best materials,” McCord said. “We’re thankful for so many donations.” The property, located off route 741 in Lancaster Township, is the first home Stevens students have built outside the city. But the college owns additional lots in the neighborhood, so it will be the location of projects for the next several years—and McCord says he’s already designing next year’s house for the Parade. It may serve as a motivator to future classes, as well. “There’s always a lot of pride going to Thaddeus Stevens,” McGowen says. “We always want to leave our mark and make it a good one.”

           Thank You to the following companies for the donation of materials and services to the Home Construction Project

Click here to view photos from evening

Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology is a premier, residential, two-year, accredited technical college that prepares students for skilled employment in a diverse, ever-changing workforce. Founded in 1905 with 15 students, Thaddeus Stevens College has grown to more than 1,000 students and 22 high-skill, high-wage technical programs. 

Thaddeus Stevens College only admits students who have been  Pennsylvania residents for more than one year. Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability or age in its programs or activities. 

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