On Friday, April 3, Clemson University's Construction Science and Management program held the second annual Women in Construction Tiny Home Build for Veterans at the XL Yard, with Pickens County Habitat for Humanity and Legacy Home of Recovery partnering on the build. By the end of the day, what had been a bare concrete slab under the yard's covered pavilion was a framed structure with a completed roof.
The build drew more than 100 volunteers, including students from Clemson's CSM program, industry professionals, members of NAWIC Greenville SC Chapter 104, and Women Build volunteers from Pickens County Habitat for Humanity, who were invited to take part alongside the larger group. Students worked side by side with experienced tradespeople throughout the day, with instruction happening naturally as the work moved from layout to framing to installing trusses.
Industry partners contributed both resources and labor. Juneau Construction, Haskell, GBS Lumber Six Mile, ABC Supply, Huber, Blanchard Machinery Company, McKenney's, and Hensel Phelps each sent teams to work on site. Haskell Design Build Company prepared barbecue overnight and served it at midday, giving everyone on the build a chance to sit down and eat together before the afternoon push.
Clemson Construction Science and Management instructor Richard Gauthier described the day: "Clemson University's CSM department completed the second annual Women in Construction Tiny Home Build for Veterans on Friday, April 3. The build was a huge success with over a hundred volunteers participating. A hearty thanks goes out to Haskell Design Build Company for staying up the night before cooking the barbecue that was served throughout the day. These tiny homes will go to veterans in need of housing through our partnership with Legacy Home of Recovery. We would like to thank all the sponsors and volunteers that helped make this build a great event."
The completed homes will go to men in the Legacy Home of Recovery program in Liberty, SC. Legacy Home provides housing and structure for residents working through recovery from substance use, with stable housing giving residents a place to focus on sobriety, pursue employment, and rebuild daily routines.
Most Habitat builds unfold over weeks or months, with progress measured in small increments from one work day to the next. This build was different. A concrete slab in the morning was a framed and roofed structure by afternoon, the kind of visible, all-at-once progress that a single-day build with 100 volunteers and a shared deadline can produce.
