UB architecture students help Buffalo land bank develop affordable housing

Students studying architecture were able to get invaluable hands-on experience in the process to build property by working with the local land bank on affordable housing projects.

COUNTY FROM 6 AMTO 9 PM.WE HAVE OUR EYE ONWESTERN NEW YORKDEVELOPMENT.SOME UNIVERSITY ATBUFFALO STUDENTSARE DOING THEIRPART TO BRINGAFFORDABLEHOUSING TO THEIRCOMMUNITY.TONIGHT, I GOT ALOOK AT A HOME...DESIGNED BYCOLLEGE STUDENTSTO ADD VALUE TO ANEIGHBORHOOD...WHILE GIVING AMODERATE-INCOMEFAMILY A BRAND NEWROOF OVER ITS HEAD.THEY WORK ONAFFORDABLE HOMESTHAT ARE SMALL, BUTPLAY BIG.THIS 12-HUNDREDSQUARE FOOT HOMEIS THE RESULT OFARCHITECTS GETTINGA HEAD START ONTHEIR CAREER AT THEUNIVERSITY ATBUFFALO.IT'S UNUSUAL FORSTUDENTS TO MAKEDRAWINGS ALL THEWAY TOCONSTRUCTIONDOCUMENTS THATACTUALLY GET BUILT.BRAD WALES IS ANARCHITECT AND THEPROFESSOR THATLEAD THE COHORT OFABOUT 12 THAT'SSEEING THIS PROJECTTO COMPLETION.ONE OF THE AMAZINGBENEFITS FOR THESTUDENTS IS THEOPPORTUNITY TOINTERACT WITH THECOMMUNITY.

RIGHTDOWN FROM LOCALNEIGHBORS, BUT ALSOTO WORKING WITHCONTRACTORS,WORKING WITHELECTRICAL PLANS,STRUCTURALENGINEERS, WORKINGWITH BUILDINGINSPECTORSIT'S BEEN NEARLY TWOYEARS SINCE THEFIRST DESIGNS WEREDRAWN UP FOR TIS 2-AND-A HALFBEDROOM, ONE-AND-A-HALF BATH SINGLEFAMILY HOME.THE GOAL WAS FOR ITTO HOUSE A FAMILYWITH RESTRICTEDINCOME.FOR A FAMILY OF FOURYOU CAN HAVE AMAXIMUM INCOME OFABOUT 90KTHE LOW HANGINGFRUIT WAS THESQUARE FOOTAGE.

SOALL OF OURPROTOTYPE HOUSESARE SMALL SQUAREFOOTAGES RANGINGFROM TINY HOMES, UPTO THIS ONE.AND THAT'S ALL GOINGTO BE POSSIBLETHANKS TO THEBUFFALO AND ERIECOUNTY LAND BANKSPARTNERSHIP WITHU-B -- WHO DONATEDTHE STUDENT'SDESIGNSTHAT SAVED USPROBABLY 15K JUST INTERMS OF DESIGN ANDGETTING EVERYTHINGSO IT HELPED US PUT ALITTLE BIT MORE INTOTHE HOUSE.THE CITY OFTONAWANDA HASALSO BEEN A PARTNERIN BRINGING MOREAFFORDABLE HOMESTO VACANTPROPERTIES.THE CITY OFTONAWANDA WE HAVEA REALLY GOODWORKINGRELATIONSHIP WITH,WE'VE ACTUALLY DONEABOUT SEVEN OTHERPROPERTIES HERE.

SO,THEY FAST TRACKED ITFOR US.

THEYCANCELED THE FEESFOR THE BUILDINGPERMIT, THEY GOTTHEIR INSPECTOR,THEIR MAYOR, THEYWERE JUST ALL OVERIT.THE LAND BANK HASHAD SO MUCHSUCCESS WITH THISPROJECT -- A SECONDIS ALREADYUNDERWAY WITHANOTHER GROUP OFARCHITECTURESTUDENTS NEAR U-BSOUTH.IT'S AN OUTSTANDINGOPPORTUNITY FORTHEM TO GET SOMEPRACTICALEXPERIENCE.OPPORTUNITY FORTHEM TO GET SOMEPRACTICALEXPERIENCE.CONSTRUCTION ONTHE HOME ISEXPECTED TO BEFINISHED BY WINTER.THE ESTIMATED COSTWAS CLOSE TO 320-THOUSAND TO BUILD...BUT THE HOME WILLBE SOLD FOR MUCH