Chipola Area Habitat for Humanity (CAHFH) recently broke ground on two Rural Studio-designed homes. House 61 is based on the Buster’s House design and House 62 is based on the Dave’s House design. On Friday, May 7th, construction of the homes took a big leap forward, thanks to CAHFH’s Women Build event. As stated on the CAHFH website, Women Build “spotlights the homeownership challenges faced by women and addresses those issues by bringing women together and igniting our collective power.”
Approximately 50 women from around the region, including seven colleagues from our partner Regions Bank, volunteered their day to lend a hand on the homes. Mackenzie Stagg from Rural Studio’s Front Porch Initiative team also joined the crew for the day. Many of the volunteers are regular supporters of CAHFH, including local businesses connected to the organization and larger industry leaders who want to show their support.
Photo by CAHFH 
Photo by CAHFH
On House 61, the volunteers framed up all of the walls, both interior and exterior. The future owner of the home was able to participate in the event and frame the walls of her own home. Hurricane straps were installed on House 62 to connect the walls and the roof and create a continuous load path. Volunteers also used caulk to seal the framing to the floor and seal the framing to the sheathing. This air sealing is a critical step in increasing the home’s energy efficiency.
