PCSC’s Tiny House Project off to a strong start! 

September 4, 2019 – Piedmont Community Service Crew (PCSC) youth leadership, spent much of the summer planning the crew’s tiny house project. After raising $12,000 in sponsorship funding, serious decisions fell into place and the project became a reality!  Piedmonter Rob Kelly, a professional architect and fan of tiny houses, stepped up as lead donor and to serve as the crew’s main technical consultant. Due to building code constraints, tiny houses are built on trailer beds so they are classified as a mobile home. PCSC”s tiny house trailer was delivered on Aug 27, followed by the lumber, all for a compact 700 sq ft home, but designed for very high energy efficiency and quality. 

On Sept 1, PCSC kicked off the construction, expected to take roughly 8 days of teens working with guidance from local adults skilled in the construction trades.  That Saturday turned out to be a beautiful but really hot day. 12 crew members, including some new 9th graders and a handful of adults practiced old-fashioned skills: sawing by hand and hammering nails, plenty of careful measuring and aligning to get the framing panels to the correct shape and sizes. 

By the end of the day, the consensus was that we had accomplished more than expected:  framing for the floor installed with insulation and sub flooring nailed on top; Roof framing nearly complete, and two walls partially completed.  Future work days are scheduled every weekend in September. PCSC will continue to devote time to feeding the homeless and hungry, tutor refugee children, raise money for projects at the annual lemonade stand at the Harvest Festival, lead volunteer shifts at the Alameda County Community Food Bank, and more! 

contact our Crew Advisor Ken Li: [email protected] Join PCSC and be a part of this project!  www.pcservicecrew.org