In 1886, local entrepreneur James Boyce built the Italianate House in Muncie's East End; 125 years later, a class of Ball State University students is looking to renovate that house and make it ‘greener.'
The house on the corner of East Washington Avenue and Monroe Street in Muncie's Emily Kimbrough District has been turned into a makeshift classroom for the seniors in John Spodek's ecoREHAB course. The class has been designing the new house for seven semesters and constructing it all of this semester.
"There's only so much you can do in the classroom, we've spent a lot of time in the studios but not in the field," senior Natasha Sieracki said. "This gives us a way to get out and do something."
Spodek, an associate professor of architecture, and Muncie historic preservation officer Bill Morgan created the ecoREHAB program to address the need for quality affordable and sustainable housing and to revitalize urban neighborhoods.
The Department of Housing and Urban Development gave the program an $85,000 grant to fund the class, which has been working throughout the semester demolishing the interior and reconstructing the house.
The students were installing new floor plywood and continuing their work out, building the exterior walls for new insulation Monday.
Antone Sgro said the class has been a great way to turn an old home that would've otherwise been demolished into a greener, more energy saving home for a low to moderate income family.
"John and the class has been a very good hands on experience," he said. "He is always around and willing to help out, his philosophy is ‘If you don't know, ask.'"
Sgro also said the first six weeks of the semester were spent demolishing the interior of the house.
Kyle Utter and Michael Zolezzi spent Monday preparing the walls for insulation and building a new closet for the upstairs.
"It's hard work, but instead of spending long nights in studios, we're working nine to five out in the field," Utter said. "These are real world experiences that you can't get sitting in the studio."
Once the reconstruction is done on the house; contractors will come in and install energy saving electricity and plumbing throughout the house.
"We've got contractors from Reid's Electric, Ability Plumbing and Canaster Heating putting in low-flow water fixtures and on demand heating. These are very efficient ways to reduce energy costs," Spodek said.
The class has been putting in new framing around the house and reusing the old materials that had been saved.
With these new additions to the house, Spodek and his students hope to give the house a new life.
"We're teaching the students building science and physics in relation to pressure, thermal boundaries," Spodek said. "What we do here will minimize the air infiltration and exfiltration and make it more green."
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