Applying the Final Touches

Multi-Tasking The Same Wall- Too Easy

Looks like he can add plastering to his skills list.

Today, the majority of the crew could be found on site adding another level of cmu and plastering the berm side. A few went to West Water and a few worked on details for our house. Conclusion: Yet another productive day.

As part of the crew stayed home with the dogs, some faced treacherous work on the roofs of West Water house. An all girl crew went to the site to start tarring the CMU wall. We are waiting for materials to arrive at the site and are looking forward to being b

Full speed ahead; it’s the first day of our second session, and our pace hasn’t slowed down. Today, the main crew worked hard at the site, continuing to lay block with no regrets, just love. A couple of the students also met with our clients to review the updated design.

Meanwhile, at the Westwater House, Team Awesome continued to kick ass. The house nearing completion and almost ready for inspection. Please peruse the following pictures:

We’ve been here for two weeks, and real January weather finally decided to show up … It’s even more freezing than before!  Thank goodness we’re leaving for a break to our warm beds  Since we’re all caught up at the site, we decided to make today a design/material finding day.  Until we’re back in a week this is what we’ll continue to work on …

Melissa at the girls' salvage yard run

Little Water Structural Plan

Berm Wall View

Front Entry View

Thats right, I smell Curry!

The boys stayed outside completing the exterior as the girls cooked inside, I mean finished the interior

Most of the students lended a helping hand at West Water bringing that project closer to completion. There were a few students who dug the remaining footings for the columns. And finally, the day was capped with a lovely authentic Indian meal. Life isn’t too bad.

The day started with laying down the first course of  CMU block over the stunning footings of our house.

By the end of the day we had the first course almost done. (yepeee!!! )

A part of the team went to a previous project site, West Water. The house is almost complete and work was majorly done on the finishes like the aluminium cladding on the exterior walls, the stove finishes and the flooring.

Students paid a visit to one of the previous project site, the Lorraine’s house.

Today we finished pouring the footing for our CMU wall and the first shipment of blocks arrived on site. As soon as the blocks were set down, each of the resident dogs felt inclined to mark their territory. Hopefully no one minds a little urine on the blocks when laying them.

As a birthday present to herself, Sonal thought it would be fun to pore water on herself as she was lifting it above her head to get it into the concrete mixer.  This was a good time.

We mixed concrete like we have never mixed before.

Footings were poured, saw tables were built, and birthdays were celebrated.

It seems like this theory applies to working at Bluff, too. Today, we shot out the finished grade for our slab pour, decided it wasn’t level, proceeded to add gravel, and then–surprise!–it still wasn’t level. So, while several of us undid and redid two hours’ worth of work, the others finished trenching through solid rock for the foundation footing. We even pulled out a few new tools to cut and grind down the rebar. Our main plumbing and sewage lines were placed, and all in all, things are progressing despite a few setbacks. We’re literally up to our necks in dirt, and most of us are doing more manual labor than we’ve ever done. At the end of the day, we’re caked and coated in dust…but hey, if it’s not rough, it isn’t fun.