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HIGH SCHOOL TRADES

Welcome to the future of the building trades industry

Since the 2016-17 school year, the Hill Country Builders Association's Wine Country Division has teamed up with Fredericksburg High School to foster a passion of building trades in students through a program that gives them hands-on experience by building a concept home each year.

Students are given the opportunity to garner on-the-job knowledge by working closely with local builders, trade partners and suppliers while earning school credit. This prepares students who wish to enter the workforce after high school while giving contractors leads to potential employees.

Each year, the program produces a one-bedroom concept home — complete with a living area, kitchen, dining area, bath, closet and laundry space — from the ground up right on campus. For eight months, local builders donate their time to work with diligent students to have the home ready to be auctioned off in the spring. All proceeds are applied to funding the next year's concept home.

While program implementation was targeted at revitalizing the flounding trade curriculum at the high school, it quickly turned into a way to restore pride in the building trade profession, making it a sought-after model at many other schools.

Casa Über Alles

For more information, please email highschooltrades@hillcountrybuilder.com.

One of the biggest factors making this program a success is community involvement. Hear more about it in the video featuring Richard Laughlin and Todd Eidson.

Richard sat down to visit with Tim Faller and Steve Wheeler about the process of getting Casa Über Alles running and the many successes it has created for all involved.

Casa Über Alles projects have won both national and regional awards:

  • 2017 Best in American Living Awards One-of-a-Kind Custom Home up to 1,500 Sq. Ft.

  • 2018 Best in American Living Awards Judges Discretionary Award for Educational Building Trades Program

  • 2019 Texas Association of Builders' Star Award for Best Architectural Design Tiny House Star Award

  • 2020 Texas Association of Builders' Star Award for Best Special Project – Non-Primary Residence 

  • 2022 Texas Association of Builders' Star Award for Best Tiny House

With this program, Laughlin and everyone involved is restoring
the pride in trades.

Laughlin Homes.jpg
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