Higher Ed Utah

(Jessica Miller, Ogden Standard-Examiner) — Five Weber State University freshman are getting an opportunity many architectural graduates would envy: the chance to have a floor plan they created developed into real homes.

Nilson Homes paired up with professor Jeremy Farner’s basic residential architecture class to give 27 students a challenge: create a home plan intended for owners 60 to 80 years old who wanted three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a great room, kitchen and laundry area, all in 1,200 square feet.

“It’s a freshman-level class,” Farner said. “They have never designed a home before, so they were really fresh, and their ideas were really fresh.”

A fresh look on a basic home design was exactly what Nilson Homes was looking for, said Kirt Merrill, production director.

“The (students) go off and do research and surveys without any preconceived notions,” he said. “The benefit is we get these really new, fresh ideas. And we have the opportunity to develop some of those young minds into really good designers.”

To read this article in its entirety from the Ogden Standard-Examiner, click here.