In the News

On Saturday, March 7th, Tim O’Brien Homes held a ribbon-cutting ceremony & completion celebration at a home built in cooperation with the Oconomowoc High School Building Trades 3 Class from site survey to homeowner occupancy.  This is the 4th year Tim O’Brien Homes participated in the program and are glad to introduce students to all facets of the building trades.

Lake Country NOW wrote an article about the collaborative experience:

Oconomowoc High School students helped build a home in

Lakewood Estates subdivision

By Donna Frake

City of Oconomowoc — From the floorboards to the rafters, students in the Oconomowoc High School Building Trades 3 (BT3) class helped to build a house that will soon become a home.

The students, in conjunction with the builder, Tim O’Brien Homes, and under the watchful eye of teacher Steve Olson, have seen the structure through from staking it and digging the hole for the foundation right up to framing and rough electric, providing students with the opportunity to work in all phases of the construction.

The recently completed three-bedroom, two-bath ranch home for sale in the Lakewood Estates subdivision in the city of Oconomowoc, offers amenities that include granite countertops, hardwood floors, tile bathrooms and carries a $319,900 price tag.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony, complete with coffee and pastries, will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, March 7, at 1221 Niagara Road., where attendees can view the house and talk with students about the experience.

This is the fourth home OHS BT3 students have built in partnership with Tim O’Brien Homes, and follows the four completed with a previous builder. The hands-on experience provides students interested in the construction trades with real-world experience with this capstone project.

Students interested in the field begin with BT1 which teaches them about the industry, tools and rough framing. Students are thoroughly versed in the importance of safety throughout the course.

Finish work

BT/Geometry focuses on geometry and its use in the trades. BT2 builds off BT1 and gets students involved in all the finish work on a house — roofing, siding, some electric, windows, doors, drywall, and finish carpentry.

BT3 brings all the subsequent learning together and has students apply the skills in a real-life setting. Approximately 12-15 students are selected for the BT3 program after an application process.

“This project is an amazing opportunity for the kids,” said Olson. “They get a chance to be actively involved in just about every trade that goes into building a home.

“The trade partners that Tim O’Brien Homes get the kids in contact with do an excellent job connecting students with the details of what goes into it. The students who were apart of this year’s build did a great job. They developed into a strong team and approached the build with an open mind to take in every trade.”