Deseret News | Homes sweet homes — University of Utah architecture students provide houses for Navajos through design/build projects

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Homes sweet homes — University of Utah architecture students provide houses for Navajos through design/build projects

Camille Coons | 10:56 a.m. Aug. 13, 2007

Thank you for featuring the incredible homes of the DesignBuildBluff program in today's news! As one of the students who worked on this year's home for the Benally family, it fills me with such a sense of gratitude to see word of this program getting out to the general public. What DesignBuildBluff does for the tiny community of Bluff, for the Navajo families, for the University of Utah students, and for the greater architectural community of Utah is unparalleled. Nothing taught me more than serving sweet Dora and Baxter Benally for 5 months as I shared blood, sweat, and tears (literally) in the great bonding design/build effort with my fellow students. This was by far one of the most rewarding, albeit one of the most difficult, experiences of my entire life!

John | 4:28 p.m. Aug. 15, 2007

Community Development Corporation of Utah was a partner in this project. CDC is involved in a variety of affordable housing projects and programs throughout Utah. http://www.slcdc.org/index.html

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6 photos

Tristan Shephard, Designbuildbluff

The entryway of Dora and Baxter Benally's house faces east, in keeping with Navajo tradition. Tires reclaimed from the landfill make a retaining wall. The cost of material and equipment rental doesn't exceed $100,000 per student-designed house. Architecture students also provide most of the construction labor.

Gallery (6 photos)