CANTON — During an open house last week, community members, friends and family explored a Westwood home addition that was built by Blue Hills Regional Technical School Construction Program students.
On Friday, Oct. 27, homeowners Michael Petta and Cheryl Bornstein opened up their home to allow the community to tour their new Westwood home addition that was built last school year by Blue Hills Regional Construction Program students.
Current Blue Hills Regional Construction Program students, including those that didn’t work on the project; parents; friends; prospective project owners; elected officials, including Blue Hills School Committee representative Sheila Vazquez (Westwood), and more attended the open house to see the work students completed and learn more about the process.
During the 2022-23 school year, Petta and Bornstein contracted Blue Hills Regional Technical School to construct the addition after hearing of a previous home project that was completed by Blue Hills students in their neighborhood back in the early 2000s.
After submitting their home addition plans to Superintendent-Director Jill Rosetti and Vocational Director Michelle Sylvia in February 2022, the project was then approved by the School Committee and broke ground in August.
Throughout the school-year, junior and senior students completed the framing of a 1,800-square-foot addition and a 700-square-foot covered porch under the guidance of Blue Hills instructors, David Blakeley and Ron Eby. The addition features several low-pitched roofs, extended eaves, covered porches and heavy tapered columns, among other designs to keep with the theme of the craftsman-style home.
As part of the 1,800-square-foot addition, students built a half-bathroom, bedrooms and living spaces for the family to maximize present space for their six children, nearly all young adults, with an equal focus on accommodating their senior lives in the years ahead.
“This home addition is a testament to our students’ exceptional skills and knowledge cultivated under the guidance of our Construction Program instructors,” Vocational Director Sylvia. “This project had many intricacies due to the addition being on a craftsman-style home, however our students did not waiver in their efforts and worked diligently to meet Michael and Cheryl’s requests.”
Added Superintendent-Director Rossetti, “Projects such as the addition on Michael Petta and Cheryl Bornstein’s home provide hands-on experiences that enrich our students learning and equip them with the skills required of their future careers. I would like to thank Michael and Cheryl for providing our students with this opportunity and working alongside us. I would also like to thank our students and instructors for representing Blue Hills in a positive light throughout their work on this project.”
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