© 2011 DesignBuildBLUFF 2011 Tel:435.649.7080 email:office@designbuildbluff.org
PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS
Frequently asked questions
Q. How Do I Join This Program?
A. You need to be a student of corporative sponsors. Please click here to see the corporative sponsors.
Q. To participate DesignBuildBluff Program, do I have to be a student of corporative sponsors?
A. No. We greatly appreciate and depend on volunteers to help in the building process. Please see our Volunteer Weekend page to see what dates work for you.
Q. How is a house designed?
A. Students will spend one semester to design a house. First, we choose a family in need by interviewing five or six families. Second, students design a house individually. Third, students make about 6 groups to develop their design including one or two pin-up presentations. At last, DesignBuildBLUFF will pick two or three designs during the final presentation at the end of the semester.
Q. For whom do we build the houses for?
A. Native American Families in need.
Q. How much time does it take to build a house?
A. After the design semester, students will spend the second semester building on the Navajo Reservation and in the workshop on our Bluff, Utah Campus. Students spend two weeks in Bluff, Utah and get the following week off and get to go back home.
This is the build schedule for the 2011 University of Utah Students in Bluff.
Students have only approximately 80 days to build their project(s).
Trip 01 : Jan 09,2011 – Jan 23,2011
Trip 02 : Jan 30,2011 – Feb 13,2011
Trip 03 : Feb 21,2011 – Mar 08,2011
Trip 04 : Mar 13,2011 – Mar 27,2011
Trip 05 : Apr 03,2011 – Apr 17,2011
Trip 06 : Apr 25,2011 – May 14,2011
Q. Whats is the daily schedule in Bluff?
A. A typical day:
08:00-08:30 breakfast and prep lunch
08:30-08:40 morning meeting
08:40-09:00 drive to the site
09:00-13:00 work at site
13:00-13:30 lunch break
13:30-17:00 work at site
17:00-17:30 clean the site
17:30-18:00 drive to the campus
18:00-18:30 free
18:30-19:30 dinner
19:30- free
Q. What will I do during weekends in Bluff?
A. Sunday is a off day. Students do not need to go to the construction site. They have to do a chore like clean tools or the campus for about one hour.
Some students go hiking or visit nearby ruins. Some students hang around the campus. While others may take the day to ride their favorite mountain biking trail.
Q. What are the facilities like for students on the Bluff Campus?
A. Beds and mattresses will be provided to all of the students who stay at the campus in Bluff.
There is one building traditional building for 9 people to stay, one unit for 2 people to stay, two trailers for 4 people to stay, one dormitory for 6 people to stay.
There is also a new Bathhouse on campus with shower stalls and bathrooms.
Q. How are meals prepared?
A. Each student makes their own breakfast and lunch. Every morning, the kitchen is alive with students preparing their lunches to eat later at the site.
The overall group is broken into teams of 2 for making dinner.
Each group is given a $100 allotment to make dinner; it may not seem like much, but every group comes up with an innovative way to make dinner for everyone and there are often leftovers.
A cooking schedule must be made so people know when they are cooking.
There will be time to go and get your needed groceries. Someone should step up to make this list if it has not already been composed.
Q. Where do I get food?
A. There is a diner and convenience store within walking distance. Moab or Cortez are the closest cities with a large grocery store.
Q. Where do I wash my clothes?
A. There are washers, clothes lines and dryers on-site.
Q. Should I take online Classes from my university while participating in Bluff?
A. It is not advisable as it can add additional stress.
Q. Is there any building code for residences in the Reservation?
A. There is no building code enforced on the Reservation, but please make sure that the all designs are safe for all involved.
Q. How can I use my leisure time in Bluff?
A. Visiting ruins and going on hikes in many of the beautiful nearby nature areas: Monument Valley, Arches National Park, Canyonlands National Park, Hovenweep National Monument, Natural Bridges National Monument, Ute Mountain Tribal Park and countless others. In the summer months, Biking and Rafting.
Q. How will I go to Bluff?
A. Most everyone fits in our vehicles, but some students drive their own cars and also bring some students to Bluff.
Q. What tools do I need to bring?
A. Tool belts complete with basic hand tools are required, if cost is an issue there are a limited number of old tool belts and hand tools left from semesters past. Recommended hand tools include: framing hammer, speed square, tape measure, chalk line, nail set/punch, needle nose pliers, wrench, vice grips, utility knife, pencils and sharpies. Please do not become the student asking everyone else on the job site for their tools, you will be doing everyone a big favor, including yourself if you come prepared on a daily basis.
Q. What is the weather like?
A. In winter, Average Minimum Temperature is about 17F, Average Maximum Temperature is about 45F, it often snows. In summer, Average Minimum Temperature is about 60F, Average Maximum Temperature is about 95F. Monthly Precipitation is under an inch. It is often windy and it’s always desert-dry.
Q. How do I prepare my safety equipment?
A. At the beginning of the build-semester, we have a safety lecture. We will provide all the safety information you will need, and we will get you aquatinted with our tools, safety procedures and workshop safety.
Q. Do I have to have insurance?
A. Yes.
Q. If I have a family emergency and need to get home, what are my options?
A. We understand that home-life may require you to return home or travel unexpectedly. We have accommodated many students in the past.
Q. Where is the nearest hospital?
A. Blue Mountain Hospital in Blanding. It takes 30 mins from the campus in Bluff.
Q. How many academic credits will I get, if I participate this design build program?
A. In designing semester, 3 credit for prep design studio.
In building semester, 5 credit for design studio, 3 credit for construction/technology, 3 credit for Architectural History.
Q. Can I take off during working week?
A. Each student has 5 days off during the off-week. Students can take more than 5 days off only for an emergency issue.
Q. Can I bring my friends, families or pets?
A. Yes! Please make sure there are places for your visitors to stay like tents and sleeping bags. There are also inexpensive inns, motels and hotels within a mile of the campus.
Q. Can I transter from any University or College that is not a DesignBuildBLUFF corporative sponsor?
A. It depends on the organization that they are belonging to. Please contact us to make sure whether you can transfer or not.
