Viking House FAQ’s
What is the Viking House?
The Viking House is a single-family home built by Forest Grove High School students. The program was started in 1976 by Birt Hansen to challenge and enhance the skills of the most accomplished woodworking students at FGHS. Duane Mueller and took over the program in the late 80’s. I took the program over from Duane in 1998 and continued the program's basic philosophy that students should “learn by doing.”
What are the prerequisites and requirements for student participation?
Students must be a junior or senior on pace to graduate with a better than 90% school attendance record. Woods 1, Woods 2, and Basic Construction classes must be passed with a “B” or better. They must also successfully complete Geometry and Architecture coursework and acquire the signed endorsement of two FGHS staff members. Students can then apply to the program.
How many students apply?
We have averaged about 30-40 applicants for each of the past few years.
How many are accepted?
Space is limited to 12-16 students.
What is the learning atmosphere like on the jobsite?
The atmosphere at the jobsite is much like a professional workplace. This class was created to give students the opportunity for real-world experience, and it comes with real-world expectations. The bottom line is that they must perform. We build these houses to meet or exceed industry standards and things are done correctly or they are done over. We expect them (and they expect each other) to perform at a professional level. The only difference is it takes us much longer.
It has been my experience that they thrive on the pressure and relish the opportunity to prove themselves. These are very motivated young people (this is especially evident on wet winter days) and they only require direction. Discipline issues are pretty much nonexistent, but that is not surprising considering how much they went through to earn a position on the crew. This class is a pleasure to teach.
What style of house do you build?
Site-permitting, we try to stick with a single-level, greatroom concept. Lots of light and space, but with adequate privacy and storage. We try to stay in the mid level price range. This allows us to incorporate many student-built upgrades. “Contemporary Craftsman” is probably the style that best describes our work.
How long does it take the class to build the house?
We build the house over the course of the school year. Students stake the lot for excavation the first day of class in early September and host an open-house for the completed home in late May or early June.
How much time do they have to work on the house?
We are on a block schedule at FGHS and this is a double-block class. This allows for about three hours of work time every-other school day. That works out to around 270 hours on the job.
What tasks do the students perform?
Generally, most of the carpentry is performed by the students. They lay out the lot for excavation, frame and deck the floor system, frame and stand the walls, build the roof structure, and install the windows and skylights. This takes up most of the first semester.
During the second semester, students install two types of siding and many exterior trim details. After the house is drywalled, they begin the process of hanging doors, casing and trimming openings, installing underlayment and extensive hardwood flooring, cabinets and bookcases, wainscoting, closet systems, and many other millwork details.
What is done with the house after completion?
It is marketed and sold.
What is done with the profits?
The profits are tracked and held for the program by the District Business Manager. This has allowed us to become a completely self-funded program over the last few years. Accumulated profits pay for the building lot, materials, sub-contractors, our tools, truck, SAIF, instruction time, student scholarships, and woodshop facility improvements.
The success of the program has even allowed us to begin the replacement process of the major equipment in our woodshops in need of upgrade. This helps to enhance and improve our Woods/Construction courses that accommodate around 600 students per year.
Do you receive donations?
Yes. Many of our subcontractors and suppliers have generously provided materials and expertise to us over the years. This has been a tremendous boost to us in becoming and remaining self-funded.
What type of credit do the students receive?
The students earn two elective credits toward graduation at FGHS and can qualify for up to 15 articulated credits through PCC if they meet their criteria.
Do other classes participate in the house?
Yes. Students in Basic Construction assist with the construction of many components (such as bookcases, closet storage units, and some cabinetry) back at the woodshop.
Woods 3 also plays a role by building furniture-quality vanities and other built-ins for the house. Interior Design students provide several potential color and finish schemes to choose from and Landscaping is also contributing. Metals and Auto Tech also participate with displays of their work at the open house.
Do many of the students go on to careers in construction?
Although we have no formal tracking system, many former students stay in touch. Some have pursued degrees in architecture, engineering and design. Others have apprenticed in plumbing, HVAC, carpentry, electrical, and some have gone directly into construction as framers, finish carpenters and cabinetmakers. I would guess that well over half have gone on to construction-related careers.