Century College design students present plans for student-built house; city leaders praise program

Design-build students from Century College presented their chosen plan and material selections for a student-built house to the North St. Paul City Council at the workshop. The team described a transitional contemporary home for a corner lot with an owner’s suite, two lower-level bedrooms, an integrated kitchen, living and laundry layout, and a furnished lower level intended for long-term livability.

Students showed exterior and interior material palettes: two siding colors, a green entry door, luxury vinyl plank on the foyer and main living area, two-tone shaker cabinetry with a stained quarter‑sawn white oak lower cabinet, Vesuvius granite countertops, matte ceramic tile backsplash, and mixed metal finishes. They said the garage entry was moved to create a combined mudroom/laundry and that the originally proposed large island was replaced by a peninsula to gain storage and functionality.

Student presenters identified budget constraints throughout the process; several vendors donated or deeply discounted materials, and program instructors said donations and vendor relationships have kept costs low. One student said the class and vendor partnerships offered key industry connections: “That was a really good learning opportunity,” the student said, describing teamwork and real‑world vendor interactions. Instructors and council members praised the program as a valuable, hands‑on two‑year course that gives students both design experience and construction exposure.

Council members and Mayor Mange thanked the students and reiterated the city’s support for the program. The council discussed plans for an open house, with the students and instructors indicating the house was close to schedule but that finishing items such as painting and a garage door could affect the exact timing. The instructors and students said many graduates will move on after this class — it is a capstone course — but that alumni often return for the open house when schedules allow.

No formal council action was taken; the presentation was informational and intended to support the program’s community relationship and the public open house.