Habitat & Taconic CTE Students Build Pittsfield Home
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Taconic CTE students will be able to say "I built that house" when they pass 37 Curtis Terrace.
On Thursday, roof trusses were set on the home that Taconic High School students are partnering with Central Berkshire Habitat for Humanity to build. This is one of several homes the nonprofit housing organization has recently built, but a first for the young, skilled trades workers who were involved from the concrete pouring in October 2025.
The stick-built, single-family ranch will have three bedrooms with a walkout in the back. The city of Pittsfield donated the land.
For Cody Errichetto, a junior in the carpentry program, it feels great to see the building come together.
"And finally, we get to use our skills to make something for someone," he said.
Errichetto is in his third year of the program and is hoping to make a career. He wants to keep building homes after this and help more people.
Carpentry instructor Peerayot Noummano explained that this is the first opportunity they've had in a very long time to apply skills learned in the classroom on a real-life adventure. On Thursday, there were sophomores, juniors and seniors at the site.
This is something that will be here forever, he said, rather than a picnic table or a shed that will be taken apart.
"Twenty years from now, 30 years from now, they're going to drive past with their kids, and they're going to say, 'Hey, I built that.' Many people don't have this opportunity," Noummano said.
"And as Taconic is slowly, kind of creating a new culture and advancing, we're seeing opportunities like this arise in the public."
He added that it is an exciting time for Taconic and the carpentry program.
"This is kind of like the pinnacle of what a successful program is. Taking what we learn every day in our shop class and turning it into a real-life application," he said.
Erin O'Brien, Central Berkshire Habitat's communications manager, said the students have really taken to the project. They have been working on it as the weather and temperatures allow, beginning that morning with snow removal.
"It's a cool hands-on learning experience for them," she said.
At later points, other Career Technical Education programs for electrical work and landscaping plan to work on the home. Even the culinary program has offered to help with a home dedication.
The home will be sold to a household earning between 50 percent and 65 percent of the area median income, which ranges between $49,150 and $63,895 for a family of two and $66,350 and $86,255 for a family of five. Habitat has recently completed four homes, two on Murphy Place and two on Robbins Avenue. This will be the last of the batch in Pittsfield.
There were some weather delays, and with summer vacations, it is expected to take about two years to complete the Curtis Terrace home.
Tags: carpentry, habitat for humanity, Taconic High,
