Community Build

Community Build aims to connect community organizations in need to design and construction management programs at local higher education institutions.

In cooperation with USGBC-Missouri Gateway Chapter, students enrolled in inter-disciplinary courses can participate in Community Build in order to assist local community groups, non-profit organizations, municipalities, and other non-profit organizations by providing design and construction management services.

Participating higher education institutions must develop a course based on the design and construction of a small project (many schools already have such a course).  Schools should involve as many different departments as possible.  For exmaple, architecture, engineering, and construction management departments would establish a course with students capable of architectural and engineering capabilities as well as a managing the construction process. Institutions without a department in the project delivery sequence can work with USGBC-Missouri Gateway members for additional resources.

In order to provide a consistent portfolio of potential projects for the schools to choose from, USGBC-Missouri Gateway Chapter’s Higher Education Committee will solicit project proposals from community organizations. Organizations can submit projects that meet the eligibility criteria.  Schools then select one project from the pool of projects based on scope, location and capabilities of the school’s course. USGBC-Missouri Gateway Chapter will help ensure the projects are reasonable and the match between the community organization and the school is a good fit.

Project Scale
Because there are hundreds of great project ideas in the region, Community Build attempts to narrow the focus on moderate size projects that are small enough to be designed and built within a semester or year-long course. Students will be involved throughout the construction phase to answer questions and review constructability issues with the build team. If appropriate, this may include active participation in the construction itself.

Eligibility Criteria

Community Organization Projects must:

  • Provide benefit to a non-profit organization or the broader community
  • Have funding in place to ensure the project is built
  • Be small enough to be designed and built within the course duration (one or two semesters)
  • Be large enough to consume a semester of design/build course work
  • Encourage LEED certification so students gain project experience in order to qualify for LEED AP specialty exam

Participation Requirements – Costs

Community Organizations, Colleges and Universities and Volunteer Organizations (organizations providing additional in-kind services or volunteer labor) must fill out an application and pay a $25 processing and listing fee. Once the application is submitted, organizations and schools can send checks payable to USGBC-Missouri Gateway Chapter to: 4651 Shaw Blvd * St. Louis, MO 63110. $25 fees cover processing and listing in the Community Build project database.

Fill out the on-line application below that applies to your organization or institution and help us transform the built environment into a healthier, more environmentally friendly place to live, work and go to school!

Questions? Please contact USGBC-Missouri Gateway Staff at usgbc-mogateway@mobot.org or (314) 577-0854.