Tiny Home Takes a Big Trip: Fort Hays Tech Northwest Moves Student-Built House to Become New Softball Press Box
- Kristina Hemel
- 2 hours ago
- 2 min read
A unique sight rolled through Goodland this morning as Fort Hays Tech Northwest moved its student-built tiny home across campus — relocating it to the softball fields, where it will now serve as the brand-new Tech Tiger Softball Press Box.
The project, built and wired entirely by students in the Construction Technology and Electrical Technology programs, has been months in the making. With the help of professional house movers, the home began its slow, careful journey around 7:30 a.m., just ahead of forecasted rain.
Construction Tech instructor Joseph Dobbs and second-year student Mason Berls joined Rollie Halligan on The Good Neighbor Hour to talk about the move, the work behind it, and the excitement surrounding the new addition to the softball complex.
A “Tiny” Home With a Big Job
The structure, known around campus as the “tiny home that’s not so tiny,” was designed and built by students as part of their hands-on curriculum. Now, instead of being sold or stored, it’s getting a new purpose.
“We’re moving it over to the softball field to be used as our press box,” Berls said. “It’s been sitting for a while, and today’s the day it finally rolls out.”
Dobbs added that students were eager to watch the move — many of them experiencing a house relocation for the first time.
“I’ve seen them move houses before, and they go about two miles an hour,” Rollie joked on-air. “It’s a sight to see.”
A True Hands-On Project
The tiny home project was fully constructed by Fort Hays Tech Northwest students, giving them valuable real-world experience in everything from framing and finishing to electrical installation. Earlier this fall, Berls and his classmates completed the foundation work at the softball complex to prepare for today’s move.
“We finished that a while back,” Berls explained. “It’s cured and ready. The movers said our foundation was good to go — they’re just going to set it right down on it.”
The home was transported by a Nebraska-based house-moving company, with Dobbs noting they were great to work with and impressed by the students’ prep work.
Improving the Game-Day Experience
The move marks a major upgrade for the Tech Tiger softball program. The new press box will provide improved visibility, better equipment space, and a much more comfortable game-day hub for announcers, scorekeepers, media, and visiting teams.
In a post shared by Fort Hays Tech Northwest, the school celebrated the occasion:
“BIG MOVE this morning! We moved the Tiny House across campus to the softball fields… and it will officially become our new Tech Tiger Softball Press Box! A huge shout-out to our Construction Technology and Electrical Technology programs for building, wiring, and bringing this project to life.”
Community Invited to See What Students Are Building
Dobbs encourages the public to swing by campus anytime to see what the Construction Technology program is working on — from the tiny home press box to the passive house project currently underway on Sherman Street.
“Programs love visitors,” Dobbs said. “Come ask questions, see what our students are doing, and check out all the trades. There’s a lot happening here.”