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Furniture Trust Hosts Eighth Annual Eco-Carpentry Challenge

First Place, Small Shop: Worcester Alternative School

Boston, MA – The Furniture Trust, a nonprofit committed to responsible reuse of unwanted office furniture, held its annual signature event, the Eco-Carpentry Challenge, designed to promote resourcefulness and upcycling while providing students critical skills.

Used office furniture donated by local businesses was delivered to nine high schools where students had five months to use teamwork, imagination, and carpentry skills to transform these materials into new products, later donated back into the community.

At the challenge, held May 10 at District Hall in Boston, students networked with industry professionals and peer schools as they showcased their upcycled innovations to a panel of judges, providing additional details on contending projects and what they learned from the experience.

The nine participating schools includes 155 students from Bedford, East Bridgewater, Danvers, Hopedale, Cambridge, Boston ,Westford, Haverhill, and Worcester.

Best-in-Class, Large Shop: Nashoba Valley Technical High School

The panel of judges comprised of industry professionals — Shaun Lover, Columbia Construction; Stephen Bertolami, Liberty Mutual Insurance; Dan Perruzzi, AIA, LEED AP, Margulies Perruzzi Architects; and Brandon Needleman, Avison Young — announced the 2018 Eco-Carpentry Challenge winners:

  • First Place, Small Shop: Worcester Alternative School — $2,000 prize.
  • First Place, Large Shop: Nashoba Valley Technical High School — $2,000 prize.
  • Runner Up: Hopedale HS — $1,000 prize.
  • People’s Choice: Madison Park Technical Vocational HS (second year in a row).