Three years ago Robert Githens lost everything he had worked for in a matter of hours. The future looks brighter now because of work by Ball State architecture students.
Githens, a shop technician at Ball State, lost his Neeley Avenue house April 11, 2000, when an arsonist, who had set numerous fires throughout Muncie, hit Githens' house.
While sleeping, an unidentified man was seen behind Githens garage, which held a metal shop, two kilns and a painting studio. Five students noticed a fire that was quickly spreading from the garage to the house. The students kicked in Githens door and woke him.
"I thought someone was breaking in," Githens said.
Githens, who lived with three cats, escaped the fire unharmed, but the house was destroyed. The cats were not seen after the fire.
Githens had spent around $40,000 to create an equipped workshop that was known as "Workshop East" by his students.
After the fire, Githens planned to buy a new house, but Jack Wyman, an architecture professor, asked him if he would be a client for his class.
He allowed 12 students to design his house.
Githens was expecting a small house, but the plans called for a three-story four-bedroom house. Githens loved it and decided to build.
The students and Githens worked on the designs and tweaked it until Githens was fully satisfied. Construction began in 2001.
The house now stands where his old house burned down. The gray structure stands high above the neighbors with a stone wall framing the property.
"Eventually the wall will be six feet tall to provide privacy," Githens said.
The inside of the house still requires finishing touches, which Githens plans to do himself. Dealing with a variety of contractors, Githens found that doing things himself would allow him to make the house the way he wanted.
"Everyone has their own way of doing things, and they wouldn't do it my way," Githens said as he pounded a nail into one of the many staircases in the house.
The house sits at different levels and includes numerous shelves. The shelves were necessary for the avid ceramics maker.
Black pillars decorate the top of the stairway on the upper level opening into what Githens calls the BAR or "big ass room." The upper level is where Githens plans to live. He is going to rent the lower level, and possibly part of the street level, to students.
The house has four bathrooms and mirrored doors on every closet.
"You can never have to many mirrors," Githens said as he counted how many reflections he had standing between two mirrors. "Mirrors are fun because they bounce light around."
Githens plans to build a stream starting in the front of the house and wrapping around to the backyard into a small pond, which can be seen through the walls of windows throughout the house.
The concrete floors in the house will not be covered in carpet and will remain cool throughout the summer and hold heat in during the winter. Foam rests between the walls and the floor to ensure temperature control.
The upper level has skylights that have been cut into the green roof.
For now the interior of the house remains unfinished, but the large rooms and open space provide a wonderful playground for Githens' seven grandchildren with whom he spends much of his time and travels to watch participate in various sports.
Although Githens didn't think he would build again, he said the house has taken a whole new meaning for him.
The students who designed Githens house still keep in contact, although most have graduated and moved away.
"I hope to be done this summer," Githens said after admitting he should have been done two years ago.
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