CHARLOTTE, N.C., September 27, 2008 – Employees of Merriman Schmitt Architects took part of this week off to get some hands-on experience in construction.  The MSA team helped build a Habitat for Humanity home on Charlotte’s Seymour Road during Charlotte Habitat’s Building on Faith Week.

The home’s construction was overseen by Pinnacle Properties of Charlotte which raised the $60,000 in funding necessary for construction.  Merriman Schmitt contributed $5,000 toward the project and lent employees’ sweat equity during the one-week construction timeframe.

Each fall since 1995, faith groups, corporations and civic groups have partnered with Habitat Charlotte to build between 10 and 20 homes for local, low-income families.  This “Blitz Week” is the charity’s Herculean effort to complete all homes in just one seven-day period.  This year, crews built 18 homes and made major renovations to seven others.

“Our employees believe wholeheartedly in the Habitat mission and the firm supported the decision to step away from our normal schedules for a couple of days to help a deserving family become homeowners,” said Steve Schmitt, president of Merriman Schmitt.  “The work also gave our designers the opportunity to wear someone else’s shoes – the people who actually build what we design.  After eight hours of nail pounding, you can’t help but come away with a new appreciation for people who work year-round outdoors in heat, rain, cold, mud and whatever nature serves up.  My hat’s off to those folks.”

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