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Date 6-22-06
Contact David Tisdale 601.266.4499
WITH PHOTO
Hattiesburg—Building on his long association
as a volunteer with Habitat for Humanity, University of Southern
Mississippi professor Hugo Ley is using his expertise as an architect
to help the charity design and develop not just housing, but also
a community in Hattiesburg for people displaced by Hurricane Katrina.
Ley, who began volunteering with Habitat for Humanity as a graduate
student at the University of Texas, said Habitat for Humanity International
is helping fund the project, which will include a variety of home
designs ranging from three-bedroom to larger four-bedroom homes
on five acres of land in south Hattiesburg off of Edwards Street.
He said the plan is to complete the project in three years, with
construction set to begin later this year.
“Basically what I have been doing is helping them with design and
planning decisions,” said Ley, who serves as director of the Southern
Miss Architectural Engineering Program. “That’s my role, to provide
professional advice for site planning and property development.”
But Ley isn’t just giving direction. He’s also been right in the
thick of the hammering, nailing, sawing and painting for Habitat
projects since he came to Hattiesburg three years ago to join the
Southern Miss faculty. And he plans to do just that with this new
project, in addition to coordinating design and development. “When
I came here I got involved as soon as I could (with the local Habitat
chapter).”
Ley said the Katrina housing project is unique because it’s the
first time the Hattiesburg Habitat chapter has approached a project
as developers. Typically, the organization will work on one house
at a time through the assistance of volunteers, but in this case,
Habitat is “not just providing housing, but creating a community.”
“With this plan, we’re helping create a sense of place, a sense
of identity and belonging that the residents can share with their
neighbors,” Ley said.
Volunteering for Habitat is important to Ley because, as he puts
it, “It’s fulfilling what I do.”
“I went to school to study architecture in order to improve the
quality of the built environment, and working with Habitat is an
opportunity to do that at a level that’s meaningful to me because
it helps people who may not otherwise be able to access professional
services,” he said. The residents then get to partner with Habitat,
he said, to create something special in the community. “To me, that’s
incredible.”
Desmond Fletcher, director of the Southern Miss School of Construction
where the architectural engineering program is housed, praised Ley’s
work as another example of the school’s commitment to leveraging
its expertise and resources in the spirit of service. “We’re always
looking at ways to give back to the community,” Fletcher said.
For more information about the Hattiesburg chapter of Habitat for
Humanity and its volunteer opportunities, call 601.582.4663; for
information about the academic programs in the Southern Miss School
of Construction, call 601.266.4895.
Click to enlarge
Hugo Ley, director of the Southern Miss Architectural Engineering Technology Program, volunteers his time with the Hattiesburg chapter of Habitat for Humanity. Ley is assisting in the design and planning of a housing community in the city that will provide living spaces for persons displaced by Hurricane Katrina (submitted photo)
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