Summit County resident and master of architecture candidate Glen Camuso said he’s learning hands-on about a field he has always found interesting: socially responsible architecture. Through the University of Colorado at Denver, he’s currently working with a nonprofit called DesignBuildBLUFF to build environmentally sustainable homes in the Navajo Nation outside of Bluff, Utah. The organization built its first house in 2000 for Navajo residents, and have since built nine more with the help of graduate students from the University of Utah. Students design houses, and then build them themselves. Program coordinator Andrew Foster said the Navajo were chosen as home recipients because of their poor living conditions – many of them don’t even have homes. “It’s virtually a third-world country in our backyard,” Camuso said. The nonprofit’s partnership with UCD is a new one. Foster said the relationship allows the organization to build two houses a year instead of one. Camuso said he’s happy to have the chance to work with the organization because when he is an architect, he aspires to help those who can’t afford the luxury of one. He has also worked on other affordable- housing projects in school.”As opposed to working for the wealthy developers and building concrete jungles, I totally believe we need more housing for those who can’t afford it,” he said. Camuso is in his second year of graduate school. He moved to Summit County 14 years ago, and started working for Breckenridge Ski Resort. After deciding it wasn’t meant to be his life’s work, he was hired on at Matthew Stais Architects in Breckenridge with no experience, something he said “is crucial to where I am now.” Five years later, he decided to head back to school. “I always had an interest in architecture, but I didn’t pursue it until I got to Summit County,” he said. Camuso is now spending the summer finalizing design plans for a house in the Navajo Nation with fellow students. He said the team only has $25,000 to work with, most of which is spent on materials – many materials are also salvaged – and design and labor are free. Foster said the low budget tends to inspire more creativity in students. Because many of the residents have never owned a house before, Camuso said many aren’t really sure what they want. The team asks the candidates questions about their personalities, and then designs around the answers. Camuso said the houses are designed small to stay in the budget and for sustainability. A smaller home “drastically minimizes energy needs,” a savings he thinks most architects should keep in mind even while designing larger buildings. Camuso’s group’s design will be presented to the clients in early July. In mid-August they head to Utah to build the house, which is expected to be finished in mid-December. “The idea with DesignBuildBLUFF is to get some hands-on building,” he said. “Most architecture students graduate with none. It’s a really great opportunity.”Camuso said he’s inspired by a documentary called “Citizen Architect,” about another design and build organization DBB is based on, The Rural Studio. “If you watch that documentary you just get chills,” he said. “Actually being part of it is really motivating. These are the in-roads to continuing that path once I graduate.”