Liberty Launch Academy: Bridger Fobes builds tiny house with blueprint for affordability

While constructing a tiny house this year, Bridger Fobes also built a framework to help others.

The Liberty Launch Academy graduate documented his construction steps and materials, with plans to create a website showing other people how to design and build similar structures.

Fobes, a Coeur d’Alene resident, was among the first students when the private Liberty Lake K-12 school began four years ago. The school encourages internships and hands-on learning.

“Through my internship, I’m building a tiny house and when it’s done, I’m going to live in the tiny house,” said Fobes, 18. The house is just over 400 square feet and set to be completed in June.

He’s doing the project under an internship through his father, a civil engineer, on family property.

“That connects to my capstone project – I’m going to be creating a whole website that shows people in-depth how to build a tiny house under $60,000, because houses now are so expensive.”

He believes young adults who want to buy a home should be able to, although affordability is often a barrier.

“I think moving out of the house is an essential step for your own growth,” he said. “I’m trying to help people to take that first step.”

Jason Miller, leadership and English teacher, said Fobes shows resilience, gratitude and a constant self-growth mindset. His abilities range from creative to analytical.

“His right brain and left brain are both fully active – you don’t usually see that in a human,” Miller said. “He’s very artistic with his drawing and music. He plays the piano well. Then, he has this engineering, logical, scientific, inquisitive mind.”

Miller said Fobes is known for mentoring younger students, helping to resolve conflicts. During his own setbacks, Fobes remains positive and moves forward.

Fobes has regularly lifted weights, after a childhood bout of pneumonia.

“I started weightlifting, and then everything started to get better,” he said. Later in childhood, he had severe bronchitis that lingered. “It reset all my progress, but I got back into the gym” and improved again.

At Liberty Launch, he and a friend created a weight-training club for younger students, with oversight by a school coach.

Fobes also enjoys surfing, mountain biking and snowboarding. He said he’ll keep that up, despite a hard landing while snowboarding more than a year ago that broke his collarbone.

“Now, I have a plate and 14 screws in my shoulder,” he said. Still, he returned to the gym and slowly exceeded his weight-lifting targets.

“In the past year since my last injury, I’ve gained 30 pounds just in muscle, which was a huge goal.”

He also finished college classes through Arizona State University, including biology and world history. After graduation, Fobes plans to start a business right away.

“I don’t plan on going to college, but I’m keeping the door open,” he said. “My goal after high school is to start my own gym, and I’m developing a business plan.”