Jose Aparicio: Affordable and Efficient 2 Bedroom 1 Bath House

Hello, my name is Jose Aparicio, and I’m currently a senior at Santiago High School in Corona, California. I have hopes and dreams of attending college next summer, where I plan to study architecture and interior design. For as long as I can remember, I’ve been passionate about becoming a professional architect and being well-known in the industry for years to come. I truly want to make an impact on the world, not just through bold, creative designs, but also by creating buildings that bring comfort and foster a joyful, safe environment.

Materials:

1. Exacto knife
2. Modeling material (wood in my case)
3. Cotton balls
4. Hot glue
5. Super glue
6. Paints
7. Pencils
8. Pens
9. OMEN X16 Extreme Performance Laptop

Software's

1. Revit 2026
2. AutoCAD

Furthermore, throughout the United States, the cost of living and the cost to afford a house have gone up. Since 2002, home prices in the U.S. have increased by about 150%. Not to mention, the most notable state that has seen the most increase when it comes to housing prices is California, where since 2002, housing prices have increased by 200%. Now, this raises a very huge problem when it comes to the housing market because more people are inclined to rent apartments and rooms, even though it's kind of like burning money in a sense because you could be using that money to go towards a home. All this adds up to a decline in house production, which trickles down to a decline in work availability for people who build the houses and manufacturers who produce the materials to make said houses. Thus, if we increase the amount of affordable housing that people have available, this would also increase the number of jobs being created, which would eventually boost the local economy. This is because when people can afford to live in an area, they spend more money at local businesses. As well as companies are most likely to set up areas where workers can find housing. Nevertheless, as a child who has had to go through this, and for the most part, my parents weren’t loaded with money, I know finding a house was really challenging and very stressful. I truly don't want people to go through that because I know how that can affect a kid growing up and affect people's mental state. So, in this project, I want to create a two-bedroom, one-bath housing unit that is, for the most part, easily assembled and affordable but still strong and reliable.

For this project, I wanted to find a plot of land where I could build many housing units, and I landed on Temescal Valley in California—more specifically, on Trilogy Parkway, Corona, CA, near the Glen Ivy Golf Club. This plot of land grabbed my attention because of its amazing views of nature, with all the trees and plants, and not to mention the mountain views, which are really beautiful, as well as the large amount of land that the site has. But most importantly, its easy access to the freeway makes it easier for people to commute to their jobs and schools. Another reason I chose this land is that Temescal Valley is seeing an increase in population and an increase in home buyers because most people are moving eastward to find better deals when it comes to homes.

After I finished conducting my research, I wanted to start developing a small sketch that compiled all my ideas and design choices that would eventually be modeled in Revit. Some necessities for this building to be functional were two bedrooms, one bathroom, one living room, and one kitchen. In addition, I wanted to add some luxury features to give the house more of a relaxing vibe, so I added a tall ceiling over the dining table as well as a small pantry next to the kitchen.

After I had a general sketch of how I wanted my house to look, I started modeling it in Revit 2026. Throughout the design process, I wanted to experiment with new things I hadn’t tried before during my past few years in high school. Getting to know Revit and becoming familiar with the software made me feel more confident in challenging my abilities and making design choices I normally wouldn’t consider. For example, I designed a higher section of the house with a slanted roof. After finishing the overall shell of the building, I added furniture such as tables, couches, beds, and even a well-designed kitchen area to show how the space can be used in a variety of ways.

Well, you’re probably wondering how can you make a house more affordable? Let’s start with the exterior walls. I chose fiber cement siding because it’s a durable, low maintenance material that looks like wood but resists fire, insects, and harsh weather, making it perfect for long lasting protection. As for the interior, a good wall should be strong, sound-insulating, and easy to finish. That’s why I used drywall (gypsum board) it’s the most common and cost-effective option for interior walls. For the roof, I went with asphalt shingles, since they’re a reliable and affordable roofing material that protects the home from all kinds of weather. For the flooring, I chose vinyl tile because it's affordable, easy to install, and resistant to water and wear making it a great option for long lasting, low maintenance floors. Finally, the curtain wall system can be pricey, but it really makes the house look more elegant and attractive to potential buyers. More importantly, this design helps make the two-bedroom, one-bathroom home more affordable and efficient. It also benefits the community by creating more job opportunities and increasing demand for construction workers and various tradespeople, such as plumbers, MEP (mechanical, electrical, plumbing) specialists, lighting experts, electricians, and sewage technicians.

After I was happy with modeling my house in Revit 2026, I decided to create some renders to show how the materials would look and to highlight key features like the kitchen and the bedrooms, etc..

For me, this was actually one of the hardest parts of the whole project. In high school, we never created physical models with real materials, so I had to do a lot of research to figure out which materials would work best and which ones to avoid. I ended up using thin slabs of plywood, hot glue, super glue, and an X-Acto knife. After gathering all the materials I needed, I printed out a picture of my floor plan created in Revit. I then cut the pieces of wood with the X-Acto knife to the exact lengths, painting each piece individually in the preferred colors to give the model more personality. Once all the parts were painted, I glued them together carefully. Finally, I added some plants around the model to give it more life.

I’m really happy with the way it turned out, especially for my first model.

To end on a strong note, the more available housing California produces, the more opportunities we create—not just for homebuyers, but for the entire community. This includes growth in housing construction industries and the rise of new local businesses just down the street.

This has been one of the most fun and rewarding projects I’ve ever worked on. It gave me the creative freedom to design something in my own way, while also helping me understand how real-world problems can be solved through research, adaptation, and thoughtful modeling.

I’ve also learned that home prices aren’t likely to drop anytime soon—they’re only going up. That means we have to adapt. We need to come up with ideas that work for everyone, ideas that make people feel safe and supported, and ensure they have access to the kind of housing they need to live healthy, fulfilling lives.

Thank you so much for taking the time to look at my model. It’s projects like these that push our generation to think outside the box and create solutions that can shape a better future.

---Jose Jr Aparicio