In the debut episode, we meet the Tulane University architecture students who will be submitting designs for a low-income single family home which they will build during the school year. The diverse group includes Amarit, a funny, charismatic Chicago native; Chris, an affable Georgian who seems somewhat less than driven; Carter, a highly focused Kentuckian; and Adriana, whose aesthetic owes much to her upbringing in Trinidad. Professor/architect Byron Mouton is looking for innovation, affordability and a "bold gesture." Lauren Anderson, the executive director of Neighborhood Housing Services (N.H.S.), a non-profit agency which helps low income families become homeowners, offers decidedly specific guidelines. The students' designs must also reflect the fact that the home will be built using environmentally friendly S.I.Ps (Structurally Insulated Panels) - a new, green technology of pre-fabricated walls that afford fast, easy construction and are energy efficient and cost effective.

Mardi Gras infuses its rich color and debauchery throughout the city for the entire month of February. Neighborhood crime continues to complicate Lauren Anderson's efforts to sell last year's house. The students call a community meeting, where neighbors are vocal about crime and the lack of security in the new house design. Amarit has a construction accident that sends him to Tulane's Urgent Care Center. 24-year-old Michael Wong, a dedicated community activist, shows interest in last year's house, potentially derailing Tess' plan to get the house for her daughter. Lauren Anderson gives a dinner party and the state of New Orleans housing is the topic du jour. Amarit volunteers to assist with campus crowd control as Barack Obama visits Tulane and gives a moving speech on rebuilding the city of New Orleans.

The S.I.P.s [Structurally Insulated Panels] arrive, and the construction can now forge ahead at high speed. These pre-fabricated panels are a fairly new, green technology that affords fast, easy construction and boasts $1/day energy costs. But as construction plows ahead, there are setbacks. Byron arrives on site and demands that a major beam be taken down and rebuilt due to inadequate, unsafe construction. Tension arises between the boys and the girls. A new potential buyer, Caroline, a mother of four, is interested in the house. Construction is over budget, building is behind schedule, one of the students' cars is broken into and a purse is stolen from within; and to top it all off a reputable architectural magazine prints an article about the project and bloggers mercilessly rip apart the students' design and their intentions. Morale is low and there seems to be no end in sight.

A pep talk from the project manager gives the students a bit of a lift. The next stage of construction begins. Adriana and Amarit don't see eye to eye on design issues as attention turns to the ever-contentious discussions of paint color and exterior siding. Custom windows and doors are next on the agenda, but money is running low. The sale of last year's home is completed. Thanks to Alex and Casey's resourcefulness in getting some critical material donations, the project gets back on budget. Finishing touches, like built-in cabinetry under the stairs, make the house look complete. The students finish on schedule and reflect upon the value of their tireless efforts.