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.

As the semester continues the students refine their schemes and create an impressive array of drawings, physical models and computer images to illustrate their designs. Byron encourages Amarit to push his concept further; meanwhile, Carter says "everyone's mentality into this should be 'I want to win'" and decides to stick with his audacious but potentially unrealizable prototype; Chris surprises Byron with a design that harkens back to a 1920s pioneer; and Adriana pursues her concept of an S-shaped building. Just as some of the students appear to be doing well, guest critics review the designs and their comments change the playing field. The Final Review is intense, and the front runner's scheme is ripped apart. Two of the others students emerge from behind and wow the critics with their presentations, finishing in a dead heat. The students cast their votes for the best design.

Week One of construction begins with a stretch of hard labor: old-fashioned, low-tech digging. Two new students, Ian and Alex, join the team, adding to the colorful and competitive cross-section of young builders. Another student, Adriana, has missed the week of digging and arrives as the foundation's concrete is poured. Tess is unhappy with the lack of progress in her daughter's attempt to purchase last year's house. N.H.S. unexpectedly finds another enthusiastic buyer who falls madly in love with the house during a tour. But a murder across the street places that sale in jeopardy, and leaves the students shaken and concerned for their safety.

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.