Work has been delayed on the next Escambia County Habitat for Humanity build because of a delay in the home’s design plans.

The chapter’s executive director, Alecia Glaize, said Tuesday that volunteers hoped to begin at what will become the Flomaton home of the Moellinbrink family.

“Expect the official raise the walls announcement within the next few weeks, and definitely by the end of the month,” Glaize said. “We’re afraid to say a date without the plans in hand.”

Glazie said students at Auburn University’s architectural school are heading the design project and are currently working to make the home as energy efficient as possible.

“Those students are doing it as a service project,” Glaize said. “This is going to be a small house, but one that has a very good use of space. We got a grant from the Alabama Associations of Habitat Affiliates to build a home with increased energy efficiency, and we have a very ambitious energy efficiency goal.

“I know we can do it,” she said. “It just takes a bit to make sure the plans are just right. It’s a challenge to build a home that is both very energy efficient and affordable. But this home, when we’re done, it will be 70 percent more energy efficient than energy codes call for.”

Glaize said students from the Milwaukee School of Engineering were brought in for the scheduled build this week.

“But, we had to change those plans a bit,” she said. “On Monday, they built a wheelchair ramp for a cancer patient, and (Tuesday) were working at the Habitat ReStore.”

Glaize said if the weather permits, those students will work to clear the lot in Flomaton today.

“Despite our best efforts, sometimes things don’t work out like we want,” Glaize said of this week’s scheduled build. “But that’s OK. It will get started by the end of the month.”