Moving With The Millers: Engineering and robotics teacher Mr. Miller is building a house in the Ozarks

Overlooking the Lake of the Ozarks, engineering and robotics teacher Vincent Miller yanks a rope to lift the lumber needed for his roof. In a project that would usually require an extensive crew, Miller’s crew is his family.

Miller has been constructing a house by the Lake of the Ozarks since 2017. His father, sister and uncle have helped in the process of building his ideal lake house by hand. Whether it be supplying lumber or just aiding in the building process.

“This whole story goes way back to my grandpa,” Miller said.

Miller’s grandfather built houses as a hobby. Miller’s grandfather taught Miller’s father how to build homes by hand, who then taught Miller.

Following in his family’s footsteps, Miller has built three other houses with his father in the past. He started the lakeside home eight years ago, continuing on and off, most recently returning to the site this winter.

“I think that passion is what got me into all of this,” Miller said.

After the camp his family regularly went to was redeveloped into condos, Miller wanted to create a new spot for his family to spend time together. Since his family spent much of their time by the lake, Miller knew the get-away had to be lakeside.

Prior to becoming a teacher, Miller earned an architecture degree and experience in engineering at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. Using his degree, Miller drafted a plan for the lakeside house.

Creating a plan that worked took many attempts.

“Plan A, plan B, plan C and I thought I was all the way to around S by the time we finally had one that we thought we would do.” Miller said.

Miller used his engineering skills to craft make-shift cranes out of wood and scaffolding, alongside pulleys to move materials that would require more help than he has.

The home has been built mainly by Miller and his family members. Miller only used a contractor to build the foundation of the house alongside a crew of Amish people to assist in raising the roof of the home.

The house is currently nearing its completion, and is scheduled to be finished in a year or two. Usually going on weekends and breaks, Miller plans to return at the end of February to continue work on his home.

Sophomore and Honors Engineering student Gray Snyder says Miller seems proud of the progress he has made on the house.

Snyder recalls that Miller would often share photos of the home’s progress with his class.

However, the process has had its fair share of difficulties. Miller had to prevent the lumber from rotting before installing it in the home.

“You got to use it pretty quickly or else it starts going bad,” Miller said. “So I had to take a lot of time and a lot of effort to be able to get that done.”

Currently, the home boasts three stories, with the first story standing at 10 feet tall. A garage and eight-foot tall windows that adorn the second floor.

Due to the price of lumber increasing during the COVID-19 pandemic, much of the property was built using wood bought at a lower price from Miller’s sister’s wood mill in Montana.

“I’m very happy with how the home’s turning out,” Miller said.

Senior Lars Alsin is a neighbor of Miller’s local home and a prior student of his engineering courses. Alsin has visited the site of the home and has been following the progress on Miller’s lakeside home.

“I think he’s done pretty well,” Alsin said. “I think freshman year, he just had pretty much like a foundation and one story, and now it’s like two, maybe even three.”

The home is a patchwork of collaboration from Miller’s family, from his grandfather beginning the tradition all the way to his sister aiding lumber during a global pandemic.

Alsin recalls that he’ll see Miller’s father by the lake helping his son work on his home, carrying on his family’s tradition.