From Building Legos to Building Roofs

By Evelyn Witterholt. 

Karan Dipnarine took home the grand prize of Roof System Ltd.'s art competition for his impressive roof model. 

Trinidad and Tobago-based roofing company, Roof System Ltd., recently held an art contest for post- secondary entrance assessment (SEA) students. The contestants were required to build a free-standing structure, with emphasis on the roof, as well as a minute-long video telling the story behind the roof. Many students entered, but 11-year-old Karan Dipnarine took home the first-place prize of $3,000 for his model roof. 

Whether with Legos or in Minecraft, Karan has always been interested in building. Before he began to build his model for the art competition, he said that he did quite a bit of research. "I researched the different features of a roof and what you had to consider while making it... It took a few days,” he told Newsday. 

For his project, Karan constructed a gable roof model, complete with solar panels, storage and a ventilation system. He used Styrofoam, straw and cardboard as his building materials as well as a few farm animals. In his video submission, he referred to himself as “Farmer Karan,” stating that he built this structure to protect his farm animals. 

This competition was a great way to get kids interested in the trades, specifically roofing, at an early age. Sparking a child’s interest in the trades is more important than ever, with the demand for tradespeople far outweighing the supply. According to Trades Nation, the trades industry is expected to grow 10% by 2028 and the U.S. Bureau of Labor says that the median income for roofers is $47,110.  

Congratulations to Karan and all other contestants in this competition! We can’t wait to see what their future will hold.  

Photo credit: Roof Systems Ltd.