Students in the SIU Carbondale School of Architecture spent eleven weeks during the summer of 2009 remodeling a "shotgun" style home in Cairo from the wrecker's ball. The students diligently restored the house by replacing rotten siding, rebuilding 100-year old wooden windows, and completing a host of other projects to breath new life into the home. When completely renovated, the remodeled "shotgun" home will be used as the new location of the Cairo Chamber of Commerce. Organizers of the project hope that the successful renovation will lead the way for similar homes in Cairo and across the country to be renovated for low-income housing at a fraction of the cost of new construction.