This contemporary, sustainable home idea was conceived by Studio 804 – a design/build program at the University of Kansas School of Architecture and Urban Planning. Schooling the public in the art of eco friendly architecture, Studio 804 went off the grid in their design for this single-family home project in the Rosedale neighborhood of Kansas City, Kansas. After demolishing an old magazine building from the Sunflower Ammunition Plant, the designers recycled and reused the lumber, giving the house its distinctive barn-style facade. Many conventional ideas are used in this innovative, sustainable home design. The wood-clad exterior makes way for large glass walls, protected by operational wood louvers that passively regulate temperature and light inside the home. Epoxy-coated “gyp-crete” floors aid in the passive heating and cooling of the house. And check out the composite recycled-paper countertops and kitchen cabinets! The vertical axis wind turbine, a Windspire designed by Mariah Power, is an alternate power supply. According to the architects, “We plan for active systems to be integrated throughout the building, including grey water recycling, solar panels, wind turbines, and geothermal heating and cooling. It is our ambition for the residence to be certified the first LEED for Homes Platinum building in the state of Kansas. It is also our goal for it to be the first home in Wyandotte County to utilize renewable energy sources.” Studio 804
via Jetson Green
photo credit: Robert McLaughlin
