2009-05-13

By: Sarah Benson

Stephanie Winn stands atop a two-story, wood-paneled, boxy structure in a quiet Kansas City, Kan., neighborhood near the KU Medical Center. She bends over to attach a Volkswagen-sized solar panel to the roof of what could soon be one of the most eco-friendly homes in America.

This house, designed and built by Winn and fellow University of Kansas architecture students, provides all its own energy. Those solar panels, a wind turbine in the backyard and a geothermal heating and cooling system coordinate to capture energy from the environment and put it to work inside the home.

Because of their efforts, the graduate-level Studio 804 class expects to be the first in the Kansas City area to build a home that earns LEED Platinum certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. Only 287 homes in North America claim that Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design distinction, which means they use an average of 60 percent less energy than conventional homes.

The students designed and built almost every inch of this house at 3716 Springfield St. with sustainability in mind. The exterior has a modern, rustic aesthetic — hardwood rain screen, expansive windows, a minimal shape — and the interior is light and airy, with a hint of utilitarianism. The rain screen, the windows, the concrete floors — all serve a green purpose.

For more information, go to  KU Students, KC Green House

Source: Ink KC