Kala Begins Durable, Low-Cost, Energy-Efficient Passive House Project with The Way Home

Kansas City architecture and build firm constructs affordable high-performance home for local non-profit committed to ending homelessness.

KANSAS CITY, MO, UNITED STATES, December 19, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Kala today announced that it has broken ground on an exciting new project. Located in Kansas City’s Ivanhoe neighborhood, this single-family house will combine affordability with the unmatched durability, sustainability, health, and comfort enjoyed by Kala’s custom home clients.

This project is a collaboration between Kala, The Way Home and ReNew KC. The Way Home propels local affordable housing initiatives by connecting people and projects with resources and expertise. ReNew KC Neighborhoods restores and renovates blighted KC Metro areas to relieve the housing crisis among veterans, disabled people, and the elderly.

“We’re honored to partner with The Way Home and ReNew KC,” said Kala co-founder and managing director David Schleicher. “The Ivanhoe project will help a low-income family achieve the dream of home ownership. It also shows that Passive House design and build can deliver long-lasting high performance at an attainable price point. We believe this is the future of homebuilding.”

Since Kansas City, Missouri adopted the 2021 IECC code, there has been an increased focus on sustainable construction in the KC metro. An emphasis on sustainable construction is really an emphasis on building more durable homes. Sustainability and durability are two sides of the same coin. You can not have one without the other. By pursuing Phius Core 2021 certification for the first home in the Ivanhoe project, Kala – which previously built the first certified Passive House in Missouri – is targeting an even higher level of performance. The 1,200-square-foot home will not only require minimal energy for heating and cooling, reducing its utility costs by 80 percent compared to traditional housing but the home will be leagues more durable than a typical code built home. The durable structure will further improve sustainability by staying strong and reliable for years to come.

“Ensuring high-efficiency homes is not only the right thing to do in a climate-extreme region like KC – it’s also how we support long-term housing affordability,” said Anna White, Executive Director of The Way Home. “The energy burden is a reality that must be factored into what providers consider sustainable, responsible housing options for our community. We are grateful to be partnering with Kala in a single-family, urban infill project that will ensure a healthy home and extremely low utility costs – allowing households to invest their limited resources in other priorities.”

The typical American household spends about 1% of their home’s value on maintenance annually, a burden that can weigh heavily on lower-income households. When major maintenance is delayed due to cost, small issues often escalate into expensive problems. Kala’s focus on durability at every step in the process results in a home that requires significantly less money on maintenance year after year. The true cost of a home isn’t just the initial price tag-it’s the resources it consumes, maintenance it requires, and waste it creates over its lifetime. Building with durability as the driving factor is the only way to truly build affordable housing in the long run while simultaneously creating resilient neighborhoods.

While the Kala + The Way Home Passive House features a compact footprint, it offers three bedrooms, including a private primary suite. It will also include a storm shelter that provides refuge during tornadoes and other severe weather. The air, vapor, moisture, and thermal control layers in the building envelope will provide year-round comfort and reduce maintenance, while fresh, filtered air enhances occupant health.

A sale price that’s affordable for a low-income household will require around one third of their annual income, and the buyers will receive support through Community LINC’s (a sister organization to The Way Home) Homeownership Journey program. The home will go into the Community Land Trust to ensure long-term affordability for lower income households into the future. This Kala house and other forthcoming homes in the project will enable local renters to become homeowners, enhancing community in Ivanhoe. Kala encourages people to follow along with updates on the project here: https://www.kalabuilt.com/active-projects/the-way-home

About Kala
Kala is Kansas City’s only certified Passive House design + build firm. We believe the modern American home can and should support a rich and comfortable lifestyle while contributing to the health and welfare of its occupants, the planet, and future generations. We bring total dedication to building your certified, high-performance home to maximize health, comfort, durability, affordability, and sustainability, regardless of how big or small, modest or luxurious, urban or rural it might be. Learn more at https://www.kalabuilt.com.

Cassandra Gillespie
Kala
+1 913-441-0000
cassandra@kalabuilt.com
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