Kala Wins 2024 DesignKC Award for First Certified Passive House in Missouri

Exterior shot of the recently completed Beacon Hill Passive House

Local design and build firm honored for creating a home that is both beautiful and energy efficient.

KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, UNITED STATES, February 16, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Kala¹ today announced that a high-performance house it built in Kansas City’s historic Beacon Hill neighborhood won an award for custom homes under 3,000 square feet at the Second Annual DesignKC Awards Gala held on January 25th. Kala is Kansas City’s only architecture + build firm dedicated to building with Passive House principles.

DesignKC is Kansas City’s premier magazine for architecture, custom build and remodel projects, fine interiors, and outdoor living. Following the success of its inaugural gala in 2023, the organizers decided to continue the awards program, which honors local builders, architects, interior designers, and landscapers for exemplary projects that combine form and function.

The Kala project that claimed the prize in the best midsize custom homes category was not merely beautifully designed by Hoke-Ley, but is also the first certified Passive House in the entire state of Missouri. Overseen by Phius², Passive House construction creates the most comfortable, durable, sustainable, and healthy homes that are built to last 100 years or more.

Receiving Passive House certification from Phius requires passing multiple steps in a rigorous evaluation that starts with the plans and continues throughout the building process. A third-party inspector ensured that the home meets high standards for construction quality and energy efficiency. It’s a pass or fail system, and there is absolutely no gray area.

Kala built the certified Passive House that won the DesignKC award³ in Kansas City’s historic Beacon Hill neighborhood. With four bedrooms and three bathrooms thoughtfully placed in 2,600 square feet, its open floor plan provides plenty of living space while scoring just 32 on the HERS scale. This makes it 68 percent more efficient than a typical green home, and 80 to 90 percent more than a regular house.

“This house was an opportunity for us to make our own kind of impact,” the homeowner said. “If we could do it in a way where this home is here in 100 years and build something worth caring about, then that's going to be way better than purchasing a product that will maybe not exist in 50 years. We put our best foot forward, and hopefully, it will be around for a long time and use a lot less operational energy.”

Kala achieved this award-worthy balance of livability, aesthetic beauty, and efficiency by using the latest building science techniques. These included combining passive and active solar power, using a ground source heat pump and ERV system instead of traditional HVAC, and creating an airtight and watertight building envelope. The results? A home that is as comfortable to live in as it is durable, healthy, and sustainable.

“Ever since we've built this house, we'll go stay somewhere and I’ll say, ‘Gosh, I can appreciate the comfort of our home, the steadiness of the temperature, and how it doesn’t fluctuate,’” the Beacon Hill homeowner said. “It can be the dead of winter and I’ll walk around in shorts and a t-shirt and be totally fine and comfortable.”

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 Performance Homes
+1 913-441-0000
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WATCH NOW: Building and Living in a Passive House in Kansas City at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4vkkDbJeEo

¹ https://www.kalabuilt.com/
² https://www.phius.org/certified-project-database/kala-forest-ave-passive-house
³ https://www.kalabuilt.com/portfolio/beacon-hill-passive-house