436 Indiana Street House
This sustainable, modern house was designed and built from the ground up by the students of Studio 804 at the University of Kansas
The 436 Indiana Street house is part of the Pinkney neighborhood’s charming 400 block of Indiana Street in Lawrence, Kansas. It is adjacent to a canopy of mature trees. It is a unique setting for a single-family residence in the heart of the city. There is easy access to many valuable living amenities. Just a few blocks away is the Lawrence Memorial Hospital as well as downtown Lawrence which pulses with vibrant shopping, dining, and cultural experiences. Also nearby is the Kansas River which is a National Water Trail with its waterfront parks that extends up to downtown. There is also nearby access to the recently completed Lawrence Loop bike route, an urban greenway that runs for 22 miles through and around town. As well as being pedestrian friendly, the Pinkney neighborhood is connected to the city bus system which expands the possibilities of travel around Lawrence without a car. It is a perfect place to integrate the history of Lawrence with the future of sustainable design.
The 436 Indiana Street house was built to the U.S. Green Build Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum Standards. The highest certification level possible under the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) standards for sustainable practice. The house is targeted to be Studio 804’s 17th Platinum certified project. Such efforts fit the mission of Studio 804: to better the community and environment by minimizing negative environmental impacts by all metrics.
Images and Plans
Technical Description
Studio 804 is a comprehensive one year fully hands on design/build experience at the University of Kansas, School of Architecture and Design in Lawrence, Kansas. It is a not-for profit 501(c)3 corporation whose participants are graduate students at the University of Kansas and are committed to the continued research and development of innovative building solutions. Studio 804 has been a leader in sustainable design with 17 LEED Platinum certified projects, one Gold certified and three Passive House certifications. The work has won numerous awards and has been published around the world. The latest project completed by the class of 2024. A modern, high performance, sustainable infill house in Lawrence, Kansas, USA.
LEED PLATINUM:
The house scorecard has been submitted for review and is expected to be LEED Platinum certified. Beginning with the first building in 2008, Studio 804 has an established record of award-winning highly sustainable buildings. This house will be the 17th USGBC LEED Platinum Certified project. They have also completed one LEED Gold project and three Passive House institute US (PHIUS) certified buildings.
RENEWABLE ENERGY:
The sixteen 535 watt per solar panel are roof mounted and generate enough electricity to significantly offset the home’s energy consumption. The generation meter used on the house will store some excess energy for when the sun does not shine.
INSULATION:
Following USGBC’s guidelines for LEED Platinum, insulation is a minimum of 20% above code requirements. In this building the exterior walls carry an R value in the mid to upper 30s and the roof is in the lower 60’s.
CONTROL LAYERS:
High quality air, vapor and water barriers contribute to the tight envelope design preventing undesirable water and vapor transmission. The assembly also passed a blower door test to assure air tightness. The insulation well exceeds the code requirements to further reduce the energy consumption of the building.
WINDOWS & DOORS:
Energy efficient, triple-sealed windows and doors contribute to the high R-value of the wall assembly and the overall performance of the building. Operable windows provide cross-ventilation, thereby lowering energy costs and increasing access to fresh air. The fixed curtain wall glazing is repurposed.
INTERIOR FINISHES:
All finishes are low VOC emitting.
RAINSCREEN CLADDING
The house is clad in rainscreen/ventilated assemblies. They improve the thermal performance and water drainage of the high performance, highly insulated building envelope. The cladding itself is recyclable, extending its use beyond the life of the building.
EXTERIOR FINISHES:
Corten and Richlite rainscreen systems are maintenance free for the homeowners.
LIGHTING & ELECTRICAL:
All fixtures use LEDs and are Energy Star Rated, while exterior lighting is chosen and located to minimize nighttime light pollution.
APPLIANCES:
Energy Star appliances are used to reduce energy consumption. Water Sense approved fixtures will reduce water consumption. A hybrid heat pump produces hot water that is carefully placed as close to the fixture supply as possible with a sensible plan configuration.
STORMWATER MANAGEMENT:
The driveway is paved with a permeable surface to minimize storm water runoff that can often overwhelm city systems and the river to which it drains and cause flooding. Instead, the water saturates the ground and replenishes the water table. On the eastern edge of the site, a rain garden will retain and absorb runoff from the roofs as well as perimeter drains surrounding the foundation and retaining wall.
REPURPOSED MATERIALS:
Studio 804 has a large warehouse that has enabled them to store materials that have been salvaged from previous uses and donated to the program. Much of this material would have been destined for a landfill. All the fixed triple pane IGU’s were donated to Studio 804 after they were assembled to the wrong dimensions for their planned use. The Corten steel planters at the back patio use surplus material left over from siding the building. Every year Studio 804 saves its excess drywall and this year was able to use it to finish the interior of this house. A tile installation company had excess tile from a previous job that had been in storage for many years. They needed it out of their warehouse and Studio 804 took advantage of the opportunity to repurpose it for the tile work in the bathrooms. All the concrete formwork material was repurposed as always.