KAW House

Kaw House is a compact, high-performance supportive home designed to provide stable, dignified housing for individuals transitioning from homelessness. Designed through a studio class at the University of Kansas School of Architecture & Design in partnership with Tenants to Homeowners, the project demonstrates how innovative building systems and thoughtful design can create durable, energy-efficient housing that is both affordable and uplifting.

As the first project in Kansas to use Mass Plywood Panels (MPP), Kaw House combines prefabricated light wood-frame exterior wall panels with an exposed MPP wall and roof structure, creating a hybrid mass-timber system that improves construction efficiency, reduces embodied carbon, and delivers a highly insulated, airtight building envelope. Inside, a continuous MPP "spine" organizes the home's living spaces, while exposed mass plywood ceilings bring warmth, natural light, and a strong architectural character to the interior.

Designed as a repeatable model for supportive housing, Kaw House demonstrates how regionally sourced mass timber can create resilient, sustainable homes that foster long-term community impact.

Instructor: Chad Kraus, Dirt Works Studio

Students: Natalie Alferman, Adriana Baker, Mary Basily, Molly Braaten, Miguel Castro, Jackson Dines, Ella Dreiling, Helena Galeano Paiz, Luis Daniel Gastelum, Timothy McFarland, Kevin Miller, Ryah Moore, Gehrig Myrick, Sofia Pigneri, Angie Robledo, Tori Schmidt, Camryn Strope, and Jack Sydnor

Client: Tenants to Homeowners