Kansas State students present modular, near-net-zero home design to commission as a replicable affordable-housing model

Maya Young, a master’s-degree architecture student at Kansas State University, presented a student-led modular housing project developed in partnership with Habitat for Humanity and local volunteers. Young said the team of 40 students and faculty produced renderings, details and a full blueprint set and that the design can be configured as a 1-, 2- or 3-bedroom home using two modules to allow flexibility and affordability.

Young framed the project as a hands-on educational opportunity and a community solution: students prefabricated panels and components in a fabrication shop to reduce on-site labor and cost, and the modular approach allowed the team to deliver a nearly complete structure that could be inspected off-site. “Kansas currently faces a shortage of over 50,000 affordable homes,” Young said in the presentation, and she argued that student engagement, modular delivery and community partnerships can expand the supply of affordable units while providing educational benefits. Commissioners thanked the students and asked for follow-up on permitting and inspection processes for off-site-built modules.