Drury U.’s Habitat for Humanity House is a LEED Platinum First

Drury University architecture students designed a green house for Habitat for Humanity. (Drury University image)

Architecture students at Drury University, with the help of their professors, have designed and built the first Habitat for Humanity house to earn a platinum rating in the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program. The house, which started construction last fall, has various green features, like solar panels that will heat water and the radiant floor, native landscaping, rain gardens, and pervious paved surfaces.

It’s green, yes — but even better, it looks kinda cool, especially for a Habitat house. Habitat for Humanity isn’t exactly known for putting up radical architecture.

The house is located in a Springfield, Mo., subdivision alongside other Habitat houses. As with all Habitat projects, the home was built with volunteer labor. “My architecture students learned how to take a plan and construct it at full-scale. And they saw how a community can come together to achieve a common goal, they’ll take that into their careers,” said Traci Sooter, an associate professor of architecture at Drury.