Engage
Engagement with communities and stakeholders creates channels for input, informing work to help define problems and the trajectory of projects, ensuring relevant, impactful outcomes.
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Restoration, a Home for FJCDS
Partner: Friends of Johnson County Developmental Supports Location: Merriam, KS Area of Focus: Architecture, Health Departments Involved: Architecture Project Funding: Partner-funded Executive Summary: Friends of Johnson County Developmental supports engaged the Net Positive Studio at K-State, lead by Prof. Michael Gibson, to design a home for their first new build.…
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Reimagining Housing Futures: Community-Centered Brownfield Redevelopment in Salt Lake City, Utah
Stakeholder/Partners: The Other Side Village, Technical Assistance to Brownfields, U.S. EPA Location: Salt Lake City, UT Area of Focus: Housing to Brownfields Department/Courses Involved: Landscape Architecture and Regional and Community Planning Project Funding: EPA TAB PIs: Susmita Rishi and Shakil Kashem Executive Summary: This poster presents findings from an ongoing…
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Zoned out: land use policy and the unhoused in Des Moines, Iowa
Stakeholder/Partners: Unhoused Community of Des Moines Location: Des Moines, IA Department/Courses Involved: LARCP Graduate Student: Bethany Stock MRCP 2025 Mentor: Dr. Susmita Rishi Executive Summary: According to a recent HUD report, at least 582,500 Urban Americans are unhoused on any night. The US Midwest, known for cheap land, affordability, and…
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Integrating hemp in a replicable model for affordable, low carbon housing: a zero carbon microhome prototype for the Kansas Flint Hills
Stakeholder/Partners: Habitat for Humanity of the Northern Flint Hills, Prairie Band Agriculture Location: Manhattan Ogden, KS Area of Focus: Hempcrete, Hemp Insulation, Zero Carbon Construction Department/Courses Involved: Architecture Project Funding: K-State 105 Engagement Initiative Executive Summary: Homes in the U.S. account for a substantial share of energy use and emissions,…
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The Ogden Zero Carbon Microhome
Stakeholder/Partners: Habitat for Humanity of the Northern Flint Hills, Prairie Band Ag, and the Workforce Solar Housing Partnership (Manhattan Area Technical College, Ft. Riley Home Builder’s Institute, Fint Hills Job Corp Flint Hills Renewable Energy and Efficiency Cooperative) Location: Ogden, KS Area of Focus: Affordable, Zero Carbon Housing Department/Courses Involved:…
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BHC at the 2024 Kansas Housing Conference
The Better Housing Consortium (BHC) is thrilled to announce our participation in the upcoming Kansas Housing Conference in August at the Overland Park Convention Center! We invite you to join us at our exhibitors’ table, where you can learn more about our latest projects and discover exciting opportunities to collaborate…
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SENT Prototype Home
Partner: SENT Inc. Location: Topeka, KS Area of Focus: Architecture, Construction Departments Involved: Architecture Project Funding: Partner funded Executive Summary: SENT Inc. of Topeka engaged the Net Positive Studio at K-State to create this home for infill development in the Hi-Crest neighborhood of Topeka, KS. Students in the studio designed…
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The Workforce Solar Housing Partnership
Collaborators: Habitat for Humanity of the Northern Flint Hills Kansas State University and The Net Positive Studio Manhattan Area Technical College Flint Hills Job Corp The Home Builders Institute at Ft. Riley The Manhattan Housing Authority The Flint Hills Renewable Energy and Efficiency Cooperative Location: Manhattan KS Metro & Riley…
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Better Housing Consortium First Open Meeting
Introduction The Kansas Better Housing Consortium kicked off its first open meeting with a warm welcome and lunch at noon. Attendees had the opportunity to network and share their enthusiasm for the consortium’s mission before diving into the day’s agenda. In attendance were diverse stakeholders invited by APDesign faculty and…
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![Double-Wide Lives: realities of chasing the American dream in its mobile home parks [MHPs]](https://better-housing.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/rish_jenningsmhp_header.jpg?w=1024)
Double-Wide Lives: realities of chasing the American dream in its mobile home parks [MHPs]
Stakeholder/Partners: Various Manhattan, KS Mobile Home Park Residents Location: Manhattan, KS Area of Focus: Mobile Home Parks Department/Courses Involved: Regional and Community Planning Masters Thesis. PI: Dr. Susmita Rishi Graduate Student: Kylee Jennings MRCP 2024 Executive Summary: Today, the US faces an unprecedented housing crisis where in no State can…
