Sustainable home facade revealed at Workhouse Castle by local nonprofits

Local nonprofit Civic Saint made a name for itself with its ambitious plan to rethink affordable housing brick by brick — and with the support of the Gem Cultural and Education Center, those plans will be unveiled to the public at an iconic KC locale.

What is Civic Saint?

Originally a lifestyle brand, Civic Saint made waves by winning last year’s National LGBT Chamber of Commerce Biz Pitch competition. The sell? Sustainable, affordable homes made from compressed earthen blocks : a mix of dirt, soil, sand, and water that’s tougher than concrete .

Those bricks support the nonprofit’s ambitious vision “to prioritize the environment while eliminating the racial wealth gap through job creation, home ownership, and their ambient economic impacts.”

A home on castle grounds

Today, Civic Saint founder Geoffrey Riddle and Gem president Pat Jordan will reveal a new Home Facade Project, showing a compressed earthen block home exterior on the grounds of the Workhouse Castle on Vine Street.

The reveal accompanies a sold-out panel discussion, “Super Abundant Neighborhoods: Regeneration on Kansas City’s East Side,” as part of Kansas City Design Week .