Kahler Slater was selected to design a 6-story, 45-unit multifamily building in Illinois by a visionary nonprofit housing developer with a 30-year history of promoting equitable housing in their community. A mixture of affordable and market-rate units, the building will demonstrate the organization’s mission to strengthen the economic diversity of the community with a financially viable model other developers can follow.

The project is targeting Passive House and Net Zero energy certification. Using over 400 onsite photovoltaic panels, the building will generate more electrical power than it uses, creating energy savings for all tenants and utility free housing for the tenants in the affordable units. These rigorous standards for energy efficiency, insulation, and building airtightness are infrequently met by developments of this size in the United States, making this project an innovative pilot for future buildings in the Midwest climate zone.