On Saturday, November 9, Make It Right cut the ribbon on their latest project, Bancroft School Apartments in Kansas City’s Manheim Park neighborhood. Over the last year, they worked with a number of partners, including Leviton, to renovate a badly damaged historic school and build new homes.

Built in 1904 and abandoned and boarded up for more than 13 years, Bancroft School reopened to provide residents with 50 affordable, LEED Platinum rental units and community amenities, including an auditorium, gym, computer lab and gardens. New town homes, designed by Kansas City-based BNIM Architects, were built around the perimeter of the school to add additional housing.

Interior of an apartment before renovation. (credit: K. Cadena)

A two bedroom apartment after renovation (credit: C. Jackson)

Like all Make It Right projects, Bancroft School Apartments is LEED Platinum certified and meets the highest standards of green building. Some of the sustainable features of the building include:

• a 75 kilowatt solar array – more than 400 panels strong - installed the historic building’s roof
• 2,220 gallons of no-VOC paint, donated by Benjamin Moore from their Aura and Natura lines
• 40,000 square feet of Cradle to Cradle certified hardwood flooring and carpet, donated by Shaw Floors from their EPIC flooring line
• Occupancy sensors to manage energy consumption and costs, donated by Leviton
• Energy-efficient windows
• Fresh air ventilation
• Pervious concrete parking lot
• Reclaimed brick walkways
• Native landscaping

“Building this relationship with Make It Right is a perfect fit for Leviton, as it aligns with our brand purpose of helping families and supporting communities with energy efficient solutions,” said Daryoush Larizadeh, Leviton’s Chief Operating Officer. “Through our partnership, Leviton will be able to see communities grow while providing a deeper understanding of how our products help to make buildings safe, efficient and sustainable.”

Read the full story on Makeitright.org