KIT HOMES by MLA


The 21st-century home should function as an integrated whole, balancing spatial quality, energy efficiency, intelligent resource use, and responsiveness to site and environmental conditions.

In recent years, Michael Lewis Architects has developed a series of integrated green small houses incorporating active and passive solar design, prefabricated construction, geothermal systems, cool roofing and siding, water management, adaptive foundations, and carefully detailed building envelopes.

This work led to a series of “Kit Houses” featuring:

High-performance insulation (R-40 walls, R-60 roof, R-30 floors)
Continuous air sealing
Triple-glazed windows
Energy recovery ventilation for continuous fresh air
Rain-screen exterior systems for moisture control and durability
SIP prefabricated panel construction for efficiency and performance

Together, these strategies create highly efficient homes with exceptional comfort. Designed around Passive House principles, these homes can achieve energy consumption as low as 7–10% of conventional construction, depending on site and orientation.

Michael Lewis is a certified Passive House designer, and the Kit House initiative reflects the firm’s ongoing commitment to advancing residential architecture.