Fort Hays Tech Northwest Students Build First-of-Its-Kind Passive Home in Goodland
- Kristina Hemel
- 2 hours ago
- 3 min read
A groundbreaking construction project is taking shape in Goodland — and it’s being built by the next generation of local builders. Students from Fort Hays Tech Northwest’s Construction Technology program are in the early stages of building a passive home, a highly energy-efficient structure designed to dramatically reduce utility costs while increasing comfort and air quality.
Instructor Joseph Dobbs and second-year student Mason Berls visited Rollie in the KLOE studio on The Good Neighbor Hour to talk about the project, the program, and why this home is unlike anything else being built in the region.
Building the First Passive Home by Trade Students in America
Dobbs, who teaches both first- and second-year construction tech students, says this has been three years in the making.
“We are the first trade school in America to have students build a passive home to this standard,” Dobbs said. “I’ve been talking about it for a long time on the radio — and now we finally broke ground.”
The project, located at 326 Sherman in Goodland, began about a month and a half ago. Students have completed foundation and concrete work and will begin framing after Christmas break once final materials arrive.
What Exactly Is a Passive Home?
A passive home doesn’t look unusual from the outside — but the performance is dramatically different.
“It’s built with normal materials. You’d never know by looking at it,” Dobbs explained. “But the detailing is what changes everything.”
Key features include:
Energy use reductions of up to 90%
Walls 18–24 inches thick instead of the usual 6
Special vapor-permeable membranes that allow moisture to escape
Thermal-bridge-free construction, keeping temperatures consistent
Cleaner indoor air and increased overall comfort
“It’s not what people think when they hear ‘green home,’” Dobbs said. “This is real science, real construction, and a better way to build.”
While passive homes are common in Europe and Canada, the concept is still new to the United States — making this Goodland project a rare and exciting milestone.
A Small Home… With a Big Garage
The home itself is intentionally modest in size: 26' x 31', technically considered a “tiny home.”But attached to it is a 30' x 40' two-car garage, which Dobbs joked would appeal especially to the guys.
“The college wanted us to start small to build confidence in the detailing,” he said. “But we figured people around here love their garage space — so that part is full size.”
Hands-On Learning for Students
The passive home has become the centerpiece project for the program’s 14 students this year. Dobbs says he lectures briefly each morning before heading to the site.
“The students are paying to get hands-on experience,” he said. “The quicker we get out of the classroom and onto the jobsite, the better.”
The project is also a collaboration across multiple trade programs, giving students real-world coordination experience with plumbing, electrical, engineering, and more.
Local Roots, Local Support
Berls, a Goodland native and second-year construction student, says he never heard of passive homes before starting the program but is now fully invested in the project.
“It was confusing at first,” he laughed. “But once we started building it, it made sense. It’s different — but in a good way.”
Materials for the project come from a Canadian supplier specializing in passive home packages, but all traditional building materials — lumber, drywall, paint, siding — are purchased locally.
“If we’re building here, we’re buying here,” Dobbs said. “Supporting local businesses is non-negotiable for us.”
Community Welcome to Visit
Dobbs encourages area residents to drive by or stop in to see the progress.
“We want people to come out, ask questions, and learn,” he said. “This isn’t just a house — it’s a chance for our students and our community to be on the front edge of a major change in how homes can be built.”
Construction will continue through the winter, with framing expected to start in early 2026.