Block by block: Prototype builds startup’s housing vision where everyone can afford their own castle

A mock home facade project on the grounds of Kansas City’s historic Workhouse Castle serves as a proof point for Godfrey Riddle’s rebooted Civic Saint — a social venture built on compressed earth blocks as its key to affordable, sustainable housing.

Rendering of a home built with Civic Saint’s earthen bricks; image courtesy of Civic Saint

“CEBs (compressed earth blocks) are great for Kansas City, because non-expansive sandy clay soil makes the best compressor rocks, and if you know anything about our soil in the Kansas City area, that’s all it is,” said Riddle, who in 2023 pivoted Civic Saint from statement apparel to sustainable construction materials. “So, this really is the perfect place to start this business, and also grow our community.”

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The bricks — made of dirt, soil, water, and sand —  are just as sturdy as concrete, Riddle said, but are a more efficient method to close the housing crisis — which exceeds a gap of more than 66,000 homes — than traditional construction methods like wooden timber and steel.

Civic Saint’s facade project — built at 2001 Vine Street in front of the iconic east side castle structure — is a temporary installation that debuted in April for KC Design Week. 

A preview of Civic Saint’s coming full-build home in June, the facade includes energy-saving windows with InVert™ shades — an innovative feature that can reduce heating and cooling costs by up to 30 percent without using any additional energy; the exterior walls use Civic Saint’s signature construction material and flourishes of artistic expression (by featured muralist Jessie Green).

A sign for The Vine Street Facade Project details partners for the test build on the grounds of the Workhouse Castle; photo by Taylor Wilmore, Startland News

To bring the test site to reality, Riddle teamed with Gem Cultural and Education Center, a non-profit focused on community development, which allowed Civic Saint to move its production into its space for the test build.

“It was a chance for us as a business to understand what parts of our construction model we need to outsource or take on internally,” said Riddle, who recently was selected for LaunchKC latest Social Venture Studio cohort. “And most importantly, it really answered the question of what do our CEBs (compressed earth blocks) look like?”

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Godfrey Riddle, Civic Saint, presents his organization at a launch event for LaunchKC’s Social Venture Studio; photo by Nikki Overfelt Chifalu, Startland News

Building a better future for affordable housing

Attainable, energy-efficient housing is the answer to wealth-building in urban core communities, said Pat Jordan, president of the Gem organization, and a consultant for urban core real estate development projects. 

Godfrey Riddle, Civic Saint

Pat Jordan, Gem Cultural and Education Center

“We’re currently experiencing an urban core housing crisis,” she said. “Not only is it affecting low-income residents; but now also middle-income residents in all areas of Kansas City as well.”

Civic Saint allows Riddle a dual focus on economic and environmental sustainability, he said.

“When we’re developing in underprivileged neighborhoods, we tend to get the worst of the worst when it comes to product and safety,” said Riddle. “So, from the jump just being able to offer that guarantee of bringing safe and healthy homes is different from everyone else.”

In addition to June’s full-build home project in Montgall Park, Riddle said, Civic Saint has a waiting list of more than 50 people, and plans to begin work on anywhere from four to 20 more homes.

The structures are expected to, of course, prominently feature Civic Saint’s CEB home signature, as well as offering two beds and one bath, expanding the project’s reach and impact, he said.

“I’m just really proud about the communities we can impact, the grace of our building model and the opportunity to really offer affordable housing to folks,” Riddle said.