Creating Calm

When looking for a better family home, Sush and Morgen Govindan prioritized creating a relaxed and quiet environment for them, their two children, and guests. They came to Kala to build a high-performance house in Overland Park, Kansas that could deliver these results. 

“Our son was born while we were in our old rental house, and we couldn’t sleep train him,” Morgen said. “It might have been that the house was really loud, but he sleeps through the night now, and during storms, our kids don’t wake up. There was a band playing in the park across the street when we were bathing them, and we kept hearing a faint sound. We opened the windows, and all the noise came in.”

“You can't hear anything – it’s amazing,” Sush added. “When we were anywhere else, Fourth of July was a nightmare with our kids because they would hear the fireworks and wake up. This house is so quiet. We didn’t think there were dogs in the neighborhood because we never hear them, but it turns out there are two across the street that bark all the time. You walk into the house and it’s like there’s nothing going on. That’s really nice.”

Heating & Cooling Quietly

Previously, Nic Zweifel and Pooja Bhadbhade lived in a condo in Kansas City’s Power & Light District. While it’s a desirable, vibrant area that put them just steps away from live music, excellent dining, and other attractions, that home also had drawbacks. “You couldn’t beat the location, we had enough space, and we loved the views, but it just wasn’t comfortable,” Nic said. “The air conditioner was on full blast all the time because no matter what temperature we wanted it, it had to work hard to keep it there, so there was always background noise.” 

Unlike a traditional home that relies heavily on an HVAC system noisily going into high gear to provide heat in the winter and cooling in the hot and humid Midwest summer, a Passive House uses a heat pump and whisper-quiet ERV system to maintain a pleasant temperature year round. “The one thing I find most valuable is the comfort of the home,” Pooja said. “Ever since we've built this house, we'll go stay somewhere and I’ll tell Nic, ‘Gosh, I can appreciate the comfort of our home, the steadiness of the temperature, and how it doesn’t fluctuate.’ It can be the dead of winter and I’ll walk around in shorts and a t-shirt and be totally fine and comfortable.”

Keeping Cool in Summer and Warm in Winter

The efficient heating and cooling systems in a high-performance home not only operate quietly, but also maintain a comfortable temperature and humidity level that doesn’t vary during extreme weather or as seasons change. “There’s very little variability when you walk up or downstairs,” Morgen said. “In the summer, it makes a big difference that it’s not significantly hotter upstairs. It’s just consistent throughout.”



“The feedback that we get from guests is that it’s very quiet and comfortable,” Sush added. “We’ve hardly had to adjust the thermostat at all – I’ve only touched it three times.” 

Sometimes comfort is an overall feeling of contentment and a reflection of how well your living space matches your lifestyle. “This is the home that fits us and so much of our life happens here,” Sush said. “You have houses that you manage, and some you just live in. Others add to you and help you carry out your values. This home does that, and it has become a part of us.”