Thank you for visiting purpleprairie.net, the homepage of the Civitas Group. Civitas is a Manhattan Kansas based company that employs students from K-State and area high schools. The students are mentored by seasoned professionals with diverse experiences.

The Civitas Group is a team of students, professionals, and craftsmen working together to design and construct energy efficient and environmentally safe straw bale homes, mitigate erosion from construction sites, and produce useful products from sometimes wasted indigenous hardwoods & salvaged materials. Civitas is also committed to revitalizing residential homes and Kansas Main Street commercial properties.

Our pursuits parallel the interests of the students who comprise our group. Current efforts include: design and construction of straw bale homes; mitigation of erosion from construction sites and prairie restoration; design and construction of furniture using prairie woods salvaged from construction sites; reuse of salvaged materials to make gifts and collectibles; revitalization of Kansas Main Street Buildings turning vacant store fronts into new businesses; and hospitality--adding guest accommodations on Kansas Main Streets for tourists, hunters, business travelers and visiting families.

Thank you for visiting our site. Please contact us if any of our pursuits interest you.

Rod Harms, President