Case Studies Archives | Green Built Alliance

John Shore: Kermit Builds a Home

Kermit Builds a Home: Crafting the First and Last House We'll Ever Own By John Shore My wife Cat and I had five requirements for the first (and last: we ain’t young) house we’d ever own, let alone build. The house needed to be: Within walking distance of downtown. Because...

READ ARTICLE

Garret K. Woodward: Young Minds, Big Ideas

Small Minds, Big Ideas: Isaac Dickson Elementary Goes Green By Garret K. Woodward It’s taken the better part of five years, but Isaac Dickson Elementary School Principal Brad Johnson is beginning to see the light at the end of tunnel. “Currently, [we’ve completed] our first year at the new site. Overall,...

READ ARTICLE

Jamie Shelton: Home for Life

Home for Life: The Complexity and Compromise of Building My Second and Last Personal Home By Jamie Shelton In more than a decade as a green builder, I’ve built two homes for myself. The first one was easy. The house was built on a fairly normal mountain lot on a fairly...

READ ARTICLE

Margaret Chandler: Fontana Lake Residence

Fontana Lake Residence – A Case Study in Beautiful Efficiency By Margaret Chandler The Fontana Lake Residence is a great demonstration of design elegance harmoniously integrated with environmental sustainability. This handsome home achieved LEED for Homes Gold certification with a total of 75 points, and earned NC Healthy Built...

READ ARTICLE

Garret K. Woodward: Downsizing your home, upgrading your life

Downsizing your home, upgrading your life By Garret K. Woodward It wasn’t the initial idea Josh Scala had in mind. “This is the smallest certified green built house in North Carolina,” he said. “Which was not the original plan, but as the thing started to progress, it just turned out...

READ ARTICLE

Garret K. Woodward: What’s the deal with SIPs?

What’s the deal with SIPs? By Garret K. Woodward Just a couple miles from the bustling center of Biltmore Village, high up a quiet wooded hillside, contractor Bob Callahan is hard at work on his latest project, a 2,700-square-foot home. “We’re building a better product than what others may...

READ ARTICLE

Garret K. Woodward: A Little Goes A Long Way

A little goes a long way By Garret K. Woodward A local nonprofit organization, which promotes “responsible energy choices that create global climate change solutions and ensure clean, safe and healthy communities,” the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy has been a pioneer in green energy and initiatives for over 30...

READ ARTICLE

Garret K. Woodward: Eco-Friendly Education

Education, Economics and Eco-Friendly By Garret K. Woodward The smile on Will Yeiser’s face is ear-to-ear. “We believe the time is now,” he said. “Everything we’ve pursued in this project is aligned with my personal philosophy, and with the core mission of the school.” Director/co-founder of the French Broad...

READ ARTICLE

Garret K. Woodward: Tapping into the Future

Tapping into the Future Garret K. Woodward Cheri Chastain loves her job. “It’s really heartwarming and great to work for a company that has the same ethics and philosophy as I do, and is willing to put their money towards something that serves our environment, society and community better,”...

READ ARTICLE

Garret K. Woodward: Getting Through Winter on $28

Getting Through Winter on $28 Garret K. Woodward James McGarvey shakes his head. “I cringe when I hear somebody is paying more than $50 a year to heat a house in Western North Carolina,” the 68-year-old said. "We have learned from building science that with a near perfect thermal/pressure envelope,...

READ ARTICLE