Sustainable Building is Resilient Building: Designing Spaces that Last By Leigha Dickens In a world with a changing climate, how we design our homes matters. Reduced environmental impact has long been a huge focus of green building. Yet our homes are also critical in protecting us from the environment...
Article Category: General Features
Darren Henegar: Design-Build for Budget: Making the Case for Design-Build Homes
Design-Build for Budget: Making the Case for Design-Build Homes By Darren Henegar Construction projects are notorious for going over budget. Whether you are building a new home or renovating an existing one, there are numerous challenges. These challenges are sometimes overlooked, leaving homeowners in a bind. We often hear...
Amy Smith: Asheville’s Urban Forest: Solutions for a Sustainable City
Asheville’s Urban Forest: Solutions for a Sustainable City By Amy Smith Asheville is treasured by residents and visitors alike for the natural beauty surrounding the city. Our region is covered with forests, teeming with wildlife, and saturated with mountain views. Like all growing cities, Asheville faces the issue of...
Stuart Zitin: Anti-Racism and the Building Industry: Our Role in Building Racial Equity
Anti-Racism and the Building Industry: Our Role in Building Racial Equity By Stuart Zitin We watched for almost nine horrifying minutes as a Minneapolis police officer suffocated George Floyd with a knee on his neck in May of 2020. Across the U.S. and the world, in cities and towns...
Cari Barcas: Renewed Commitment: Future Looking Bright for Blue Horizons Project
Renewed Commitment: Future Looking Bright for Blue Horizons Project By Cari Barcas With more than two years of success in meeting the goals outlined for its community-focused campaign, Blue Horizons Project is excited for the next phase in its evolution and an expanded involvement in the region’s efforts to...
Amy Musser and Matthew Vande: Bang For Your Buck: 7 Ways To Use Your Stimulus Check For Energy-Efficiency Improvements
Bang For Your Buck: 7 Ways To Use Your Stimulus Check For Energy-Efficiency Improvements By Amy Musser and Matthew Vande [caption id="attachment_5143" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Weatherstripping is installed on the front door of a local home. ENERGY SAVERS NETWORK PHOTO.[/caption] So you received your economic impact payment from the federal...
RJ Taylor: Protecting Our Places: Economic and Environmental Benefits of Conservation Subdivisions
Protecting Our Places: Economic and Environmental Benefits of Conservation Subdivisions By RJ Taylor Western North Carolina is feeling a growth spurt. Many people around the country have become aware of our secret, that Asheville and the surrounding communities are a wonderful place to live and play. The downside result...
Maggie Leslie: Leaner and Greener: Green Built Homes Rolls Out Updated Checklist, New Certifications
Leaner and Greener: Green Built Homes Rolls Out Updated Checklist, New Certifications By Maggie Leslie As codes have changed and technologies have advanced in the 16 years since the program’s inception in 2004, Green Built Homes has continually evolved to encourage positive changes in the building industry and highlight...
Rick Bayless: Healthy Houses on a Budget: Identifying Ways to Improve Home Health for Less Than $1,000
Healthy Houses on a Budget: Identifying Ways to Improve Home Health for Less Than $1,000 By Rick Bayless All houses can be sick or healthy. A sick house ultimately brings an overwhelming load of both expenses and costs upon those who own and/or occupy it. These literal and figurative...
Green Building for All: Green Building is Key to Affordable Housing
Green Building for All: Green Building is Key to Affordable Housing By Sophie Mullinax Green-built homes afford their residents countless benefits. Healthier indoor air quality, lower energy bills, and increased comfort top the list. These benefits should be available to all people, especially our lower-income neighbors who are more...