Article Category: Green Building Materials

Boone Guyton: Going for Zero and Beyond

Going for Zero and Beyond: The Journey to -8 HERS Boone Guyton   We built our last house with the goal of being net-zero energy. The West Asheville lot is a small 0.08-acre infill lot with great southern exposure. That allowed for both solar photovoltaics and passive solar design on...

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Rob Howard: Practical Priorities

Practical Priorities: Asheville Home Serves as High-Performance Prototype Rob Howard   Today’s homebuyers have a tendency to focus on creature comforts and prioritize the components of a home that can be seen and touched like paint colors, kitchen cabinets, countertops and bathroom tiles. Especially for those designing and building a...

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Jason Martini: Dome Dreaming

Dome Dreaming: Local Monolithic Dome Serves as New Model of Stewardship and Harmony Jason Martini   We are living in such a time where old systems are collapsing and failing, and it’s time to create new models that will support our future generations to survive and thrive. There are so...

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Garret K. Woodward: Breaking Through

Breaking Through: Green Built Homes Certification Program Hits 1,500 Milestone Garret K. Woodward   What once was considered a fringe industry has now become a force in the housing market of Asheville and greater Western North Carolina. “It does seem like a green-certified house in our market has become less...

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Jonathan Gach: Big-Picture Weatherization

Big-Picture Weatherization: Blue Horizon’s Energy Upgrade Program Jonathan Gach   The Asheville area is fortunate to have a variety of organizations on hand locally to help low-income residents face the challenges that can come with owning or renting a home. Eblen Charities’ Energy Assistance program can help families pay for...

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Phil Long: Hardwood Harvesters

Hardwood Harvesters: Local Sawmills Play Integral Role in Tree-Cycle Movement Phil Long   Green building refers to the practice of creating structures and using processes that are environmentally responsible and resource-efficient throughout the building life-cycle. While there are many components of sustainable building, the purpose of this article is to...

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Brian Knight: Smart Practices in Water Conservation

Smart Practices in Water Conservation   Brian Knight Water and energy use are connected. Saving energy reduces water pollution. Conserving water, reduces energy use. Coal-fired power plants consume extreme amounts of water to produce electricity. Mining and burning coal pollutes our soil, streams, lakes and oceans. Natural Gas NG extraction...

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Leigha Dickens: Being a Better Corporation

The Journey to Being a Better Corporation   By Leigha Dickens “We envision a global community that uses business as a force for good.”  That is the opening line of the B Corporation declaration, a document that business leaders sign as part of a final step to transfer their company’s...

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Lang Hornthal: Support Your Local Forests

  Support Your Local Forests: Root Cause to Connect Sustainable Forestry to Local Builders   By Lang Hornthal In April 2016, the U.S. Green Building Council announced the Alternative Compliance Path (ACP), a pilot program designed to advance environmentally responsible forest management practices while promoting the use of responsible wood sourcing....

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