The Rhodo Renovation: A case study in “Right Size” design By Sean Sullivan, AMB, CGP, CAPS My wife Laura and I decided to buy a 1960’s rancher in downtown Black Mountain to renovate for ourselves. We liked the feel of downtown and wanted to be close in to the...
Article Category: Green Building Materials
Ron Czecholinski: Echo Hills Cottages
Echo Hills Cottages: Building an Intentional, Green Neighborhood from the Inside-Out Ron Czecholinski Echo Hills Cottages is an intentional neighborhood in West Asheville, NC that will consist of 11 homes with a small footprint starting at 800 square feet. The homes are being certified to the Gold Level of Green...
Marcus Renner: The Right Wall System
The Right Wall System: A comparison of five common wall systems for new construction By Marcus Renner Do you want to build a house that's more energy-efficient but doesn't cost an arm and a leg? It may be easier than you think. Most homes today are built using a method...
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...
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...
Leigha Dickens: Towards Zero-Landfill
Towards Zero-Landfill: Lessons in Construction Waste Reduction Leigha Dickens It’s ugly, but true: building something out of raw materials inevitably results in waste. According to the U.S. Green Building Council, a typical new home produces four pounds of waste per square foot of living space. Green building is about...
Maggie Leslie: Choosing Green Materials
Choosing Green Materials Maggie Leslie There are so many products and companies out there that claim to be green it makes it very difficult to tell which products really are green and which are not. The truth is, there aren’t many products that are completely sustainable. Instead, decisions should...
Garret K. Woodward: Tapping into the Future
Tapping into the Future: Craft Beer Giant Sierra Nevada Opens Green Facility in Mills River 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...
Checklist: What makes a product green?
Checklist: What makes a product green? By Victoria Schomer and Penny Bonda on 03/22/2010 An important tool in the effort to build greener buildings and live greener lives is the selection of products that were made using environmentally friendly processes and are used in environmentally friendly ways. Recycled: This split walnut log...
Choosing the “greenest” wood
Choosing the “greenest” wood By Boone Guyton on 03/16/2009 A woody dilemma I was looking out at the view from our Candler home at a ridge that had been partially clear-cut, and it inspired me to become serious about reducing the board feet of wood used in our home-building business. It...