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 incorporated...
Article Category: Sustainable Site Planning
Sam Ruark-Eastes: Permaculture
Permaculture Green Building meets its revolutionary cousin By Sam Ruark-Eastes By now you might have heard of Permaculture. The ecological design system has reached the mainstream consciousness with articles in the NY times and many other publications. It is estimated that over 50,000 people in the US have taken a...
Ryan Miller: Following Asheville’s Lead
Following Asheville’s Lead Growing green building across the state By Ryan Miller Alright, Asheville. As the North Carolina city with the deepest market penetration and strongest consumer demand for green building, the rest of our state looks to you for inspiration and leadership in green building. Many of the new...
Tim Ormond: Green Infrastructure
Green Infrastructure: The Great Shift in Stormwater Management By Tim Ormond There was a time when stormwater was primarily considered a problem to be tackled. Get it off site as quickly as possible through constructed systems of gutters, pipes, ditches and concrete-lined channels. Out of sight and out of...
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...
Feature: Pervious pavement
Feature: Pervious pavement By G. Carroll Hughes, AIA on 03/22/2010 For your next project, consider installing pervious pavement. Recent test results gathered from various sites, such as universities, prove the validity of using pervious pavement in our area. Since Western North Carolina is considered a cold climate, there are many local...
Feature: Forestry mulching
Feature: Forestry mulching By Frank Vogler on 03/22/2010 Say you have a seriously overgrown field or lot, or a massive pile of tree crowns, or maybe a tangled snarl of beetle-killed pines — or any number of brushy, scrubby scenarios requiring a serious mechanical solution. Traditionally, this has meant you would...
Got stormwater runoff?
Got stormwater runoff? By Melanie Brethauer on 03/16/2009 If you drive a car, have a pet, fertilize your lawn, grow a garden, live in a house, have a gravel or paved driveway—then you are affecting stormwater runoff. When rainfall or snowmelt flows over the ground and drains into natural or constructed...
In context
In context By David Tuch on 02/01/2008 Far too often, the emphasis of green building is placed on the building itself, to the neglect of the site. If a house built with the most sustainable and environmentally conscious techniques is located within a development that destroys the natural features and cultural...
Erosion control for green building
Erosion control for green building By Kevin Caldwell on 02/01/2008 Soil is an amazing resource that is often overlooked as “dirt.” Soils are dynamic, living systems, the health of which dictate the health of forests, farms, wetlands and wildlife. But they are a nonrenewable resource, at least as far as our...