Below are the articles from our most recent editions of the Green Built Directory. You can also find articles from our older publications in the menu on the right organized by category and year.
Directory Articles
Jonathan Gach: How Homes Have Evolved
How Homes Have Evolved: It's All About Moisture By Jonathan Gach My obsession-turned-profession with learning as much as I can about home building has involved a lot of reading, but maybe not the kind of reading you might think. Of course, my bookshelf has much of today’s required reading...
John Mueller: One Green Feature You Don’t Want
One Green Feature You Don’t Want: Mold in the Home Environment By John Mueller Here in Western North Carolina, we have a perfect storm of interrelated environmental factors which often lead to excess moisture and mold growth in houses of all ages and design. As an equal-opportunity fungal parasite,...
Sean Sullivan: A Breath of Fresh Air
A Breath of Fresh Air: The Importance of Indoor Air Quality By Sean Sullivan Homebuyers today are increasingly concerned about the indoor air quality of their homes. Issues like mold, radon, carbon monoxide and toxic chemicals have received greater attention than ever as poor indoor air quality has been linked...
Rick Bayless: Health Considerations in a Green Remodel
Health Considerations in a Green Remodel: Knowing Your Home’s History is Key By Rick Bayless If you haven’t recently moved into a brand-new, green-certified home (or aren’t anxiously waiting for the build to be complete), chances are you’re one of the four in 10 Americans living in an older...
Kristen Alfrey: Prefab for the Future
Prefab for the Future: New House Factory Aims to Help Affordable Housing and the Environment By Kristen Alfrey With home values and interest rates on the rise, there is a desperate need to expand the inventory of affordable housing in our region and around the country. According to a...
Scott McGehee: A Tale of Two Practices
A Tale of Two Practices: Finding harmony between architecture and structural engineering By Scott McGehee Two ivory towers stand purposefully across from one another along an age-old road called “Design.” The first monument resembles and admires the Greek civilization. Ionic columns preserve the entry way as the eye is...
Amy Musser and Leigha Dickens: Fireplaces and Indoor Air Quality
Fireplaces and Indoor Air Quality: Do Fireplaces Right and Don’t Ignore Physics By Amy Musser and Leigha Dickens Ah, fireplaces. Few design decisions are more technical or more emotional than that of how to operate a fire safely and effectively inside a building. Fire is a deeply rooted part...
Mary Love: Spending Green to Go Green
Spending Green to Go Green: Are Buyers Willing to Pay More? By Mary Love When starting on a new project, it is important for builders to take into consideration the desires of homebuyers. The most in-demand style of housing continues to be single-family detached three-bedroom, two-bath homes with 1,900 to...
Amy Smith: Redlining and Green Trees
Redlining and Green Trees: The History of Inequality in Asheville’s Urban Tree Canopy By Amy Smith Asheville is known for being a small, mountain town nestled among the forests. Our urban tree canopy is prized by residents and visitors alike for its scenic beauty, wildlife habitat, climate change mitigation,...
Susanna Shetley: Hickory Nut Forest Eco Community
Hickory Nut Forest Eco Community: Where People Come Home to the Wild By Susanna Shetley [caption id="attachment_6467" align="aligncenter" width="324"] Lot owners and residents have access to the entire acreage of Little Bearwallow LLC, including an apple orchard, community gardens, Hickory Nut Creek frontage, and access to miles and miles of...
Stephens Smith Farrell: Notes on a Design Journey
Notes on a Design Journey: The Romance and Intrigue of Green Building By Stephens Smith Farrell Any good story has to have either an epic journey, a juicy romance, and/or at least the threat of violence to qualify as worthy. These requirements pose somewhat of a challenge for writers...
Leigha Dickens: Appalachian Offsets Looks Forward
Appalachian Offsets Looks Forward: Supporting Nonprofits with Solar, Reducing Community Carbon By Leigha Dickens Last fall, I attended the switch-flipping ceremony for the new solar array at Isaac Dickson Elementary School funded by Green Built Alliance’s Appalachian Offsets program. Consisting of 300 kilowatts of solar photovoltaic panels, the project...
Kelvin Bonilla: Tips to Save Energy At Home
Tips to Save Energy At Home: Simple, Low-Budget Ways to Save on Electricity Bills By Kelvin Bonilla In these times when everything feels expensive, we all try to find ways to save money and keep our homes comfortable. One of the easiest ways to save money in your home...
Kelvin Bonilla: Consejos Para Ahorrar Energía En Su Hogar
Consejos Para Ahorrar Energía En Su Hogar: Maneras Sencillas y de Bajo Presupuesto para Ahorrar en sus Biles de la Luz Por Kelvin Bonilla En estos tiempos cuando todo se siente que cuesta un ojo de la cara, todos tratamos de encontrar maneras para ahorrar dinero y mantener la...
Brad Rouse: A Movement Begins
A Movement Begins: Reflecting on the Roots of Energy Savers Network By Brad Rouse Editor’s note: The earliest days of our nonprofit’s Energy Savers Network program are remembered by co-founder Brad Rouse in this excerpt from his new book, “Climate Warrior: Climate Activism and Our Energy Future.” Energy Savers...
Hannah Egan: New Opportunities for Energy Savers Network
New Opportunities for Energy Savers Network: Creating Safer and Healthier Living Spaces in our Community By Hannah Egan Energy Savers Network (ESN) is a program of Green Built Alliance that provides free energy-efficiency upgrade and weatherization services to income-qualified households in Buncombe County, which has helped more than 700...
Summer Winkler: Solar Power
Solar Power: Blue Horizons Project Builds on Solarize Campaign with Low-Income Equity Efforts By Summer Winkler Blue Horizons Project is building on the success of its Solarize campaign last year with an enhanced commitment and broader investment in no-cost solar for low-income families through its Neighbor to Neighbor Solar...
David Gordon: The Perplexities of Pristine Power
The Perplexities of Pristine Power: Buncombe County’s Plans to Reach 100 Percent Renewables Goals By David Gordon Five years ago, Buncombe County, in collaboration with the City of Asheville, voted to adopt a resolution for county operations and the community as a whole to be powered by 100 percent...
Leigha Dickens: Getting Greener All The Time
Getting Greener All The Time: What’s New and What’s Next in Green Building By Leigha Dickens The Green Built Homes program recently certified its 2,500th home — a milestone more than 17 years in the making. Pioneered by a group of dedicated builders, realtors, and concerned homeowners, the nonprofit...
Jason Seickel: Green Spaces that Give Back
Green Spaces that Give Back: Parks as Places for Community Resilience By Jason Seickel Parks and other public spaces are hubs for recreation, gathering, socializing, and providing opportunities to strengthen communities. They can also serve to provide greater resilience within our communities. Sustainably designed and built parks can provide...
Tim Ormond, Renee Fortner and Keith McDade: A Steep Learning Curve
A Steep Learning Curve: Tackling the Technical and Social Challenges of Stormwater Management in the Mountains By Tim Ormond, Renee Fortner and Keith McDade [caption id="attachment_6407" align="aligncenter" width="358"] Completed site mulched and planted with native vegetation. Photo courtesy of Blue Earth[/caption] Here’s your chance to be a detective: The next...
Melissa Reardon: Beyond Ornamentation
Beyond Ornamentation: Living Roofs and Green Infrastructure as a Path to Climate Resilience By Melissa Reardon On the third-floor terrace of Mission Hospital’s North Tower, patients and staff can take a lunch break or respite amid a sun-dappled ornamental garden, while savoring westward views of Mount Pisgah and the Blue...
Rebecca Morris: Natural Partners
Natural Partners: Pairing Affordable Housing with Renewable Energy By Rebecca Morris Going hand in hand with its mission to provide safe, attractive and affordable homes in good neighborhoods, Mountain Housing Opportunities (MHO) is committed to building energy-efficient and environmentally sustainable buildings. The Asheville Housing Authority (AHA) has invested more than...
John Senechal: Energy Retrofits at Gray Rock Inn
Energy Retrofits at Gray Rock Inn: The Benefits of Efficiency Upgrades on Mature Buildings By John Senechal The building was tired, but the bones were good. In 2001, the Gray Rock Inn at 100 Biltmore Ave. in downtown Asheville was in bad shape with a leaking roof, termite damage, and...
Stuart Zitin: Decades in the Making
Decades in the Making: From Foreclosed Overgrown Parcel to Green Homes in Progress By Stuart Zitin The first time my wife Maureen and I looked at this overgrown 4-acre property in the Oakley neighborhood in the city of Asheville, I held our 3-year-old daughter in my arms to protect her...
Susanna Shetley: Duke Street Cottages
Duke Street Cottages: An Innovative Pocket Neighborhood in Granite Falls By Susanna Shetley A new net-zero energy pocket neighborhood called Duke Street Cottages is under development in Granite Falls, NC.Photo courtesy of Howard Building Science The concept of pocket neighborhoods may be relatively new, but for Rob Howard of Howard...
Melissa Nicholson: Conversation with Compromise
Conservation with Compromise: Building Green on a Budget with a Touch of Extravagance By Melissa Nicholson Having worked with his local design-build company for many years, my husband Will Nicholson developed a plan for building our house in the forest near Asheville. Experience and knowledge from past projects allowed us...
Leigha Dickens: Rebates for Green Home Building
Rebates for Green Home Building: Local government and utility rebates for new green homes have expanded notably in the past few years in our region, and some programs have changed over time from previous years and previous articles posted here. Here is a quick overview of what financial incentives are...
Steve Ambrose: Sustainable Stone
Sustainable Stone: Lowering the Environmental Impact of Your Hardscaping Project By Steve Ambrose From a patio or walkway to a custom fireplace, designing your backyard’s features with natural stone has become more popular in recent years for its beauty and durability. To be an educated consumer and build your outdoor...
Valerie J. Amor: Centering Equity in Green Buildings
Centering Equity in Green Buildings: Marginalized Benefits Are Not Sustainable Benefits By Valerie J. Amor The word benefits, for most people, is usually defined by their personal association to the word, for example through Social Security benefits or medical benefits. By merely inserting the word benefits in any sentence,...
Rick Bayless: Healthy From the Ground Up
Healthy From the Ground Up: Home Healthiness Starts in the Design-Build Process By Rick Bayless In recent decades, our increased focus on sustainability has led to the creation of advanced house and commercial designs that are indeed very energy efficient, thanks in part to organizations such as Green Built...
Jonathan Gach: Caring About Building Air Leakage
Caring About Building Air Leakage: The Intersection of Building Science and Cognitive Science By Jonathan Gach You may have heard the concept that “buildings need to breathe” without really understanding what it means. Does this saying hold true to what we expect of modern buildings and what does it...
Cari Barcas: Solar for Schools
Solar for Schools: Isaac Dickson System Installed After Community Fundraising Campaign By Cari Barcas A moment six years in the making arrived in the spring of 2021 as the much-anticipated solar electric system was installed on the roof of Asheville’s Isaac Dickson Elementary School, thanks to a community fundraising...
Steffi Rausch: Volunteering Empowers the Community
Volunteering Empowers the Community: Building Professionals Give Back on Workdays By Steffi Rausch There are many benefits to volunteering: the social aspect of networking and meeting new people, the community aspect of helping others, the mental and physical aspect of learning new skills, and much more. One aspect that...
Annie McGehrin: The Green Evolution of Affordable Housing
The Green Evolution of Affordable Housing: Green-Certified Affordable Housing is a Win-Win By Annie McGehrin The sustainable building sector is often seen as a luxury, but why not as a basic necessity? Sustainable buildings, also known as green buildings, minimize the use of resources, reduce harmful effects on the...
Maddy Alewine: This Divided Land
This Divided Land: The Way Our Neighborhoods Look Isn’t an Accident By Maddy Alewine Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity was shocked by the deed to a parcel of land they were developing when they came upon the part that read: this property cannot be sold to “any person of...
Sophie Mullinax: Bringing Solar to the People
Bringing Solar to the People: Solarize Campaign Installs Free Systems for Families in Need By Sophie Mullinax In an effort to increase the region’s adoption of and access to affordable solar installations, a diverse coalition of Asheville and Buncombe County community members and mission-aligned organizations came together in 2021...
Amy Smith: Tree Canopy Protection
Tree Canopy Protection: Asheville’s New Ordinance A Step Toward Smart Growth By Amy Smith The benefits of urban forests are immense. Not only are trees valued for aesthetic beauty and shade, but tree cover in cities also provides benefits to human health and social well-being. Urban forests and greenery...
Sam Ruark: Living in the Love House
Living in the Love House: My First Year as a Resident of Earthaven Ecovillage By Sam Ruark It's a warm spring day full of new and green growing life, and the sun is pumping clean energy into the off-grid house where I live at Earthaven Ecovillage. Earthaven was founded in...
Pat Snyder: Land and Legacy
Land and Legacy: A Team Approach to Finding Land That Meets Your Stewardship Goals By Pat Snyder Long a popular destination for people looking to reconnect with nature, the Western North Carolina region is attracting increasing numbers of hopeful landowners seeking an escape from crowded cities and a safe haven...
Kat McReynolds: Blueprints for Going Green
Blueprints for Going Green: Green Built Homes Checklist Clarifies Steps to Better Building By Kat McReynolds [caption id="attachment_5892" align="aligncenter" width="435"] The author’s first duplex build as a general contractor was also her first certification experience with the Green Built Homes program. Photo courtesy of Sage Turner.[/caption] As I sat down...
Mary Love: Growing Green (History of Green Built Alliance)
Growing Green: How Green Built Alliance Changed Our Region During the Past Two Decades By Mary Love Green Built Alliance has a special place in my heart. In fact, it was one of the main reasons I moved to Asheville. Green Built Alliance turns 20 this year. The milestone prompted...
Robin Cape: Ranch Remodel
Ranch Remodel: Transforming a Typical 1970s Home into a High-Efficiency Homestead By Robin Cape [caption id="attachment_5819" align="aligncenter" width="428"] This version of the standard American home was transformed into a low-energy, high-performance homestead.[/caption] It has always appealed to me to live in a home that uses fewer resources than average. My...
Leigha Dickens: Built for the Cold
Built for the Cold: Passive Solar Home in North Carolina’s Coldest Climate Zone By Leigha Dickens [caption id="attachment_5785" align="aligncenter" width="471"] A passive solar home in the woods near Boone, NC. Photo courtesy of Ryan Theede.[/caption] There’s something special about the North Carolina High Country. Home to ski lodges, Christmas tree...
Margaret Chandler: Greening the Forest
Greening the Forest: The First LEED home in Biltmore Forest By Margaret Chandler [caption id="attachment_5773" align="aligncenter" width="486"] The recently completed Cedarcliff residence is the first LEED project in Biltmore Forest.[/caption] The town of Biltmore Forest, with its stately homes and tree-lined streets, is one of the Asheville area’s most prestigious...
Shetley: Residence Halls Go Green
Residence Halls Go Green: App State Invests in Sustainably Certified Homes for Students By Susanna Shetley A new residence hall being completed at Appalachian State University this summer is the culmination of years of work and evidence of a commitment to sustainability that runs throughout the school’s culture. School...
Hannah McLeod: The Green Lifestyle
The Green Lifestyle: Solar Installer Gets Green Home of His Own By Hannah McLeod Cameron Donnell has built his career in the green-building industry, previously working as an energy auditor and currently serving as a solar-energy consultant at Sugar Hollow Solar. Donnell and his wife, Whitney, began work with...
Susanna Shetley: Built For the Future
Built for the Future: Passive Solar Net-Zero Home Made to Last By Susanna Shetley Builder Gus Katsigiannis of Familia Enterprises partnered with recurring clients Mark McCraw and Beth Lassiter to build his first net-zero home in the Falconhurst neighborhood of Asheville. The team first met while Familia was renovating...
Mike Figura: Green Home Hunt
Green Home Hunt: Practical Tips for Finding Green Homes on the Market By Mike Figura If you want your next home to be certified by Green Built Homes or ENERGY STAR®, you can either buy an existing home or build a custom one. When you build a custom home, you...
Hannah McLeod: Living Their Value
Living Their Values: EPA Employees Build Dream Green Home in Asheville By Hannah McLeod After 60 years of combined federal service at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Tony Wayne and Kimber Scavo’s decision to build green was a logical extension of their lifelong work to address climate change. When determining...
Jennifer Banks: No Need to Move Mountains
No Need to Move Mountains: Small Details Deliver Dynamite Score on Custom Home By Jennifer Banks As builders, we occasionally have to explain the benefits of constructing a Green Built Home to our clients. But when Peter and Diane Burkard approached us about building their new house, they already...
Mark Wulff and Josh Brown: Growing Family, Building Green
Growing Family, Building Green: Crafting a New Net-Zero Home to Last for Generations By Mark Wulff and Josh Brown When Mark Wulff and Ariana DeToro-Forlenza met in 2004 as instructors at an outdoor school, there were nights when they slept in the open air with nothing but a sleeping...
Carrie Vogler: A House of the Hill
A House Of The Hill: The Value of Site Integration in Sustainable Residential Development By Carrie Vogler It was May 2014 when we first received an inquiry about forestry mulching a building lot in Weaverville to clear unwanted brush and invasive vegetation. Forestry mulching is a unique technology for...
Don Nicholson: Climate-Conscious Building
Climate-Conscious Building: Creating a Net-Zero Home with Low Embodied Energy By Don Nicholson Becky and Noell Tin split their time between Asheville and Charlotte with work projects in both cities, and 16 North Belgium Lane in West Asheville was planned as their second home. After struggling to find a...
2020-2021 Articles
2020 - 2021 Articles Case Studies Affordable for the Long Haul: Habitat Tests New Style of Housing in Curry Court by Ariane Kjellquist Energy Efficient Homes for All: Affordable Housing and Energy Efficiency Are Perfect Pair by Santiago Cely Designing for Density: Green Affordable Homes at East Haven Apartments by Geoffrey...
2019-2020 Articles
2019 - 2020 Articles Case Studies Holding the Vision: The Winding Road to Our Dream Green Home By Mary Love A Net-Zero Adventure: Setting New Records By Raymond Thompson Aspiring to Zero Carbon: First Net-Zero Home Certified in Green Path Commons By Don Nicholson Learning New Tricks: Lessons from WNC's...
2018-2019 Articles
2018 - 2019 Articles Case Studies Green Building: A Love Story By Stephens Smith Farrell Green Inside and Out: Lessons from Europe Applied in Appalachia By Randolph Richardson Enough Water for Everyone: A Water Supply Case Study in Swannanoa By Darren Henegar Craven Gap Residence: A Passive Solar, Living Future Institute Net Zero...
2017-2018 Articles
2017 - 2018 Articles Case Studies Home for Life: The Complexity and Compromise of Building My Second and Last Personal Home By Jamie Shelton Kermit Builds a Home: Crafting the First and Last House We'll Ever Own By John Shore Young Minds, Big Ideas: Isaac Dickson Elementary Goes Green By Garret K....
2016-2017 Articles
2016 - 2017 Articles Case Studies Creating The World You Envision: Green Communities Emerge in WNC By Garret K. Woodward The Road to Net Zero By Garret K. Woodward Finding Balance: Asheville Yoga Center By Garret K. Woodward The Rhodo Renovation: A case study in ‘Right Size’ Design By Sean...
2015-2016 Articles
2015 - 2016 Articles Case Studies Eco-Friendly Education: French Broad River Academy By Garret K. Woodward A Little Goes a Long Way: Southern Alliance for Clean Energy By Garret K. Woodward Whats the deal with SIPs: Built Smart by bob By Garret K. Woodward Downsizing your home, Upgrading Your Life: GreenSource Construction Management By...
2014 Articles
2014 Articles Case Studies Out of Your Car, Into Your World By Garret K. Woodward Our Path to Net-Zero By Dan Clere Building a Better Future By Garret K. Woodward Getting Through Winter on $28 By Garret K. Woodward Tapping Into the Future By Garret K. Woodward Sustainable Site Planning New...
Margaret Chandler: The Value of Biophilic Office Design: ENO’s HQ Gets a Facelift
The Value of Biophilic Office Design: ENO’s HQ Gets a Facelift Margaret Chandler The opportunities for biophilic architecture in an industrial office park are not as limited as they might seem. Eagles Nest Outfitters, an Asheville-based outdoor company also known as ENO, had outgrown their downtown Asheville location and...
Geoffrey Barton: Designing for Density: Green Affordable Homes at East Haven Apartments
Designing for Density: Green Affordable Homes at East Haven Apartments Geoffrey Barton [caption id="attachment_5065" align="alignright" width="460"] East Haven Apartments contains a mix of one, two and three-bedroom apartments in two four-story L-shaped buildings that enclose a large courtyard. Photos courtesy of Mountain Housing Opportunities.[/caption] When designing any building, and particularly...
Leigha Dickens: Sustainable Building is Resilient Building: Designing Spaces that Last
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...
Rob Motley: Slope Hope: Building A Green Home on a Unique Site
Slope Hope: Building A Green Home on a Unique Site Rob Motley When I first met Kate Zubko and Jeff Konz at their property on Elk Mountain Scenic Highway two summers ago for an initial site visit, I left the meeting with two distinct impressions: that Kate and Jeff...
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...
Sustainable + Affordable + Equitable: Making Healthy Housing Accessible to Everyone
Sustainable + Affordable + Equitable: Making Healthy Housing Accessible to Everyone By Cari Barcas Community Engagement Director The value of sustainable, equitable and affordable building is relevant now more than ever. The importance of green building has never been more obvious than in this year where most of us are...
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...
Douglas Ager: Sweet Spot: Custom Home Balances Comfort and Environmental Responsibility
Sweet Spot: Custom Home Balances Comfort and Environmental Responsibility By Douglas Ager Mike Herrick loves Western North Carolina for the area’s temperate year-round climate, and his wife Ellen wanted to live closer to their grandchildren on the east coast. But their shared goal when building their new custom house...
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...
Emilio Ancaya: Blue Sky, Green Roof: Reimagining Asheville’s Rooftops
Blue Sky, Green Roof: Reimagining Asheville’s Rooftops By Emilio Ancaya Nestled on Lexington Avenue in the heart of downtown Asheville is an apartment building that offers a unique and distinguishable feature. Situated on top of the building is a beautiful 8,200-square-foot green roof that can be seen and enjoyed...
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...
Amy Musser and Matthew Vande: Hot Water Recirculating Loops: A Tricky Green Feature To Get Right
Hot Water Recirculating Loops: A Tricky Green Feature To Get Right By Amy Musser and Matthew Vande Hot water recirculating loops are having a moment. They’re popular with plumbers because they reduce callbacks from homeowners who don’t want to run their taps and wait for hot water. Recirculating loops...
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...
Cari Barcas: Solar for Schools: Appalachian Offsets Completes Fundraising for Isaac Dickson System
Solar for Schools: Appalachian Offsets Completes Fundraising for Isaac Dickson System By Cari Barcas Green Built Alliance’s Appalachian Offsets program is celebrating the successful completion of its fundraising campaign to install a solar system at Isaac Dickson Elementary School in Asheville. Appalachian Offsets funds renewable-energy projects and energy-efficiency upgrades...
Santiago Cely: Energy Efficient Homes for All: Affordable Housing and Energy Efficiency Are Perfect Pair
Energy Efficient Homes for All: Affordable Housing and Energy Efficiency Are Perfect Pair Santiago Cely At one point in time, only wealthy folks could afford cell phones. The same has happened with electric cars, computers, television sets and many other feats of technology. Over time, more and more people...
John Senechal: Gray Rock Inn: The Evolution From Historic Boarding House to Affordable Housing
Gray Rock Inn: The Evolution From Historic Boarding House to Affordable Housing John Senechal In 2001, I took on a rehab project that featured energy retrofits, historic restoration, and affordable housing. At the time, the building at 100 Biltmore Ave. was falling apart and needed a lot of TLC. ...
Ariane Kjellquist: Affordable for the Long Haul: Habitat Tests New Style of Housing in Curry Court
Affordable for the Long Haul: Habitat Tests New Style of Housing in Curry Court Ariane Kjellquist On 2.7 acres in Candler, not far from shopping and services, is a thriving community of 12 certified Green Built Homes created by Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity. Previously the site of five abandoned...
Susanna Shetley: Macro Heart, Micro Home: BeLoved Village Building Sustainable, Affordable Housing
Macro Heart, Micro Home: BeLoved Village Building Sustainable, Affordable Housing By Susanna Shetley After a close friend of the community froze to death in 2016 while sleeping along the banks of the French Broad River, the BeLoved Asheville team mobilized to make a dent in the housing and security...
Emily Boyd: Net-Zero House, Below Zero HERS: Recent Project Sets New Green Built Homes Record
Net-Zero House, Below Zero HERS: Recent Project Sets New Green Built Homes Record Emily Boyd Becky Wood and Carol Kemp came to us several years ago with the goal of relocating from Seattle to build a new net-zero house in the Asheville area that would support electric vehicles, have privacy...
Jacqui Patterson and Mandy Lee: Centering Equity in Sustainable Buildings: Why Green Buildings are a Civil-Rights Issue
Centering Equity in Sustainable Buildings: Why Green Buildings are a Civil-Rights Issue By Jacqui Patterson and Mandy Lee [caption id="attachment_5141" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Sustainable buildings promote the health and wellbeing of building occupants while minimizing climate change and pollution, but not everyone has equal access. Photo courtesy of iStockphoto /...
Small-Scale Residential Housing: Infill Housing, ADUs and Tiny Homes
Small-Scale Residential Housing: Infill Housing, ADUs and Tiny Homes Joe Archibald Often when people think about sustainable building, they think about material sourcing, location of the building on the property, renewable energy sources and the other more common metrics. Just as important a factor, however, is where the building...
The Value of Carbon Offsets: Testimonial from a Former Skeptic
The Value of Carbon Offsets: Testimonial from a Former Skeptic Chrissy Burton The term “carbon offset” is unfortunate. It is so literal but still somewhat figurative. What exactly is a carbon offset? It begins by calculating my personal carbon footprint. How much carbon is produced every year in support...
Susanna Shetley: Tiny Home Havens: Tiny Home Communities Develop in WNC
Tiny Home Havens: Tiny Home Communities Develop in WNC By Susanna Shetley Tiny-home living has been growing in popularity over the past decade, and the advent of the coronavirus crisis may intensify that surge. With modern society craving more time outdoors and more money for travel and leisure, tiny...
Radon in Our Mountain Homes: Detection and Correction Is Worth the Price
Radon in Our Mountain Homes: Detection and Correction Is Worth the Price Rick Bayless When you buy a new house, is radon on your radar? In Western North Carolina, the answer should be yes. Radon is an odorless, colorless radioactive gas which arises from uranium and thorium deposits in...
Demystifying Crawl Spaces: Crawl Space Choices in Southern Appalachia
Demystifying Crawl Spaces: Crawl Space Choices in Southern Appalachia Sara Sabol and Marcus Renner If you are confused about the best method to control moisture and humidity in your crawl space, you are not alone. We recently visited Marcus’ 84- year-old independent father, Helmut. It quickly became apparent that...
Taking the Plunge: Preparing A Home for Electric Cars
Taking the Plunge: Preparing A Home for Electric Cars Amy Musser and Matthew Vande We recently took the plunge to buy a plugin hybrid electric car, and wanted to share some things we’ve learned from our experience to help people in Western North Carolina plan for future plug-in cars....
Staying on Course: Blue Horizons Project’s Impact on Community-Wide Energy Efficiency
Staying on Course: Blue Horizons Project’s Impact on Community-Wide Energy Efficiency Cari Barcas In a single year since its launch, the local Blue Horizons Project energy-efficiency campaign has improved the lives of hundreds of area residents by helping to make their homes more affordable, durable and healthy. These efforts...
Whole Living: Completing the Green Experience
Whole Living: Completing the Green Experience Sean D. Sullivan It’s not hard to see why so many people have been bitten by the green bug. Coast to coast, consumers are realizing that green homes can sell faster — and for more money — than non-green homes. And consumers have...
Planting for Future Generations: A Journey Toward Bioregional Food Resilience
Planting for Future Generations: A Journey Toward Bioregional Food Resilience Danu Macon For millennia, the land we know as Western North Carolina has nourished and provided a home for thousands of species of animals, plants and fungi. The web of life here in these mountains contains a grand diversity...
Is Wastewater Really a Waste? Ecological Solutions for Treating Wastewater
Is Wastewater Really a Waste? Ecological Solutions for Treating Wastewater Laura Ruby Water is one of our most precious resources. It makes up more than half of the human body, 77 percent of our brains, and covers nearly 70 percent of our earth. Yet, less than 1 percent of...
Love of Life: Incorporating Biophilic Design at Home
Love of Life: Incorporating Biophilic Design at Home Emily Boyd We all know from experience that being immersed in nature makes us feel calmer, happier and rejuvenated. We seek a connection with nature, particularly when we are feeling stressed or sick. It was only about 55 years ago that...
Midwifing Sustainability: Building and Selling Permaculture Incubators
Midwifing Sustainability: Building and Selling Permaculture Incubators Dan Clere How can a home be regenerative? What is it regenerating? And for whom? These questions are great fodder for coffee conversation, and as green builders, we often take the basics for granted. We want our homes to be durable and...
Regenerative Design: Green Built Homes Certification Evolves with Updated Checklist
Regenerative Design: Green Built Homes Certification Evolves with Updated Checklist Cari Barcas Green Built Homes is updating its statewide certification program this year to incentivize builders to incorporate elements of regenerative design in their projects. Formerly known as NC Healthy Built Homes, the Green Built Homes program has certified...
A Net-Zero Adventure: Setting New Records
A Net-Zero Adventure: Setting New Records Raymond Thompson There are many ways to link in to the green revolution. A person can focus on energy consumption, human rights, individual health, environmental protection or a little bit of everything at once, but it is generally driven by a calling in...
Holding the Vision: The Winding Road to Our Dream Green Home
Holding the Vision: The Winding Road to Our Dream Green Home Mary Love My wife Deb and I moved to Asheville in 2003 with the dream of building green homes around a farm. At the time, green building was a new concept and investors were wary. Having grown up...
Learning New Tricks: Lessons from WNC’s First DOE Zero Energy Ready Home
Learning New Tricks: Lessons from WNC’s First DOE Zero Energy Ready Home Leigha Dickens The Department of Energy wants builders to up their game. Though it’s worth celebrating the energy savings achieved by the DOE’s ENERGY STAR® Homes program (said to be 20 percent), it’s possible to build homes...
Aspiring to Zero Carbon: First Net-Zero Home Certified in Green Path Commons
Aspiring to Zero Carbon: First Net-Zero Home Certified in Green Path Commons Don Nicholson Can we build a zero-carbon-footprint neighborhood? It’s a challenge. We are attempting this at Green Path Commons in West Asheville. The neighborhood will have seven net-zero homes; the first is at 9 N. Belgium Lane....
Amplifying Agrihoods: The Benefits of Neighborhoods Built Around Working Farms
Amplifying Agrihoods: The Benefits of Neighborhoods Built Around Working Farms Allison Smith Sometimes new problems call for old solutions. That’s the best lesson to be taken from the recent rise of housing developments built around working farms, also known as agrihoods. Created to foster a sense of community and...
Sustainable Academia: Appalachian State University Leads the Way
Sustainable Academia: Appalachian State University Leads the Way Garret K. Woodward Though Appalachian State University has always been at the forefront of sustainability, the academic institution took another step forward with its latest P3 project. A public-private partnership (P3), the project will develop energy-efficient housing on its campus in...
Bridging Sustainable and Social Gaps: Earth Care, Fair Share and People Care at Echo Hills Cottages
Bridging Sustainable and Social Gaps: Earth Care, Fair Share and People Care at Echo Hills Cottages Garret K. Woodward When Ron Czecholinski and his wife moved to Asheville in 2010, he had one goal in mind: to create a sustainable development that truly focused on the meaning of the...
Simple Shifts: How Creature Comforts Can Coexist with Sustainability
Simple Shifts: How Creature Comforts Can Coexist with Sustainability Garret K. Woodward At first glance, the new Green Built Home on Hawberry Court in Asheville appears to be a normal house with a lot of aesthetically pleasing qualities and spacious appeal amid its luxurious appearance. “We built a pretty...
Brick by Brick: Finding New Ways to Reach Net Zero
Brick by Brick: Finding New Ways to Reach Net Zero Garret K. Woodward When reflecting on the recent completion of his first net-zero home, Kevin Hackett still marvels at the number of bricks that went into the project. “It must have been over 40,000 bricks,” chuckled Hackett, the president...
Stephens Smith Farrell: Green Building
Green Building: A Love Story Stephens Smith Farrell On paper, Jorge and I wouldn’t be candidates for great friends. In practice, Jorge and I became great good friends through a shared passion for early-era-east-coast mountain biking (EEECMB) and mountain biking’s gateway companion, beer (B). Jorge (not his real name)...
Randolph Richardson: Green Inside and Out
Green Inside and Out: Lessons from Europe Applied in Appalachia Randolph Richardson “We’re gonna have to build,” we concluded, as the plane climbed past Mount Pisgah on the first leg of our return to Vienna. After six years living in Austria, we would be returning to the United States...
Darren Henegar: Enough Water for Everyone
Enough Water for Everyone: A Water Supply Case Study in Swannanoa Darren Henegar Here in the U.S., we have long been fortunate to have access to some of the safest drinking water in the world available just by turning on the tap. However, continued population growth and economic development...
Margaret Chandler: Craven Gap Residence
Craven Gap Residence: A Passive Solar, Living Future Institute Net Zero Energy Home Margaret Chandler Our clients came to us after purchasing five acres of steep mountain land with great views looking down the Beaverdam Valley. Avid hikers and mountain bikers, they bought the land in part because of access...
Tom Owens: Certifying it Twice
Certifying it Twice: High-Performance Home Receives ENERGY STAR® 3 and Green Built Homes Certifications Tom Owens Clients came to us a few years ago in search of someone who could both design and build a home that would be environmentally friendly, energy efficient and structurally durable. They had a...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Leigha Dickens: Coulda, Would, Shoulda
Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda: (Flawed) Reasons People Don’t Use Green Building Certification Programs Leigha Dickens If I had a dollar for every time a client chose not to certify their custom new home through a third-party green-building program, then I’d have more dollars than you might think. Even among clients...
Lee Warren and Richard Freudenberger: Sustainability Simplified
Sustainability Simplified: Ten Solutions In and Around Your Home Lee Warren and Richard Freudenberger Life is full. We understand. That’s why we made a list of sustainability solutions that are easy, fun, and hopefully doable. If you pick three to implement each year for three years, then you’ll nearly...
Gwen Hill: Building Up Our Youth
Building Up Our Youth: Local Program Creates Career Pathways in Building Trades for At-Risk Youth Gwen Hill n the summer of 2018, Asheville-based nonprofit Green Opportunities kicked-off the second of three planned cycles of its new YouthBuild training program, a tuition-free pre-apprenticeship program designed for out-of-school youth in Buncombe...
Garret K. Woodward: Rebuilding Affrilachia
Rebuilding Affrilachia: The Value of History and Equity in our Growing Community Garret K. Woodward Just inside the entrance gate of the Burton Street Community Peace Garden in West Asheville hangs a sign that reads, “Good planets are hard to replace. Treat kindly.” The large hillside garden is accented...
Cari Barcas: Setting the Course for Clean Energy
Setting the Course for Clean Energy: Blue Horizons Project Empowers Community to Conserve Energy and Preserve Region By Cari Barcas Resulting from a two-year collaboration between local government, business, nonprofit and environmental leaders, the Blue Horizons Project is a comprehensive hub of energy-efficiency programs to empower community members to...
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...
Garret K. Woodward: Filling in the Gaps
Filling in the Gaps: Energy Savers Network Helps Low-Income Homes Garret K. Woodward It was the basketball-sized hole in the dining room window that stuck out the most for Alice Wyndham. “It was the second house we worked on. He was a veteran who had cancer. His mother had...
Jeremiah Leroy: A Roadmap to Renewables
A Roadmap to Renewables: Buncombe County Sets Goal of 100 Percent Renewable Energy Jeremiah Leroy How does a local government succeed in making the transition to 100 percent renewable energy? I don’t know. Wait. As the person who has been charged with spearheading this initiative on behalf of Buncombe...
Jeff Staudinger: Room for Everyone
Room for Everyone: Asheville, Buncombe County Seek to Expand Affordable Housing Jeff Staudinger “Affordable housing” may seem an oxymoron to many people in Asheville and Buncombe County. And for good reason. Although there is plenty of residential development happening in the area, most of the new rental housing developed...
Sean D. Sullivan: Aging in Place
Aging in Place: Accessibility Is “Hip” in the Mountains Sean D. Sullivan t is often said in our household, particularly on birthdays, that “you are only as old as you feel.” The truth of the matter is that we are all aging in place every day. Most Gen Xers...
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...
Ryan Miller: The Value of a Green Appraisal
The Value of a Green Appraisal: Making the Most of Your Green Home Ryan Miller When buying, selling or appraising a home with green features, three key factors determine whether or not value will be added to the transaction as a result of those characteristics. To fully realize higher...
Heath Moody: Train Drain
Train Drain: The Role of Higher Education in Developing a Sustainable Workforce Heath Moody As our workforce faces the challenging mass exodus of baby boomers retiring over the next decade, there exists a unique opportunity to explore solutions that could not only put numerous Americans to work, but also...
Amy Musser: Heat Pump Revolution
Welcome to the Heat Pump Revolution: The Benefits of Variable-Speed Heat Pumps Amy Musser Sometimes the green-building industry evolves quickly, with a product making a quantum leap in efficiency. This is happening in 2018 with variable-speed heat pumps. These have been on the market for a couple of years,...
Ned Ryan Doyle: Advanced Metering Infrastructure
Advanced Metering Infrastructure: The Next Generation of Energy Metering Comes to WNC Ned Ryan Doyle AMI, shorthand for Advanced Metering Infrastructure, is being rolled out in the Western Carolinas this year for Duke Energy customers and is projected to be completed by mid-2019. So, what is AMI? Why does...
Cari Barcas: Reduce What You Can, Offset the Rest
Reduce What You Can, Offset the Rest: Six Ways Local Businesses Can Reduce Their Carbon Footprint Cari Barcas An increasing number of Western North Carolina businesses are doing the right thing for their business and the planet by making moves toward carbon neutrality. As a resource to all community...
Garret K. Woodward: The Path to the Future
The Path to the Future: An Update on the French Broad River Greenway By Garret K. Woodward In an effort to provide connectivity within Asheville, the French Broad River Greenway has become a welcome sight along the riverbanks in front of New Belgium Brewing, an ever-growing social hub in the...
Garret K. Woodward: Staying Hydrated
Staying Hydrated: The Case for Drought-Resistant Landscaping in WNC By Garret K. Woodward After the wildfires that raged through Western North Carolina and greater Southern Appalachia last fall, the region is still not out of the woods when it comes to overcoming the drought conditions that have a become more...
Ned Ryan Doyle: Going Off-Grid
Going Off-Grid: The Dollars and Sense of Living Off the Grid By Ned Ryan Doyle The idea of off-grid living means different things to different people. Most presume, accurately, that it means not being connected to the power grid or a utility. Some imagine it’s about living a primitive lifestyle...
Ned Ryan Doyle: Benefits of Batteries
Benefits of Batteries: The Emergence of Energy Storage by Ned Ryan Doyle Batteries are ubiquitous in our modern lives, in cell phones, computers, cars, clocks, toys, tools and many more applications. Yet the idea of a battery-powered home or business is likely to generate a quick laugh or a skeptical...
Amy Musser: I Lost 5,000 Pounds in 8 Weeks
I Lost 5,000 Pounds in 8 Weeks: Digging into the Low Carbon Diet Program By Amy Musser I lost 5,000 pounds in eight weeks. Actually, I shaved more than that off my carbon footprint. I was surprised by how easy it was, because my husband and I have lived in...
Don M. Nicholson and Donald P. Nicholson: What are the Odds?
What are the Odds? A Theoretical Physicist and Professional Poker Player Team Up to Build Green By Don M. Nicholson and Donald P. Nicholson In 1998’s “Armageddon” film, an asteroid was hurtling toward Earth at 22,000 mph and NASA sent Harry Stamper (aka Bruce Willis) to blow it apart with...
Joe Archibald: Is There Soy in Your Cabinet?
Is There Soy in Your Cabinet? Questions to Ask When Seeking Sustainable Casework and Millwork By Joe Archibald When it comes to choosing casework and millwork for a project, often the choice comes down solely to cost. This can lead to casework with a limited lifespan, made of poor quality...
Doug Bruggeman: Climate Adaptation Real Estate
Climate Adaptation Real Estate: What to Watch for in Western North Carolina By Doug Bruggeman Climate adaptation is the practice of lowering risks from the consequences of climate change. For Western North Carolina, these risks include more frequent wildfires caused by drought as well as increased flooding and erosion due...
Cari Barcas: Disc Golf Tournament Fundraiser
Nonprofit Introduces New Annual Disc Golf Tournament Fundraiser By Cari Barcas Local disc golf enthusiasts celebrated the grand opening of a new 18-hole course while raising money for Green Built Alliance at the nonprofit’s first annual spring Disc Golf Fundraiser earlier this year. Asheville has a strong and vibrant network...
Jacob Goodman: Water Heater Work Horses
Water Heater Work Horses: Homage to a Couple of High-Efficiency Products by Jacob Goodman As a plumber, I come across a wide variety of products and plumbing systems. I am definitely curious and interested in the new technology created by my industry, but very rarely am I impressed with a...
Aaron Carey and Joel Klopp: Building Health From the Ground Up
Building Health From the Ground Up: Minimizing the Risk of Mold In Construction Projects By Aaron Carey and Joel Klopp The opportunities for moisture and water intrusion during the construction process are endless. In the past, this posed fewer problems due to less “air-tight” construction. Today however, high levels of...
Brenton Faircloth: How to be a Good Customer
How to be a Good Customer: Tips for Not Going Crazy While Building Your Home By Brenton Faircloth Building your dream home is a unique experience. It requires you to be honest with yourself about your family’s current and future needs, and gives you to the chance to personalize everything...
Leigha Dickens: Feel the Warmth
Feel the Warmth: Mini-Split Heat Pumps for High-Performance Homes By Leigha Dickens In many new green homes, you might notice a little white box on the living-room wall. That box delivers heated or cooled air, and it’s called a mini-split. Once, mini-split heat pump and/or AC systems were rarely seen...
Lee Warren: Get Growing
Get Growing: How Home-Growers Play a Significant Role in Western North Carolina’s Thriving Food Community By Lee Warren Western North Carolina is a mecca for those interested in sustainability and organic food production, yet we are a long way from where we want to be. In our vision of a...
Rick Bayless: Approaching 2025
Approaching 2025: An Operator’s Manual for Green, Sustainable and Healthy Home Development By Rick Bayless If green and sustainable professionals hope to best serve the industry, now is the time to understand the home healthiness issues that need attention in the decades ahead. Fast forward. The year is 2025, and...
Sean D. Sullivan: This House Smells
This House Smells: The Dangers and Opportunities IAQ Presents in Homebuilding By Sean D. Sullivan “This house smells … different than the rest. Actually, it doesn’t really have a smell?!” Mrs. Lee said as she walked into the Parade of Homes entry I was manning last year. Mrs. Lee, like...
Maggie Leslie: Why Certify
Why Certify? The Many Motivations for Building and Certifying Green By Maggie Leslie When building or buying a home, what is the value of third-party green-building certification programs? Should you bother? It's a good question, with a variety of answers. Why to do it Green buildings use less energy, water,...
Cari Barcas: Energy Surges for Solar Project
Momentum Builds on Appalachian Offsets Fundraising for Isaac Dickson School Solar System By Cari Barcas Green Built Alliance’s Appalachian Offsets local carbon-offsetting program has begun work on its first community improvement projects since its relaunch last fall, including fundraising for a solar system for the new Isaac Dickson Elementary School...
Sam Ruark-Eastes: Energy Innovation Task Force
Empowering a Clean-Energy Future with the Energy Innovation Task Force By Sam Ruark-Eastes In the year since our last directory reported on the formation and goals of the Energy Innovation Task Force (EITF), this energized group of local leaders has been making progress in developing an understanding of our region’s...
Margaret Chandler: Walk the Environmental Talk
Walk the Environmental Talk: Creating A Sustainable Action Plan For Your Office By Margaret Chandler As design professionals, our focus is on providing clients the highest level of sustainable design and construction. The true test of practicing what we preach, however, comes from the internal operations of our businesses. Do...
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...
Garret K. Woodward: Finding a Balance
Finding a Balance: Mountain Sun’s Shelburne Woods By Garret K. Woodward Just a few blocks from the bustling Haywood Road in West Asheville, the folks at Mountain Sun Building and Design are hard at work putting the finishing touches on the first home of their Shelburne Woods development. “It’s definitely...
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,...
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...
Garret K. Woodword
Deltec’s Innovation Center: Modeling sustainability Garret K. Woodward When Leigha Dickens wanders around the Innovation Center, she can’t help feel like she’s in her own laboratory. “The data we’re collecting here is not only for my own knowledge, but also for the knowledge of where the technology is at,...
Garret K. Woodward: Coming Down the Mountain
Coming Down the Mountain Garret K. Woodward Turning onto Audubon Drive in Woodfin, the road winds up the steep hillside, with nearby Interstate 40 fading below, the cityscape of Asheville in the distance. Soon, a residential property appears with a large garden covering the front yard. The garden, alongside...
Garret K Woodward: Creating the World you Envision
Creating the World you Envision: Green communities emerge in WNC Garret K. Woodward In Western North Carolina, the green-built movement has transitioned from scattered dots of sustainable construction into pockets of sincere interest and activity, with the scene itself shifting into its next phase of operation — green communities. “It’s...
Amy Musser: Net Zero
Net Zero: Insights from Western North Carolina Home Builders Amy Musser What is a net-zero energy home? A net-zero energy home is simply a home that produces as much energy throughout the year as it consumes. A home can only truly be considered net zero energy after the first...
Katie Onheiber: A Smarter Energy Future
A Smarter Energy Future: Energy Innovation Task Force Katie Onheiber In the Asheville area, burning coal is the largest single source of carbon emissions, releasing the equivalent of 500,000 cars annually. Daily, we are breathing that dirty air and contributing to climate change. The shift to more sustainable energy...
Stephens Smith Farrell: It’s Alive!
It’s Alive! The Living Building Challenge Design Competition By Stephens Smith Farrell It’s on, people; it is so on. The Asheville Collaborative of the Living Building Challenge is hosting an architectural competition to design a mixed-use building based on the incredibly demanding sustainability and resiliency guidelines of the Living...
Amber Weaver and Vaidila Satvik: Up to the Challenge
Up to the Challenge: Asheville’s Infill Plans Support Smart Growth, Multimodal Transportation and Green Building By Amber Weaver and Vaidila Satvik Cities across our nation are growing and experiencing urban-planning challenges. From 2000 to 2010, Asheville’s population grew more than 14 percent and is expected to continue its progression in...
Garret K. Woodward: The Road to Net Zero
The Road to Net Zero Garret K. Woodward I t’s beyond aesthetics and aiming to be sustainable — it’s the inevitable. “The way everything is going in our world, people are starting to appreciate being sensitive to resource consumption,” said Emily Boyd. “People these days, who are going to...
Maggie Leslie: Sealing the Envelope
Sealing the Envelope: Small Measure can Equal Great Gains in Efficiency Maggie Leslie Air Sealing Checklist Air sealing is a crucial part of building a healthy, energy-efficient home. Below is a checklist of items to use to ensure proper air sealing when building or renovating a conventional stick-frame home. A...
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...
Collective Impacts of Green Built NC: Nathan Anderson and Sam Ruark-Eastes
Collective Impacts of Green Built NC By Nathan Anderson and Sam Ruark-Eastes Providing actionable information is the strength of the WNCGBC as an institution, and the Green Built checklist facilitates a more integrated approach to design and construction. If you're looking for professionals who know how to do this...
Nathan Anderson and Sam Ruark-Eastes: Collective Impacts of Green Built NC
Collective Impacts of Green Built NC By Nathan Anderson and Sam Ruark-Eastes Providing actionable information is the strength of the WNCGBC as an institution, and the Green Built checklist facilitates a more integrated approach to design and construction. If you're looking for professionals who know how to do this work,...
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...
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....
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...
Victoria Schomer: IAQ Perspective
The IAQ perspective: From a Green Design and Build Baby Boomer By Victoria Schomer Years ago, and I do mean years, a friend/client told me she was pregnant and needed to renovate a room in their home for their new baby. "Terrific" I thought. "I've got this." I'd already been...
Rick Bayless: Your Home as an Ecosystem
Your Home as an Ecosystem: Seven Characteristics of Green and Healthy Homes By Rick Bayless The right balance of green initiatives with environmental home health standards sets the stage for WNC families to thrive, both in lifestyle and wellness. Not only do we live in our homes, but our...
Mary Love: Green the MLS
Greening the MLS: Evolving Real Estate Systems to Meet Client Needs By Mary Love How do we showcase the green features of a home? With an increased understanding of how our actions impact our health and environment and a demand for greener products and services, the Multiple Listing Services...
Marcus Renner: The Green Gauge
The Green Gauge: Engage in your Homes Potential By Marcus Renner Savvy homeowners and buyers realize that a green, energy efficient home adds value while saving money and resources. What is the best way to find out if a home is efficient and sustainable? The Western North Carolina Green...
Sam Ruark-Eastes: Appalachian Offsets
Appalachian Offsets: Nonprofits Reduce Energy use, use Savings to Help Their Cause By Sam Ruark-Eastes Cue the music…Appalachian Offsets, your local solution to global pollution is back! Back by popular demand and with the help of two grants, Appalachian Offsets (AO) will reduce climate changing emissions through funding energy...
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...
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...
Olga Ronay: Better Together
Better Together: Community & Sustainability By Olga Ronay You’re interested in living sustainably, wouldn’t it be cool if all your neighbors were, too? For people who live in green communities, that’s a reality. Planned communities, where the focus extends beyond an individual home or lot, create opportunities to meet...
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...
Sean Sullivan: The Rhodo Renovation
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...
Garret K. Woodward: Finding a Balance
Finding a balance — Asheville Yoga Center By Garret K. Woodward Sunny Keach wanted more. “You get in this reality of what you can actually do with your business, what builders can actually do these days, and what banks are willing to work with you in terms of your...
Maggie Leslie: Building or Buying Green
Building or Buying Green: An introduction to green building certification in Western North Carolina Maggie Leslie Green buildings use less energy, water, and materials than code-built homes. According to the EPA, the way we build and live in our buildings is responsible for 39 percent of total energy use,...
Maggie Leslie: Indoor Air Quality Checklist
Indoor Air Quality Checklist Maggie Leslie Ensuring healthy indoor air quality in a home starts with the very foundation. Many simple building techniques, from radon-resistant construction to drainage planes, can prevent unwanted air-quality problems in the future. To prevent unwanted moisture and contaminants from entering, it is very important...
Chuck Perry: Using the appraisal addendum to the increase the value of your certified home
Using the Appraisal Addendum to Increase the Value of your Certified Home Chuck Perry I think you would all agree with me if I said communication bridges gaps, improves performance and, in general, good communication usually results in a more positive experience for all parties involved. When I think...
Greg McGuffey: Per Square Foot
Per Square Foot: How much does it cost to build a new green home? Greg McGuffey Over the 12 years that I have been building here in Asheville, this has remained the most frequently asked question that I receive. It is always one of the very first things people inquire about...
Raymond Thompson: Runoff – a sod swale
Runoff - a Sod Swale Raymond Thompson Welcome to Western North Carolina, home of ancient mountains and rainforest conditions. If you build here, be ready for tight building schedules, limited budgets, and small steep lots. Builders need to be ready to get creative, stay clean, and keep from going...
Amy Musser: Knowledge is Power
Knowledge is Power Amy Musser What if I told you that you could use 30% less energy in your home without giving up anything at all? No five minute military showers, you can keep using the AC, and you can watch all the TV you want. How is this...
Margaret Chandler: Tree Preservation
Tree Preservation Margaret Chandler A beautiful old tree is an asset to any home. Providing shade, wildlife habitat, and immense charm, it is worth the effort to retain these valuable natural resources on a construction site. Building around these trees is a collaborative process and requires cooperation of the...
Maggie Leslie: Retrofit your home for energy efficiency
Retrofit Your Home for Energy Efficiency Maggie Leslie The average American family spends about $1,500 a year on utility bills, according to the Rocky Mountain Institute. This could be reduced dramatically by making a few adjustments and improvements. Some energy-saving measures are simple and inexpensive, while others more complex...
Stephens Smith Farrell: Towards net zero water
Towards Net Zero Water Stephens Smith Farrell This flagrant plagiarization and adaptation of a signboard on a rural South Carolina church neatly sums up the need to understand the concept of Net Zero Water (NZW). Those of you familiar with Net Zero Energy get ready – we’re in for...
Victoria Schomer: Aging in place
Aging in Place: The Boomers green building priority Victoria Schomer According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the elderly population will more than double between now and the year 2050, to 80 million. That means roughly one out of five adults in the U.S. will be over the age of...
Jennifer Bauer: Building Sustainably Starts with the Land
Building Sustainably - it starts with the land Jennifer Bauer Meet Mr. and Mrs. Green (not their real names). They are a loving couple in their early 70s who bought their dream retirement home in the mountains of WNC a few years ago. They poured their savings into moving...
Mary Pembleton: Off the grid
Off the Grid: Appearance vs. reality Mary Pembleton Off-grid. It's a term that's come to imply the absence of technology, a woodsy atmosphere; Chaco’s kicked up on a camp chair. Or perhaps it brings to mind the savvy survivalist, isolated and well-stocked with future food sources and ammunition; or...
Tika Vales Caldwell: Balancing Nature and Technology
Balancing Nature and Technology: Harmonizing Electro and Geopathic Stress Tika Vales Caldwell The United States Green Building Council's Vision as stated on their website is very inspiring, “buildings and communities will regenerate and sustain the health and vitality of all life within a generation.” In the Council’s Strategic Plan...
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...
Phelps Clarke and Douglas Ager: The Economics of Solar
The Economics of Solar: Demystifying the Hype Phelps Clarke & Douglas Ager There are a lot of misconceptions about solar energy systems – they need expensive batteries, have high maintenance costs, produce insignificant amounts of power, decrease the value of real estate – and the list goes on. Like...
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...
Rick Bayless: Making a healthier home
Making a Healthier Home By Rick Bayless Many homeowners have adverse healthiness symptoms: odors, congestion, coughing, fever, shortness of breath, fatigue, headache, fogginess of thought. Some occupants have confirmed healthiness challenges like allergies, asthma, mold sensitivity, multiple chemical sensitivity, emphysema, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis, may be on...
Olga Ronay: Small and Tiny Houses
Small and Tiny Houses By Olga Ronay All of a sudden there’s lots of small talk. Small and tiny houses are everywhere—on TV, in the movies, in the blogosphere, at conferences. Maybe there’s even one near you. Not that living small is something new. Historically there’s a long tradition...
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...
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: 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...
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...
Maggie Leslie: Insulation 101
Insulation 101 Maggie Leslie There are many types of insulation. The most common type of insulation is batt or blanket type insulation (typically fiberglass) which is the least expensive, but requires more careful installation to ensure 100 percent coverage. Blown types such as fiberglass, cellulose (recycled newspaper) and foams...
Maggie Leslie: A Checklist for Ducted Heating and Cooling Equipment
A Checklist for Ducted Heating and Cooling Equipment Maggie Leslie Your home can be heated or cooled using electricity, gas, geothermal energy, solar energy or a combination of each. Radiant floor heating systems are an inherently efficient way to heat because there is no heat lost through duct work....
Maggie Leslie: Air Sealing Checklist
Air Sealing Checklist Maggie Leslie Air sealing is a crucial part of building a healthy, energy efficient home. Below is a checklist of items to make sure to seal when building or renovating a conventional stick frame home. A leaky home will decrease the r-value of your insulation effectiveness,...
Brian Knight: Cutting Energy Use
Cutting Energy Use: Prioritizing Cost-Effective Weatherization for Existing Homes Brian Knight It can be tough to get excited about invisible influences that affect our homes, but one of the most important is proper weatherization of existing homes and buildings. The best way to improve one’s environmental impact is to...
John McDermott: Design Elements of a Net-Zero Home
Design Elements of a Net-Zero Home John McDermott Building a green or sustainable home is becoming a common practice in Western North Carolina. Taking the home to the level of net-zero energy is now within reach for many green building projects. Having a net-zero energy (NZE) home means that...
Maggie Leslie: Incentives for Building Green
Incentives for Building Green Maggie Leslie Utility incentives ■ In 2007, the North Carolina legislature passed a Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard, which requires utilities to increase their use of renewable energy and offer incentives for energy efficiency. Utility providers are now offering impressive incentive programs to meet those requirements....
Bill Jones: The Easy Part of Green
The Easy Part of Green: Locally Grown Native Plants in your Landscape Bill Jones Every new home, commercial and residential development — or for that matter any new construction project — requires a building permit. They also require a landscaping plan. In reviewing The Sustainable Sites Initiative developed by...
Benjamin Portwood: Landscaping for Today
Landscaping for Today: Backyard Stewardship, Food Production and Ecological Generation Benjamin Portwood Edible and ecological landscaping is a trend that is sweeping the nation. It combines aspects of many different types of gardens — rain gardens, ornamentals, fruits, berries, culinary herbs, butterfly gardens, cut flowers, and vegetable gardens —...
Emilio Ancaya: Hybrid Vigor
Hybrid Vigor: Planting Solar Panels on Green Roofs Produces Mutual Advantages Emilio Ancaya There are two facts of nature that we can always count on — the sun shines and plants grow in a living partnership. This synergistic truth now goes even a step further when solar energy is...
Erika Schneider: Re-energizing the Community with Solar
Re-energizing the Community with Solar Erika Schneider Solar energy has received significant attention in Western North Carolina lately, but nowhere is the recent solarization more strikingly visible than on Biltmore Avenue in downtown Asheville. Cantilevered off the south-facing parapet of the building that houses American Folk Art and Framing,...
Steve Farrell and Emily Coleman-wolf: Good News, Bad News and the Living Building Challenge
Good News, Bad News and the Living Building Challenge Steve Farrell and Emily Coleman-Wolf “Imagine a world that is ecologically sustainable, culturally rich, socially just and beautiful” This is the vision of the Living Building Challenge founder Jason McLennan. Folks familiar with the evolving environmental movement will no doubt...
Mary Love: Buyers Wanted
Buyers Wanted: Certified Green Homes Mary Love Asheville has been a leader in the green building movement for the past decade. During the “boom” period, certified green homes announced their arrival with amazing speed and were soon the golden child of new home construction. During the recession, certified green...
Marcus Renner: Have You Read Your Homeowner’s Manual
Have You Read Your Homeowner's Manual? Developing a Manual on How to Operate and Maintain your Home Marcus Renner The last time I bought a car it was used. In the glove box I found not one but two different owner’s manuals. I’ve used the manuals to figure out...
Marcus Renner: Home in a Forest
Home in a Forest: Why the Appalachian Mountains are One of the Hardest Places to Maintain a Home Marcus Renner When a tree falls in the forest, does it rot? Of course the answer is yes. When we build our homes out of trees, can they rot? Same answer....
Garret K. Woodward: Building a Better Future
Building a Better Future Garret K. Woodward When Boone Guyton moved to Asheville in 1991, “There wasn’t a green building movement.” But, Guyton knew he was somewhere that could potentially lend itself to more energy efficient building and forward-thinking ideologies. “When we moved here most of the green building...
Amy Musser: Seeing the Light
Seeing the Light: Myths About Light Bulbs Amy Musser How many green builders does it take to install a lightbulb? Lightbulbs are so easy to use that they’re the subject of countless jokes. Buying a lightbulb and putting it in a residential light fixture is actually not that complicated....
Dena Chandler: Designing Communities
Designing Communities Where People Love to Live Dena Chandler I grew up in a neighborhood that was a built upon converted cornfields. Each lot was one-half acre and fenced. We rarely socialized with our neighbors. It’s not that we didn’t want to get to know each other, but each...
David Tuch: New Belgium
New Belgium: A Behind the Scene Look at Making a Sustainable Site for the Brewery David Tuch When it’s all is said and done, New Belgium Brewing will be making a 150 million dollar investment in western North Carolina. The account of how New Belgium made the decision to...
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...
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,...
Dan Clere: Our Path to Net Zero
Our Path to Net Zero: One Family’s Effort to Live Their Truth Dan Clere My wife and I have chosen to prioritize our home as the lynchpin of our effort to live more sustainably. It is hard to overstate the impact our homes have on the amount of...
Garret K. Woodward: Out of your car, into your world
Out of Your Car, Into Your world Garret K. Woodward It’s another sunny day in downtown Hendersonville, but David Hazzard has other reasons for the smile on his face. “I’ve really enjoyed this project, it’s been a positive experience,” he said, gazing down Main Street. “Day in and day...