On heels of a 2021 study that showed the power of the French Broad River as an economic driver, the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce convened a panel to discuss the importance of keeping that engine clean.
Tag: green building
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Letter: Seeing red in green building
“In considering the costs of homebuilding, environmental concerns must go beyond the conventional ‘green’ issues of energy efficiency and ethics of material sources.”
Letter: Get on with legalizing medical marijuana
‘Why is North Carolina so far behind the other states? We should be moving to legalizing marijuana and mushrooms.’
Letter: Asheville’s architectural style should be green
“I am not too concerned about the façade of a building and would rather see creative designs that reflect many Asheville citizens’ values and true Asheville style.”
Beyond profit: Deltec earns B Corp status
Deltec Homes’ signature round structures have been a feature in the local landscape since the 1960s. Last month, the company bolstered its credentials as a green and socially responsible business when it became only the sixth company in Buncombe County to achieve B Corporation certification.
The time for alternative energy is now
‘Rather than sending armfuls of hard-earned money to large corporations that operate centralized coal and gas plants, why not keep that money circulating here by choosing local, renewable energy sources?’
WNC Green Building Council — profile
The Western North Carolina Green Building Council was established in 2000 as a volunteer effort by a handful of conscientious builders who wanted to educate others on the health and environmental impacts of design and construction. In the intervening years, the group has grown and provided direct services and weatherization education to 6,000 professionals and […]
Green building thriving in WNC despite legislative threats
Amid a hostile legislative climate in Raleigh, innovative, sustainable design and construction are flourishing in Western North Carolina. The WNC Green Building Council was founded in 2001. Since then — and despite an unstable housing market — local interest has grown steadily, says Maggie Leslie.
Living green in Western North Carolina: Artist’s drawings capture the grace of eight green homes
Xpress challenged local artist Lorraine Plaxico to depict and describe a handful of the Western North Carolina’s most intriguing and inspiring green homes.
House party: Green Building Council celebrates 1,000th certified home
Local sustainable builders and the Western North Carolina Green Building Council reached an important milestone last month with the certification of the 1,000th Green Built North Carolina home in the greater Asheville area.
Home-grown horse barn highlights timber framing opportunities in WNC
A handful of local construction professionals participated in a timber-framing workshop last week, hoping to create a renewed interest in a somewhat forgotten building practice and scale up the use of locally grown trees.
Latest Green Building Directory available
The 2014 WNCGBC Green Building Directory is available at locations around the Asheville area. The print copy of the directory is free and the guide is available online at no charge at wncgbc.org. This year the directory is a partnership of the WNC Green Building Council and the Smoky Mountain News, according to an introduction […]
Green Opportunities’ annual report provides glimpse at scale of initiatives
Local nonprofit Green Opportunities coordinates everything from community gardens to the renovation of the Reid Center. The organization’s recently released annual report provides a glimpse at the scale of its efforts and funding.
Office space: New building seeks tech, green businesses
A new $1-million office building in downtown Hendersonville aims to incubate green- and tech-minded businesses. Biz 611 features solar panels, a rainwater flush system and a living wall with edible plants.
A thinking man’s approach to green building: Robin Woodward
A few months ago, a conversation with longtime downtown Asheville advocate Karen Tessier led to talk about one of her marketing client — Robin Woodward of Blue Ridge Energy Systems. A profile on Woodward languished in the Xpress inbox, until we stirred the pot for ideas about sustainability — what it means and where we’re going. Asheville has been at the heart of green-building initiatives in the past few decades. Here’s a close look at one of its self-starters.
Photos: ECO’s Green Home Tour
The Environmental and Conservation Organization’s fifth annual Green Home Tour showcased five Asheville and Hendersonville homes with energy-efficient features.
Black Mountain green home gets gold rating
WNC is a leader in N.C. for green construction, the gold rating has – so far – only been awarded in 15% of green houses.
Reid Center rising: Innovative training/hiring model uses local labor
The current $4.3 million Reid Center renovation is the fruit of an ambitious alliance of local nonprofits and agencies. Once earmarked for demolition, the historic structure has played a major role in Asheville’s historically African-American Southside neighborhood since the 1920s, serving as a school for decades before becoming a community center. But bricks, mortar and […]
@Home Computers goes off-grid
Canton tech shop @Home Computers held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the beginning of its off-grid operation on solar power. The Main Street store is energized solely through its rooftop array of sixteen solar panels, according to owner Rob Worth.
WNC Green Building Council hosts March 28 lecture on sustainable urbanism
What is sustainable urbanism? It’s “about looking at the cities that we live, work and play in, and working with the existing built environment to create more sustainable opportunities,” says Warren Wilson College alumnus Chad Riley.
Sustainable dwellings: Living in sync with the forces of nature
You thought your house was hot this summer — and now you’re bracing for another frigid winter? Consider the poor termite’s plight: On the tropical savannas of Africa and Australia, temperatures outside their earthen mounds soar to 115 degrees Fahrenheit by day, then drop near freezing at night.