What is Green Buildling
Green. Sustainable. Ecological. Eco-friendly. All of these words are easily interchanged to reducing the harm to our environment. Green building is a way of looking at building in terms of more efficient ways in construction and design that protect our natural environment.
The buzz word “green” is becoming a household concept. Implementing green or organic products into our daily routine is impacting our purchases or enhancing our overall decision making process. Interpreting being “green” in home or building construction can come at a variety of levels.
Reducing energy use, conserving water, improving indoor air quality, and reducing dependence on our natural resources is all part of an effort to enhance our green building efforts. Landscaping and Energy Star appliances are the obvious changes we can all strive towards in greening our homes. Meanwhile water infiltration systems, indoor air quality, and home products are becoming hot topics.
Here in Asheville the WNC Green Building Council has introduced a new green home labeling program called ‘Green Gauge’, setting a new standard for our real estate market- for both new and existing homes. This program provides a green building certification for realtors and homeowners to understand energy performance and green features in their homes.
Creating a well-balanced green home is easily attainable. With government legislation and increased awareness, more products are readily available that are eco-friendly and even produced locally or regionally.
The Home Source Design Center on Charlotte Street is a local Asheville source for green home and building products, for both interior and exterior products. The design center strives to purchase all products within a 500-mile radius, supporting a regional and local economy.
Learn more about eco-friendly home products.
Learn more about the Western North Carolina Green Building Council.