Celebrating a Year of Sustainable and Unique Homes in Asheville
See Every House We Built in 2025!
As 2025 comes to a close, we’re excited to reflect on a year filled with meaningful homes. This is the first year in which every home we build is Net-Zero! Each design is a unique expression of artistry and sustainable building, created to enhance the lifestyle of each owner.
From regenerating challenging sites to creating homes that connect deeply with their landscapes and communities, this year’s portfolio highlights what matters most to Assembly. Designing and building beautiful and affordable green homes.
Below, we revisit three standout homes we had the privilege of designing and building. Each one with its own story, challenges, and successes.
Sandy Springs, A Net-Zero Home That Respects Wetland Habitat
Net-zero mountain modern residence by Assembly Architecture + Build Asheville’s leading architecture firm.
Our Sandy Springs project was a standout experiment in combining high-performance sustainability with incredibly sensitive site stewardship. Located adjacent to a delicate wetland habitat, Sandy Springs shelters endangered species. This home was designed to have minimal ecological impact from the outset, and to protect Asheville’s precious 4 toed salamander.
Design Highlights
This home is Elevated on steel piers to preserve natural topography and buffers, reducing site disturbance and improving resilience during flood events.
It also uses Passive solar orientation with a long axis on the east-west plane, maximizing winter sun and minimizing summer heat gain.
Sustainable materials like charred hemlock siding treated with the Shou Sugi Ban method, locally sourced Southern Yellow Pine framing, and natural insulation systems are used in this build.
Energy systems including a solar array, battery storage, advanced heat pump and HVAC, as well as smart energy controls help the home achieve very low energy use.
See more photos here
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Ramble, A study in Balance
The initial design for Ramble
This home has pristine views, and is elevated above the landscape. It walks the line between openness and retreat, precision and warmth. This home is designed to unfold gradually, and encourages movement through a sequence of thoughtfully scaled spaces that connect daily living to the surrounding landscape.
Its profile is certainly striking.
Floor to ceiling windows invite in the scenery
Natural materials, controlled views, and a calm, restrained palette create a sense of ease and continuity throughout the house. Rather than making a single bold gesture, Ramble reveals its character over time, rewarding both everyday routines and quiet moments of pause.
Brookridge aka OAK
The butterfly roof, sometimes called an inverted gable roof, gives a unique impression.
Set within the wooded context of Bent Creek, Brookridge was designed to feel grounded, durable, and deeply connected to its site. The home is a single floor design, with three different shed style roof designs. The home’s form and materiality respond to the surrounding forest, blending modern lines and rich grey colors with a tactile, nature-forward sensibility.
Generous glazing brings daylight deep into the interior while framing views of the landscape, reinforcing the relationship between inside and out. Brookridge reflects our belief that good architecture should feel both intentional and effortless. This home is rooted in place, built to last, and tailored to the rhythms of its occupants.
Haith House – Rehabilitating a Landfill Site into a Net-Zero Ready Home
This is the first home we built using pre-fabricated siding
Another highlight of the year was the Haith House project in West Asheville. We we took a challenging site which was a former landfill, and we transformed it into a welcoming, energy-efficient home.
What Made This Home Special:
Site rehabilitation became part of the design challenge: instead of bulldozing and regrading, we worked with the constraints of the land to create a stable yet lightweight foundation.
Prefabricated panelized construction– This strategy was a first for our team. It minimized disturbance and allowed for rapid on-site assembly.
Net-Zero ready design with high-performance insulation and efficient mechanical systems. The roof was optimized for future solar installation, giving the next owner the option to generate as much energy as the house uses.
Light-filled interiors and excellent engagement with the surrounding nature by including big windows, skylights, and thoughtful circulation make this modest footprint feel generous and comfortable.
This living room is not only light filled, it is also a low VOC design.
Haith House embodies our belief that every site, even those with limitations, has potential for beauty, performance, and responsible design.
Haith House is for sale, feel free to get in contact with us for more information!
Toxaway – Cozy, Contextual Design in West Asheville
The porch design allows for panoramic views, and ample shade in hot summer months.
In West Asheville, we had the pleasure of designing and building the Toxaway home. This was a project defined by thoughtful space planning and a strong sense of place.
Design Features
A compact floor plan that centers living, dining, and kitchen areas to enhance everyday life and entertaining.
Smart spatial organization with a private suite at the front and public spaces opening toward a large deck and yard.
Warm, natural finishes paired with a restrained palette that feels both modern and inviting.
Toxaway is a perfect example of how design can serve both function and atmosphere, ensuring that every square foot feels purposeful and comfortable.
Thinking of building your dream home?
Looking back on 2025, several themes emerge from our work
This is the first year all of our homes are Net-Zero
On top of this, every home is certified by the Green Builders Association! While Toxaway is still awaiting solar panel installation, across all projects from net-zero aspirations to passive design strategies, performance and stewardship were at the core of all projects.
Solar panels are a great clean energy source in Asheville homes.
These homes demonstrate that beautiful design and environmental responsibility can go hand in hand.
2025 was the first year we worked with prefabricated wall systems, which we implemented when we created Haith House. We also decided to regenerate a landfill site to build this home, which was a new project for us.
Context Driven, Lifestyle Centered Design
Like always, each home we create responds not just to its site, but to the lives of the people who live there. Each home was created to foster wellbeing, connection, comfort, and longevity.
Looking Ahead
As we move into 2026, we carry forward what we’ve learned this year. Deeper ecological thinking, smarter systems integration, and a deepened continued commitment to homes that enhance human life and environment alike, is something we will bring with us.
Thank you to our clients who trusted us with their visions, and to our team for bringing them to life with care, craft, and conviction.
If you’re inspired by these stories and want to explore a custom home of your own, schedule a consultation with us to begin your design journey!
