Who We Are and What We Do
The Nauhaus (pronounced “now house”) is a building system born from one simple thought: What would happen if we considered our present climate change crisis as an opportunity to make life better? Our answer has been to develop a "whole systems" building design approach that combines the best of cutting edge modern building science with the advantages of traditional building materials and techniques. The Nauhaus is a collaborative project based out of Asheville, NC and led by Think Green Building, Eco Concepts Development, Eco Concepts Realty, and Green Plan.
Design / Construction Services
The Nauhaus works because it brings together a number of technical and artistic disciplines to create a truly integrated building system, proving once again that the whole can be greater than the sum of the parts. Our prototype project is an exciting example of the results of this sort of synthesis. We hope this approach catches on and to that end members of the Nauhaus team are involved in everything from consultation and design to construction and development to education through writing, publishing, lectures, and workshops. If you are looking for custom home and permaculture landscape designs, information on residential developments, existing Nauhaus homes and models for sale, urban land-use planning, or related workshops and seminars - all within a framework of a radically sustainable and beautiful design concept – you have come to the right place!
More About the Nauhaus System
Through a combination of passive solar design, a super-insulated building envelope, interior thermal mass, high performance windows and doors, and careful construction detailing, Nauhaus buildings are designed to be up to 90% more energy efficient than present code mandates, creating a healthy, comfortable indoor environment without need for a furnace or air conditioning. This substantial decrease in energy use allows renewable energy systems to be downsized. The consequent reduction in price brings self-sufficient power production and even carbon neutrality within reach. This "state of the art" building science is combined with site-harvested materials, rainwater harvesting, greywater irrigation, extensive outdoor living spaces, a lush edible landscape, small scale animal husbandry, and wildlife habitat to make sustainable homesteads a possibility even in densely populated urban neighborhoods.
Don't panic! Our approach doesn't require that everyone become a small scale farmer. The concept is to merge the improvement of building performance mandated by our present climate crisis (buildings are responsible for about half of our collective global warming causing carbon emissions) with a return to productive use of our urban landscapes. The average suburban lawn could produce an abundance of food. Why not plant a beautiful edible landscape. Then, rather than paying someone to mow your lawn, let them harvest your edibles. They'll keep the surplus to eat and sell. The result: you feed yourself and create jobs by replacing a boring lawn with a varied landscape full of the sights, smells, sounds, feelings, and tastes of the changing seasons.
We’ve created this website to delve into all things Nauhaus. It will continue to change and grow. If you want more information, please email info@thenauhaus.com or call 828-239-0215.
