|
The A-B Tech Construction Science program and its carpentry department teaches students a variety of sustainable building materials and methods, from advanced framing techniques that use less wood and more insulation for more energy efficient structures, to natural building techniques which utilize local, low-energy embodied materials such as straw, mud, and even waste products like used tires to construct buildings with less environmental impact.
The program uses field trips, multi-media, lecture, and lots of hands-on experience to give students the ability to use modern building science and cutting edge construction tools and materials to learn a variety of methods which allow students to compete in the evolving world of construction in a conscious way.
The program's "live projects," or "Projects in Sustainability," have not only served as a valuable teaching method for students, but also have enhanced Asheville and western NC with sustainable structures.
|
|
|
Vance Elementary Collaboration
A group of teachers and parents from Vance Elementary School joined with Tony Beurskens of Artisan Builders Collective <(see links page)> to secure grants for several cob (clay, sand, straw mix) structures in the Vance Peace Gardens at the school. A-B Tech Carpentry students have built roofs for these structures and have also helped with the main cob storage building.
|
|
Read more...
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ken Czarnomski created this live project as a way to help discover sustainable solutions in efforts to combat the affordable housing crisis in NC. This modular home was built by A-B Tech Construction Management Students with lots of collaborations with other departments and community groups. The structure features advanced framing techniques such as super insulated box headers, earthen plaster in master bedroom, energy efficient windows, bamboo flooring, use of many recycled materials, flexible design to fit different occupant needs, and many other custom features. The home got a NC Healthy Built Home certification for energy efficiency and has recently been sold to another community organization, the Asheville Police Department. The APD plans on using the space for a remote station/community center.
|
Read more...
|
 A group of teachers and parents from Vance Elementary School joined with Tony Beurskens of Artisan Builders Collective to secure grants for several cob (clay, sand, straw mix) structures in the Vance Peace Gardens at the school. A-B Tech Carpentry students have built roofs for these structures and have also helped with the main cob storage building.
Several classes at Vance painted sub-roof panels with murals that can be seen from under the exterior shed “living” roof. Several community groups, parents, and students have been involved with many of the projects in the garden. Students at A-B Tech were able to get hands-on roof framing experience as well as an introduction to this age-old construction technique.
|
|
Read more...
|
|
 A-B Tech Carpentry students framed the roof for a cob pizza oven built by Mica Bunch and Tony Beurskens of Artisan Builders Collective at Isaac Dickson Elementary School. The roof was later planted to become a living roof through another community collaboration (Asheville Living Roofs).
Schools and colleges are the perfect canvas for sustainability projects. This particular oven has been used on several occasions for student fundraisers. Not only do students get hands-on knowledge of some of these low-tech options/solutions, but it offers many opportunities for parents, teachers, students, and community groups to work together in the true spirit that defines some of the basic principles of sustainability.
|
|
Read more...
|
|
 Ken Czarnomski’s CAR 112 and CAR 113 classes built a mock solar roof on A-B Tech’s campus which will be used by Frank Miceli’s electrical classes to practice installation of photovoltaic systems. The roof is located behind Walker Hall on campus.
This area will become an outdoor living class area in which several departments within Engineering & Applied Technology can research several sustainable technologies and concepts. Sherian Howard’s (Computer-Aided Technology Design) classes will be designing a sustainable landscaping plan, Billy Well’s (HVAC) classes will be able to install solar thermal systems, Heath Moody’s Carpentry I classes built a modern storage shed which will feature a living roof and house some solar thermal technologies.
|
|
Read more...
|
|
|
|
|
 A Shiloh Community group teamed up with Bountiful Cities Project to build a community garden in the Shiloh community. A-B Tech instructor Heath Moody has been working with Bountiful Cities for several semesters with their bird house auction/fund-raiser, and he was excited to use the pavilion as a Carpentry I class project.
It provided a great framing exercise for students in the program and got some press coverage with Asheville Citizen-Times.
|
Read more...
|
|
 Constructed and engineered by Carpentry students in the 2007 school year, the project actually started as a smoking pavilion since there were only limited locations designated on campus, thus the tobacco leaf motif, which celebrates tobacco as a North Carolina crop. Today, A-B Tech is a smoke-free campus and the gazebo is used by all the students. It is located between the Birch and Dogwood Buildings.
|
|
Read more...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| | | |
