From bikes to building: bio-wheels' green mission: this Asheville store's new downtown location is both bike- and eco-friendly, Maggie Cramer explains.

Getting more people out of cars and onto bikes is no doubt an earth-conscious thing to do. But Matt Johnson and Eric Krause. co-owner's of Asheville's Bio-Wheels. wanted to do more for Mother Nature than that: when they decided to move the bicycle store from its Biltmore Avenue location to the historic space at 81 Coxe Avenue, they approached the project with the Earth in mind.

To begin with, the duo and their team of industry friends and professionals restored the 1920's structure. which incurred significant foundation damage shortly after it was originally built, "We hope to show that old buildings are the key to preserving our resources and downtown identity by utilizing/improving what has been left behind," Matt says of his reasons behind sticking with the difficult project. Structural damage was corrected with a resin injection process that raised the crumbling slab and stabilized it In addition to recycling the building itself, during the construction process, much of the interior wood framing was recycled for re-use in walls and concrete forms, and additional materials, like metals, were collected and recycled off the premise.

As with most historic structures, heating and cooling is an issue. During the renovation, Matt, who oversaw the project and showed myself and the New Life Journal Green Home Experts Board the new location as the project neared completion, focused heavily on heating the building. Roof-mounted solar collectors, of which there are eight panels, serve to provide hot water for the radiant floor heating, with backup coming from a propane heater. In order to keep the generated heat from escaping, they installed an insulation system, including insulation of the building's sixty-yard slab, roof, and all walls, where materials like Icynene[R] were used.

For cooling, a ductless air-conditioning system was installed along with a ventilation fan; a few windows were also made operable during the renovation process to allow fresh air into the building. To minimize any unwanted solar gain, heat-minimizing Film was installed, and all double-paned windows, doors and skylights were insulated.

Indoor air quality was also a major concern for Matt and his team when it came to creating a new space for their business. Accordingly, all interior surfaces were finished with soy-based paints, and renewable material countertops made from sunflower seed husks were sealed with organic oils. Additionally, formaldehyde-free birch plywood, manufactured for Lowe's[R] by nearby Georgia Pacific, was used for the cabinets. As a father, Matt mentioned his concern for children and the store's environment saying, "You should be able to eat off of any surface that you can touch in this building!"

On the exterior of the building, Bit-Wheels added 150 square feet of green space, along with five parking spots, to serve as gardens as well as the location of a bike rack. Low-wattage solar powered lights were also installed. At the rear of the building, a dual gang meter box was also put in place, as well as underground utilities, to make it possible for the building to generate electricity from the sun with a net metering arrangement. At this point in time, additional funds are still needed for these plans to come to fruition.

While solar ambitions still remain, Matt notes that the project has helped blend their mission and belief that bicycles are a key to a healthy future for all with the business' physical space. "The building is very unique, has great feel and should give 100 plus years of service to Asheville."

Expect a Bit-Wheels grand opening in mid to late summer. Visit www.biowheels.com for more information.

Think like an expert!

By now, you're likely used to seeing our Green Home Resource and a Green Home Showcase article in every, issue of New Life Journal. But, recently, we've done something new: we've called together a group of area green home experts--from builders to architects and more--to form the NLJ Green Home Experts Board. And, from now on, you'll find their comments about the Showcase project with each article. We've even got them going out to the homes, businesses, and developments to see the projects first hand. They will discuss the pros of a choice a homeowner, builder, or developer made, and maybe highlight some cons or additional eco-friendly steps that could have been taken, all in order to help you discern the right choices for you and your green project.

Specification

Designer                   Size
Matt Johnson               2,600 square feet

Builder                    Price tag
Matt Johnson & friends     $750,000

Top Green Points

Environmental

Recycled historic building for re-use and recycled materials used throughout construction phase

Low-toxicity

Soy-based stains and paints in interior

Formaldehyde-free plywood and bamboo used throughout interior

Icynene Insulation System[R] used for insulation instead of fiberglass

Efficiency

Focus on heating of building insulation to create tight envelope

Radiant in-floor heating system heated mostly by roof-mounted solar collectors

Ductless air conditioning system and ventilation fan with fresh air cross draft

Compact fluorescent bulbs used throughout Low-wattage solar powered exterior lights

Dual gang meter box and underground utilities installed for producing photovoltaic power in a net metering arrangement

New Life Journal's Green Home Experts Board Says

After our visit to the new Bio-Wheels, the Board members discussed the aspects of the project that they were most impressed with.

Michael Figura of the Real Estate Center: "The location is excellent ... reusing and recycling an existing building is an excellent thing to do."

Isaac Savage of Home Energy Partners: "They have an efficient envelope that is one hundred percent continuous--floors, walls and roof. They could have cut corners by installing less but knew it would pay off quickly to invest in more insulation. They don't have a lot of gain or loss, which means their heating and cooling systems will run less often."

Michael Figura: "In a business, your major cost isn't your heating and cooling, it's your personnel, and when you have a system that's healthier for the personnel and a design that feels alive, your personnel have fewer sick days, less absenteeism, higher productivity, so that's where you're getting your major gains. The Bio-Wheels' management is operating by the triple bottom line approach of people, planet and profit; they will have positive impacts on all three levels."

Clarke Snell of Think Green Building: "People often think they can save money by being their own contractor. That's often a recipe for disaster. Matt, however, really took on the role with a passion, did an amazing amount of research, and was therefore able to make smart, decisions. Also by doing a lot of work himself, cashing in favors and bartering, he was able to save money. The amazing thing is that he didn't pocket it, but put the savings right back into the more innovative features of the project. I really salute that."

Isaac Savage: "Matt knew that the radiant floor system wasn't the most cost effective choice, but he's trying to make the environmental aspect of his building part of the company image, which is what I'm most impressed with. He's tying the core value of environmentalism into his business--from selling zero-emission, foot-powered vehicles to basing construction decisions on more than upfront costs. I think that's pretty powerful."

Clarke Snell: "The thing I'm most impressed with is the love. Matt had a passion for that particular building; he'd seen it for years, fell in love with it, bought it and continued with the project even when he found that the building was in really, really bad shape."

* For more information about triple bottom line, take a look at The Triple Bottom Line by Andrew W. Savitz.

One Step Further

The Board's discussion continued into other areas of green building that could have been addressed with the Bio-Wheels renovation and are ideas to consider implementing with your own project:

Storm water management:

Michael Figura suggests paying more attention to storm water and trapping as much storm water on a site as possible.

Passive solar design:

Rather than using reflective film to block sun from entering south-facing windows, Clarke Snell suggests installing properly sized awnings or trellises that will block high summer sun but allow low winter sun to access the slab, which will collect and store the heat.

Reducing outdoor solar heat gain:

Michael Figura looks to reduce outdoor solar heat gain on a site. He notes that while the roof of the Bio-Wheels building is white, the black asphalt of the parking lot contributes to art urban heat island effect and increases the cooling load of the building. Alternatives to asphalt include concrete and gravel.

Green or living roof:

Although the Bio-Wheels building could not have withstood a green roof in its current structural state, the Board members lamented the current lack of planted roof systems in the city. Such roofs are long lasting, reduce storm water runoff, lower ambient temperatures, provide wildlife habitat and accommodate barbecues. What's not to love? As our region develops a more robust green roof economy, they hope projects like the Bio-Wheels renovation will start having green roofs as the default.

* Green Roofs have been picking up a lot of interest and support in the area. Cathy Holt, an Asheville citizen, formed a group that recently pushed for the Asheville Civic Center to replace the existing roof with a living one. If you're considering a green roof for your own project, check one out in person at Asheville's New Hall on the UNCA campus, at the North Carolina Arboretum, or at Atlanta's City Hall, or take a look at these resources:

* Pearce Brinkley Cease + Lee Architects: The firm designed the green roof for New Hall at UNCA and has also done one in Chapel Hill, www.pbclarchitecture.com.

* JDR Enterprises: Designed the green roof on Atlanta's City Hall, www.j-drain.com.

* www.greenroofs.com: You can search green roof projects and find all of the specs and contact information about them.

Local resources

While materials like sunflower husk countertops and bamboo flooring are rapidly renewable, the Board discussed the embodied energy and labor issues with these manufactured products and, thus, encourages the use of local, sustainability harvested lumber. Look for FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified and design to use green (not kiln-dried) lumber from local mills when possible

For a complete listing of the NLJ Green Home Experts Board members, including their bios, visit www.newlifejournal.com/greenhomeboard.shtml.