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hroughout the Carolinas, responsible builders have joined with grassroots organizations and
public partnerships to promote sustainable building, management of natural resources, and
smart growth.
Smart Growth refers to a relatively compact pattern of development that accommodates
a diversity of people, housing types and jobs, and makes efficient use of public investments.
The North Carolina Smart Growth Alliance
touts features like this:
~ cost-efficient regional transportation systems;
~ efficient and sustainable use of land, natural resources and energy;
~ walkable and bikable neighborhoods;
~ centrally situated public facilities;
~ no abandonment of existing neighborhoods and urban centers;
~ preservation of a built heritage for future generations, and;
~ broad-based citizen participation in the process.
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Checklist for Environmentally Responsible Design
and Construction Design
~ Smaller is better
~ Design an energy-efficient building
~ Design buildings to use renewable energy
~ Optimize material use
~ Design water-efficient, low-maintenance landscaping
~ Make it easy for occupants to recycle waste
~ Look into the feasibility of graywater (water from sinks, showers, etc.)
~ Design for durability
~ Design for future reuse and adaptability
~ Avoid potential health hazards: radon, mold, pesticides
Siting and Land Use
~ Renovate older buildings
~ Create community
~ Encourage in-fill and mixed-use development
~ Minimize automobile dependence
~ Value site resources
~ Locate building to minimize environmental impact
~ Provide responsible on-site water management
~ Situate buildings to benefit from existing vegetation
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Green Building, Smart Growth, Responsible Urban Development, and
Protection of Resources ~ we need them all!
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The South Carolina Coastal Conservation League is a grassroots, non-profit conservation
advocacy organization that is working to protect the state’s natural environment. Their
Greenbelt Education Project hopes to involve the community that inhabits Charleston,
Berkeley and Dorchester counties and help them gain a stronger sense of appreciation
for their natural surroundings.
There is much to protect. For example, South Carolina ranks fourth nationally in acreage
of salt marsh estuaries – so important to young marine life and as a natural filter of impurities
from our waters. Its forests are treasure troves of magnificent longleaf pine and colossal live
oaks, now threatened by sprawl. The same is true in North Carolina, with its environmentally
sensitive Pamlico Sound and Albermarle Sound.
For leaders in the Carolinas, the question is not whether to grow, but how to grow. And it’s
fortunate that there are so many experts who are willing to devote time and talent to
growing green.
According to Dell Isham, South Carolina chapter director of the Sierra Club, governmental plans
have created a very important advance in the Palmetto State. "This is a first step in recognizing
that nearly all of the environmental issues are interrelated - water quality, air quality,
transportation, public participation and a taxpayer payoff to make more efficient use of limited
financial sources."
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Just as mountain houses are being built to withstand wintry weather and take
advantage of cool summers, so the best coastal designs are harking back to a
time when climate was of primary importance.
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In North Carolina, 239 acres of Tater Hill Basin recently have been added to an
ecological research preserve created last year when the Trust for Public Land purchased
158 acres now managed by Appalachian State University.
The Jocassee Gorges State Park has almost 10,000 acres divided between a state park
and state game land in South Carolina.
Perhaps the most famous protected area in North Carolina is Jockey's Ridge State Park,
close to Kitty Hawk. The Park contains the highest active/shifting sand dunes on the
East Coast.
South Carolina's natural wonders include the Congaree Swamp near Columbia, one of
the best remaining virgin cypress floodplains in the country, and Mountain Bridge
Wilderness, which encompasses the spectacular Raven Cliff Falls in the upstate.
The state is working with private groups to manage these areas for public enjoyment.
Another treasure is Saluda Shoals Park, 5,000 acres of beautiful land just west of Columbia.
The park preserves a combination of woodlands and wetlands, allowing families to come to
the river for canoeing, horseback trail riding, kayaking, fishing, nature study, picnics, youth
programs, walks through the woods, and arts performances.
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John Knott, Jr. is working hard to include people in the planning
process for his most recent brainchild, Noisette. The nation's largest sustainable
redevelopment project, Noisette encompasses more than 3,000 acres of North
Charleston's historic city center and the old Naval Base Complex. The people
and communities that will benefit most from this project are fortunate to have
Mr. Knott as a major participant. A recognized leader and innovator in community
planning, historic preservation, and environmentally responsive building design,
John Knott treads carefully on the projects he develops. He considers land as being
in stewardship for future generations, and communities planned for people.
Noisette aims to create 10,000 new and rehabilitated housing units, five to six million
square feet of new retail space, a Cooper River waterfront park, nature preserves, and several
museums tied to North Charleston's history.
John Knott also is the CEO/Managing Director of Dewees Island, an oceanfront retreat
dedicated to environmental preservation and recognized with dozens of awards as a
nationally significant environment development. The island is magnificent, and will serve
as a blueprint for responsible development for years to come.
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“Green Building” is a loosely defined collection of land use, building design, and
construction strategies that reduce environmental impacts. Benefits of building
green include reduced energy consumption, protection of ecosystems, and health
of the occupants.
Just as mountain houses are being built to withstand wintry weather and take advantage of
cool summers, so the best coastal designs are harking back to a time when climate was of
primary importance. Still, the technology of home building has evolved to embrace both the
best architectural details of times past with the amenities that help people flourish in a
high-tech world.
Between the mountains and sea, you'll find a hundred small towns that have embarked on
their own "green" preservation measures, ensuring that the Carolinas will be a haven for
those who care about the earth and its resources.
Author's note: Recycling programs are in place throughout the Carolinas. Many areas
now have curbside pick-up, while others have centralized locations for drop-off. Local
Keep America Beautiful chapters have information on recycling.
Portions of this article excerpted with permission from Environmental Building News.
For information, visit BuildingGreen.com or call 802.257.7300.
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Katherine O. Pettit has worked as a writer, magazine
editor, printer and public
relations consultant. The Columbia resident has published more than 250 articles
in magazines and newspapers. Her writing explores a variety of subjects including
travel, lifestyles, business and management.
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