Step inside this Asheville family’s eco-friendly home
Green architect Ross Smith and his family make sustainability part of their daily routine.
Every home tells a story, and Ross Smith and Anna Welton’s feels like an open book. “We decided to incorporate elements of architectural styles we loved in the many places we’ve lived,” says Anna. Exposed wood paneling and an openness to the outdoors nod to the California coast, where they fell in love. Round windows and a central atrium wink at the years Anna spent in Japan and Argentina.
But there’s more to this place than the past—and not just because it now serves as a playground for their two young sons, both under two years old. Ross, the founder and owner of Asheville, NC-based Assembly Architecture + Build, designed their home with the future in mind, too.
This Earth Month, they invited us in to hear about how they connect with nature in their daily lives—and how a commitment to sustainability drives it all.
The power of natural light
“Ross configured our home around a central, double-height atrium with four huge skylights,” says Anna. “The sunshine genuinely has the power to lift moods. Coffee hour is when our house hums with the best energy—all that morning light flooding in.”
Designing for versatility
Since Ross and Anna built their house in 2019, they’ve had two kids, Eben and Cass. Their ’70s-inspired living space easily pivots from entertaining den to playpen. “The conversation-pit vibe creates a cozy communal space that’s great for lounging around with the boys,” says Anna.
Bringing the outdoors in
“Our home is one small place where we can teach our kids the joys of living in harmony with the natural elements around us,” says Anna. “We can dig our feet into the dirt and prioritize connection between ourselves and our environment.”
“Sustainable architecture is an opportunity to not just respond to site conditions and the environment, but to increase our enjoyment of the spaces and home.”
—Ross Smith, green architect
Plant life thrives thanks to the home’s atrium design and abundance of natural light. “We probably have about 20 plants,” says Ross. “One cactus is 12 feet tall and counting!”
Building from scratch, Ross and Anna opted for energy efficiency wherever possible. “I designed the home in a wedge shape to orient the roof for maximum sun exposure,” says Ross. This creates a large surface area for solar panels that “fully power the home and generate excess energy that gets sent back into the grid.”
Environmental impact informs the interiors, too. “The central atrium incorporates natural daylight into the house while also making the air fresh and reducing our AC dependence,” says Ross. “On hot summer days, we open the skylights and exhaust hot air up through the roof while pulling cool air up from the basement.”