ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — A new Asheville home is being designed to show that a house can do more than provide a place to live.
Green Builder Media has selected Alair Asheville | Red Tree to build VISION House Asheville 2027: Harmony, a demonstration home focused on how thoughtful design can improve health, comfort and connection.
Construction began in June 2026 on the project, which will serve as a real-world example of what Green Builder Media calls wellness architecture, an approach that combines building science, energy efficiency, climate resilience and human-centered design.
The goal is to explore how homes can support the way people actually live, from improving indoor air quality and encouraging healthier routines to creating stronger connections with nature and community.
“At the end of the day, we have the ability to shape how people live through the homes we build,” said Brandon Bryant, partner at Alair Asheville | Red Tree. “The decisions we make around light, air, materials, layout and connection to nature all influence how people feel, sleep, connect and move through their daily lives.”
Bryant said Harmony is an opportunity to demonstrate what happens when those choices are made intentionally.
The project is part of Green Builder Media’s nationally recognized VISION House series, which showcases innovative approaches to residential design and construction.
Sara Gutterman, co-founder and CEO of Green Builder Media, said Alair Asheville | Red Tree was chosen because of its shared belief that the housing industry should look beyond a home’s upfront cost and consider long-term value.
“The housing industry must move beyond a narrow focus on first cost and begin measuring what truly matters: long-term value,” Gutterman said.
Harmony will be organized around eight pillars of wellness architecture: connection, nature, vibe, nourish, thrive, restore, relax and breathe.
Those ideas will influence everything from outdoor spaces and gathering areas to air filtration systems, kitchen design, sleep spaces, movement areas and places for relaxation and reflection.
The project will also focus on resilience, a growing concern across Western North Carolina following recent extreme weather events.
Harmony is pursuing FORTIFIED certification, a program that emphasizes construction methods designed to improve a home’s ability to withstand severe weather while increasing durability.
“What makes this project meaningful is the leadership coming out of Asheville,” said Rob Cecil, CEO of Alair Homes. “Brandon and his team are deeply connected to their community, and they’re approaching this in a way that reflects the realities people are facing there. It’s thoughtful, practical and rooted in real experience.”
The home will also incorporate Green Builder Media’s Value Per Square Foot initiative, which looks beyond traditional home measurements such as size and price.
The approach considers factors including energy performance, resilience, sustainability, efficiency, wellness and long-term operating costs — elements that can influence a homeowner’s experience and investment over time.
“For decades, we’ve valued homes by size and price instead of performance and outcomes,” Gutterman said. “VISION House Asheville is designed to challenge that thinking.”
Bryant said many of the features that make a home healthier and more comfortable are not always visible.
“Air quality, natural light, noise levels, durability, energy independence and the way a home supports daily routines all contribute to the experience of living in a home,” he said.
Harmony will include advanced building science, energy-efficient systems, solar and battery technology, sustainable materials, low-toxicity products and accessible design features.
Organizers say the project will serve as a “living lab,” documenting lessons learned and sharing ideas with homeowners, builders, architects and designers interested in the future of housing.
The project reflects what Green Builder Media describes as an evolution in residential design:
- Green building focuses on protecting the environment.
- High-performance homes focus on optimizing energy use.
- Wellness Architecture focuses on how homes help people live better every day.
When complete, VISION House Asheville 2027: Harmony will serve as a model for how homes can be designed around health, resilience and quality of life.