As the name suggests, Church house is the adaptive reuse of a former church as a private residence in Black Mountain, North Carolina.

The design challenge was to respect the sacred history of the building while adapting it to modern needs and building codes.  The entry was moved to the side to break from the historic front/center aisle entry and to afford privacy for its new owners.

Openings were enlarged to meet egress requirements, a loft was built for a private master suite, and the original stain glass was carefully removed and reused.

Often adaptive reuse can be the "greenest" of all possible approaches.  The energy and materials invested in the original structure are given new life, avoiding exploiting new materials and keeping serviceable materials from being discarded.