Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Craft Campus?
The Craft Campus is an innovative arts facility under design by UNC Asheville, North Carolina's designated public liberal arts university. The facility will advance, expand and showcase a higher education program in craft when such programs are disappearing nationally because of the high costs of energy associated with kilns, forges, furnaces and annealer ovens. Methane from the capped Buncombe County landfill will serve as the Craft Campus' primary energy source. This project is particularly well-suited to UNC Asheville in support of the $144 million per year craft economy which exists in Western North Carolina.

The 153-acre site is located near UNC Asheville's campus on the former Buncombe County landfill above the French Broad River. Untransformed, the capped landfill is a mountain of decomposing trash, steadily emitting methane -- a greenhouse gas 20 times more potent than carbon dioxide -- into the atmosphere. That a landfill, the community's old monument to a throw-away culture, would become a symbol of hope is itself a source of pride and success. As a model project, the UNC Asheville Craft Campus will demonstrate energy and resource efficiency on property defined by a natural wind tunnel with abundant solar opportunities.

This unique project partners UNC Asheville's policy of high-performance building with Buncombe County's desire to return the land to sustainable, productive public use.

When will the Craft Campus be finished?
Campus planners anticipate that the Craft Campus will open in 2010-2011. See the Design page for a breakdown of campus construction and design.

Why use the old landfill?
Projects built on former landfills represent some of the most innovative ways to reuse space and resources in the country today. The Environmental Protection Agency's Landfill Methane Outreach Program estimated that in 2000, landfill gas-to-energy projects presented the release of 4.2 million metric tons of carbon dioxide. This is the equivalent of removing 2.8 million cars from the road. The Craft Campus, a highly visible national demonstration project, will introduce visitors to concepts of "green" building and further the commitment of others to the practicality and importance of such practices. The project capitalizes on the Asheville area as a destination known for natural beauty, health, outdoor adventure and craft.

In addition to the substantial environmental benefits associated with the constructive use of landfill gas, UNC Asheville will acquire substantial land on a long-term lease from the County, easing the space constraints of the main campus. The technical model for using landfill gas for craft studios was developed by the Energy Xchange in nearby Yancey County.

Where is the site?
The site for the craft campus lies on the property bordering the closed Buncombe County landfill about four miles north of the campus on River Road. Click here for a map of the site.

How much gas does the landfill produce?
The closed landfill site is home to about 3,300,000 tons of garbage contributed by the citizens of Buncombe County. The landfill produces an average of 550 cubic feet of landfill gas per minute. This gives about a 1 Megawatt power generation potential if converted to electricity, or enough to power roughly 2000 homes. This landfill gas project is the first in the world to involve a university as a development partner.

What kind of studios will be housed at the Craft Campus?
The Craft Campus will include studio space for ceramics, glass, metal and wood.

Can I visit?
When the Craft Campus opens, a visitors center will welcome visitors, provide information on renewable energy and green building, and provide an opportunity to observe craft production.