ASSEMBLY Architecture + Build redefines homebuilding in Asheville by balancing superior design, efficiency, and affordability
Located in Asheville, North Carolina, ASSEMBLY Architecture + Build (ASSEMBLY) is a small forward-thinking team of architects and builders advocating for and delivering on a smarter built environment. The company’s philosophy is centered on designing and building beautiful and affordable green homes while keeping the process simple and fun by fostering clear communication with a high level of collaboration throughout. By combining architecture and construction into one office, ASSEMBLY can design homes based on the values of energy-efficiency, site-specificity, and client needs.
At the same time, the company can prioritize on resource stewardship, quality, and affordability during the building process. Contractor and Founder Ross Smith provides insights into the establishment of ASSEMBLY. 
“I’ve had a keen interest in both home design and construction from a young age, and during my academic journey, I discovered that I learn best through hands-on experience. This realization eventually led to the formation of ASSEMBLY, which aligns well with my practical learning style and dual passion for design and construction. Created to simplify the custom homebuilding experience, ASSEMBLY is an architect-led design-build firm. Whereas the roots of the company are grounded in my personal interests and learning style, it has grown into something greater: a business that seamlessly integrates the residential delivery process, offering clients a more streamlined and inclusive approach to homebuilding,” he begins.
Efficient approach
Ross goes on to discuss the scope of ASSEMBLY’s capabilities and the types of projects the team specializes in. “We focus almost exclusively on new single-family homes, a specialization shaped by both our expertise and location in Asheville, a small yet fast-growing mountain town facing a housing shortage. By concentrating on housing, we are able to delve deeply into every aspect of the home building process, including energy-efficient wall assemblies, sustainable technologies, aging-in-place design, and a granular understanding of sequencing, costs, and timelines. Through this narrowed focus, we can deliver homes with greater precision, quality, and value.
“Additionally, combining architecture and construction in-house offers distinct advantages for both our clients and the overall operational efficiency of our business. Clients benefit from a single point of contact, which eliminates the back-and-forth communication between architect and builder. This integration enables us to provide more accurate cost estimates, effectively manage timelines, and tailor designs to match the client’s budget. Being an architect-led design-build firm also allows for greater attention to detail and more efficient communication throughout the project lifecycle. In short, our approach is faster, more cost-effective, and yields better results than the traditional architect-contractor model,” he adds.
Delivering a vision
To illustrate the benefits of ASSEMBLY’s approach, Ross highlights Sandy Springs, an energy-efficient home the company is currently building. “Sandy Springs is shaping up to be our most energy efficient and environmentally responsive home to date. This is largely thanks to our clients, who are deeply committed to building a home that is both timeless and sensitive to the land. The site sits between two creeks, just upriver from an endangered salamander breeding ground, and features mature forests and granite outcroppings. Rather than excavating, we chose to elevate the home on stilts, thereby preserving root systems, allowing water and debris to flow naturally underneath, and minimizing site impact. This strategy was soon put to the test during a terrible hurricane and flooding event in the fall of 2024. Luckily, the home performed as it was designed; water flowed underneath the house, avoiding flooding damage, and our minimal impact on the site helped the trees maintain stability during high winds.
“In addition to elevating the house, we used insulated sheathing to reduce thermal bridging, which helps stabilize indoor temperatures year-round and enables the home to retain its internal climate with significantly lower energy consumption. Solar panels will provide net-positive energy performance, and careful orientation of the home facilitates passive solar heating in winter and natural shading in summer. This project did not begin with a specific stylistic agenda, such as modern farmhouse or mid-century design. Instead, the home’s shape emerged naturally from studying and respecting the site,” he describes.
As ASSEMBLY’s tenth anniversary approaches, Ross reflects on the factors that have contributed to the company’s growth and success: “Two reasons stand out: listening to our clients and focusing on value. Every project begins with a deep understanding of the client’s vision, encompassing how they live, what they care about, and what makes them feel at home. We bring our expertise into that conversation and guide the design in a way that balances aspiration with budget. Moreover, we do not impose a stylistic agenda. Our design process is rooted in careful listening, thoughtful collaboration, and a shared commitment to delivering lasting value,” he says.
New development
Ross closes the conversation by outlining ASSEMBLY’s priorities for the remainder of 2025. “We are dedicated to addressing the affordability gap in housing while maintaining design integrity and performance standards. One of our current projects is a small, semi-prefabricated net-zero home in Asheville. Spanning 1350 square feet, this three-bedroom, two-bath build features walls that were prefabricated offsite, which allows us to frame the structure in just a few days and reduce onsite waste. Furthermore, interior finishes like plywood and simple tile help keep costs down without sacrificing character. If successful, this test home will set a precedent for how we move forward, combining well-designed, energy-efficient homes that are attainable for a broader audience,” he ends.