Michele
Green Building
Michele’s passion for green building began years ago with the purchase of a home in Newark, New Jersey. Over several years with the help of city programs and technical courses in HVAC and plumbing she completely renovated the home with several green features among them a wood burning stove.
While working on house renovations, she attended The Shelter Institute in Woolwich, Maine. The intensive workshops at The Shelter Institute prepared students to build their own home. Courses focused on site planning, foundations, insulation, engineering, design, wiring, plumbing, and tool knowledge.
After participating in Greg Allen’s Cob Building and Living Roof Workshops at The Pickard Mountain Eco Institute in Carborro, North Carolina, Michele became a cob building enthusiast. So Michele joined together with Elizabeth and Wynn, to start Carolina Cob, a company dedicated to expanding the use of natural and sustainable materials in building.
About Michele Hughes
In New Jersey, Michele was a high school teacher and union president. She was trained as a mediator and worked in the NY State Unified Court System as a court appointed Mediator and a member of The Academy of Family Mediators. For over a decade she operated a successful mediation firm, Hughes Mediation Associates and was a successful Divorce Mediator. She brought mediation skills to many New Jersey school systems by training teachers and students in conflict resolution and establishing peer mediation programs.
In 1999 Michele moved to Durham, North Carolina to join a cohousing community. A decade ago, they were at the forefront of consensus based decision making and sustainable housing. All the homes boast passive solar technology with geothermal heat pumps, cement fiber siding, and tin roofs. The City of Durham has recognized them with the Gold Leaf Award, the Sustainable Housing Award of Merit.
After becoming a Real Estate Broker in 2007, Michele started on a new venture with dual emphases on green renovation and affordable home ownership. With her business partner, LEED Certified Architect, Aggie Crews, she co-founded MHAC Properties, a company dedicated to providing increased home ownership and affordable housing in Durham. MHAC Properties has renovated several homes in Durham and is looking forward to working with Carolina Cob in expanding natural building to an urban setting.