Leigha Dickens, Deltec Homes Green Building Coordinator
Name: Leigha Dickens
Occupation: Green Building Coordinator for Deltec Homes, writer, rock climber, outdoor educator
Place of Residence: Asheville, North Carolina
Background and Personal History: Leigha graduated frome the University of North Carolina at Asheville in 2009 with a degree in Physics. Before coming to work at Deltec Homes as the Green Building Coordinator in late 2010, she installed and tested an off-grid solar array at Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute in Rosman, N.C., worked as a researcher on an astronomy project with the National Radio Astronomy Observatory in Green Bank, W.Va., and led interpretive ranger programs in Shenandoah National Park.
Since coming to Deltec Homes, inc., a small business in Asheville that panelizes energy-efficient, sustainable, round, and highly wind-resistant homes, Leigha has consulted with customers on building the green homes of their dreams — from simple, well-designed passive solar designs all the way up to net-zero homes. She specializes in applying her physics background to the study of heat and moisture transfer in these residences (“building science”), helping Deltec Homes make product improvements to offer even more energy efficient and durable structures.
Leigha is also an avid outdoorswoman and rock climber who is passionate about the importance of education in an outdoor setting, and facilitates the rock climbing curriculum for an innovative after-school mentorship program in Asheville that uses rock climbing to teach middle-school-aged girls about self-confidence.
Current Projects: Getting Deltec’s panelized home production plant to zero-landfill by 2016, developing a net-zero home design collection and continuing to collaborate with Deltec customers on exciting green and net-zero products.
Other Fun Facts: Leigha lives in a house partially powered by a hand-built wind turbine.
More Places to Find Leigha on the Web: