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Our Facility
Revisioning A Showroom In Virtual Space
Bark House is a unique company. We design and engineer the manufacturing processes and equipment to upcycle waste bark from the forest industry. We source materials locally. Then, we meticulously handcraft the products inhouse. It has been our honor to provide tours to educational institutions, businesses, organizations, design and build professionals, and clients.
The disruptions caused by the Coronavirus Pandemic and Hurricane Helene prompted us to adjust the way we interact with clients and the public.
Although the Bark House showroom has closed, we've focused on making all product information available online. Photos have been added to the Galleries. Sample Kits are now available, supporting clients to experience the fascinating bark materials in the convenience of their offices and homes. Product selection has been streamlined in easy-to-follow steps. New resources and guides have been added to the website. We will continue to enhance our online accessibility and customer support. We have greatly appreciated your patience and support during these challenging times.
We encourage you to explore the resources on our website. To visit the manufacturing facility, please schedule an appointment in advance.
Regenerative Design
The Bark House manufacturing facility is located in the Blue Ridge Mountains between Asheville and Boone, NC. The majority of vendors deliver raw materials to us from within a fifty-mile radius of this facility. All of our products are 100% handcrafted on-site. The facility was designed to serve as a connection point between the forest and the community.
Reclaimed Buildings & Beauty
The showrooms were once service stations that back up to a residential neighborhood. They were in extreme disrepair with caved-in roofs, rusted exteriors, and open trash piles.
The property integrated into an in-city-limits neighborhood, so planning included shielding neighbors visually and audibly. The land was lowered to provide natural barriers, rain runoff was contained with planned absorption and sound was minimized. The landscape around the perimeter was in keeping with indigenous materials to provide a pleasing interface for residents.
The 2.5-acre parcel had to be piecemealed together. This small space was challenged to function flexibly with changing seasonal manufacturing needs. It had to accommodate light manufacturing and protect neighbors.
Brownfield Reclamation
Buried and deteriorating gas tanks threatened the Toe River which is in view of the facility. At the time we chose to do brownfield reclamation. This was a new process for us and the cost was higher than anticipated. But our commitment to water stewardship stood firm. In total, seven gas tanks were removed from Main Street.
Community Benefit
Locating this business within the city limits of Spruce Pine meant reclaiming buildings that were in extreme disrepair. It also meant regenerating the economic landscape of a once-thriving mill town. Townspeople invited businesses to return. With regenerative goals in mind, we exceeded all of the town codes and mandates. We improved the local aesthetic while honoring cultural precedents. We were honored as residents welcomed The Bark House team as part of the community.
Operational Excellence
We believe that excellence is the responsibility of every person in our company. It’s about passion—our intense desire to always be better at our specific craft. By virtue of this dedication and our foundation as a regenerative company, The Bark House gives you a consistently superior experience. That is integrated into our products, processes, and property. This is driven by engaged interaction with stakeholders, measuring impacts on the environment and a commitment to share benefits. It is overseen by a personal mandate of the original founders and a dedicated team who shares the same aim.