Our Office

After nearly 40 years in downtown Gainesville, Avera & Smith moved into new headquarters on SW 13th Street in 2008. This building, which had previously been a bank, was elegantly renovated by Atlanta architect, John M. Knight, AIA. Knight’s projects, both commercial and residential, have received many prestigious design awards over the years.

The new office has provided much needed space for our growing staff, as well as creating a beautiful and functional work environment.

Avera & Smith has made an unprecedented commitment to become a green work space.

At Avera & Smith, we not only recycle every piece of paper, can and plastic bottle we use each day, but we use 100% recycled paper to create our professional materials such as stationery, brochures, business cards and notes.

We even generate power.

In 2010, Avera & Smith took a landmark step by installing solar panels on the roof of our offices.

Installed in January 2011, by Solar Impact, Inc., the 71,280 watt solar electric system consists of 334 solar panels that will produce approximately 100 kWh per year.

Each of the solar panels uses photons from the sun to produce DC electricity. This feeds down to the “inverter”, which converts the electricity into AC electricity so that it can be used by Avera and Smith and surrounding homes and businesses.

When you visit the Avera & Smith offices, you will notice the monitoring screen for the solar panel system located behind our reception desk. The monitoring screen provides real –time capture of important information from the solar panel installation, including CO2 reduction and kWh generated.

Click here to see the Avera & Smith solar panel system in real-time:

The system is part of the Gainesville Regional Utilities Solar Feed-In Tariff program.
Under this nationally recognized program, all of the electricity is sold to the utility at $0.32/kWh for 20 years. This makes the solar system both environmentally and fiscally responsible.

The solar panels are guaranteed by Solar Impact, Inc. for 30-years, and will be providing clean, renewable energy for many years to come.