William Keith Langdon

William Keith Langdon, Jr., 73, of Asheville, North Carolina passed away March 10, 2022, at his beloved home in North Asheville surrounded by family and friends.

William was born June 8, 1948 to William and Althea Langdon near Detroit, Michigan. After obtaining his Master’s degree in Architecture from the University of Michigan, he moved to Asheville in 1974, launching his career by writing and teaching about energy conservation and passive solar architecture. William taught sustainable design courses at AB-Tech in 1974 and Warren Wilson College in 1976, and through visiting professorships, taught similar courses in energy-efficient and solar design at Goddard College in 1978 and the University of Arkansas during the 1983-1984 academic year.

William’s book, Movable Insulation, a guide to harnessing the insulation power of windows to conserve energy in the home, was published in 1980. During the 1980s, he started his own architecture firm, William Langdon & Associates, P.A., and focused on passive solar homes. In the 1990s, William worked on more commercial projects, including significant public commissions such as the award-winning William Mull Building in Woodfin, NC.

In the 2000s and 2010s, William shifted his architectural focus to sustainable urbanism, emphasizing density, walkability, and carbon neutrality in his projects. In 2006 and 2007, as president of the Asheville Section of the AIA, he helped found the Asheville Design Center, a local non-profit fostering “Connected-Livable Communities” and served as its Program Chair until 2012.

Though William was a proud teacher, writer, and architect, his most treasured achievement was raising his son, Justin Langdon, of Brooklyn, New York. From the 1990s to the 2020s, William and Justin could be seen all over Asheville together, often with a large, affable dog--Lucky or Theo--in tow. William and Justin were fiercely devoted to each other, and were each other’s biggest supporter, most trusted business partner, and dearest friend.

William also leaves behind his brother Ronald Langdon of Antibes, France; nephews Mathew Langdon of Malmö, Sweden and Brandon Foster; Kirk Foster; and niece Marie-Claire Langdon of Cambridge, Massachusetts.

A memorial service will be held March 17, 2022, at 4:00 PM at Weaver Park, with Rob Blackburn officiating. The address is as follows: 200 Murdock Ave. Asheville, North Carolina 28801.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of William Keith Langdon, please visit our floral store.