It’s #NationalMascotDay and our team enjoyed reminiscing about our days proudly representing our schools and favorite teams. A few of us are brainstorming a mascot for the Gaines Group (we are open to suggestions!) Until then, enjoy a few photos of our team members showing off their school mascot pride.
Pictured above is the JMU Duke Dog showing off a Gaines Group shirt, Charlie posing with the University of Tennessee mascot, and Charles with a Virginia Tech Hokie bird (mocking the bird).
These photos are from our Meadow Branch project in Winchester, Virginia where “green design” meant focusing on tree-saving measures. At first glance, these aerial photos capture the beginning phases of construction, but the real story is these beautiful oak trees and the surrounding trees around the property boundary. Preserving these trees and incorporating the centuries-old landmarks into the center of the site was critical to this design.
The above photo shows the trees remaining at the center of the site.
These photos show Phase II of the Meadow Branch project progress and you can catch a glimpse of our design for Phase I completed in the background. If you look closely, you can see the orange fence line outside the boundaries of the drip line. This extra care to preserve the historic trees along with the technical expertise of the arborist involved will give the trees the best chance of survival. We always enjoy seeing aerial photos of our projects taking shape, thank you KBS Builders for these photographs!
Phase II of Meadow Branch Apartments with Phase I completed in the background.
As this project continues to take shape, we are looking forward to seeing these trees become a central part of the design!
First Fridays at the Depot are full steam ahead and we are excited to feature artist Charlie Raisner at our next gallery opening on June 3rd, from 5:00-7:00pm. Charlie is a talented artist specializing in scenic watercolor paintings. He shares more about himself and his artwork below.
“There are a multitude of beautiful and interesting places around this marvelous world that God has created. I am thankful for the opportunity to represent a few of them in watercolor painting. There are many lovely sights in the Shenandoah Valley and in other locations that I have visited. I consider myself fortunate to be able to share with others my view of some of these places (and people). I do this with watercolor painting on site, or more often in studio, from my recollection and my personal photos. My paintings are representational, impressionistic and in some respects realistic. In addition to recognized extraordinary views, I look for the beautiful that often can be found in the ordinary and may be overlooked. My paintings are all original watercolors of scenes I have personally observed.
After retirement from the U. S, Government, I began watercolor painting in 1994 in a Lifelong Learning Institute at Furman University. Since then, I have taken part in numerous painting classes and workshops. In 2009 I moved to the Bridgewater Retirement Community to be near one of my daughters. I am a Signature Member of The Shenandoah Valley Watercolor Society in Harrisonburg and have taken part and received awards in their annual juried show at Virginia Mennonite Retirement Community. I am also a member of The Beverley Street Studio School in Staunton. I have exhibited at numerous local venues (and galleries such as OASIS).”
This event is free and open to everyone. Snacks and refreshments will be served and we look forward to seeing many of you there! See the event page and RSVP here.
Charles Hendricks Named as a Top Expert in the Construction Industry 2022
Fixr.com’s annual list of the top 200 experts in the construction industry has just been released for 2022. The exclusive list names the most influential players in the sector, whose innovative and inspiring work is continuously contributing to the growth of the construction industry as a whole. Fixr.com uses a rigorous method to find those who are deserving of their place on the list. This is based on their expertise and knowledge, experience, and growth as an inspiration to others. Their success at both national and local levels, combined with stand-out projects and esteemed reputations means they are warranted members of the top 200.
By being named by Fixr.com as part of the list, each expert’s prestige is recognized. Remodeling specialist Cristina Miguelez says, “Shaping current trends and staying on top of what is important to homeowners in 2022 is what is driving the industry forward. This is exactly what each named expert in the top 200 continues to do.”
Inclusion in the list means Fixr.com confirms that Charles has shown strong leadership and expertise within the home construction industry. Charles’ continued innovation plays a vital part in the continued growth and evolution of construction methods and trends in 2022.
About Fixr.com
Fixr.com is a home improvement resource specialist with the mission of helping homeowners make better home remodeling decisions. Fixr.com is unrivaled when it comes to providing unbiased, thorough, and updated cost guides, price comparisons, and cheat sheets for hundreds of remodeling, installation, and repair projects. When the homeowner is equipped with the necessary knowledge, Fixr.com connects homeowners with the best-matched contractors in their area to begin their home improvement projects.
Many exciting projects are underway, and our team is tackling both our design work while deepening our community involvement. Being a Gaines Group team member is a dynamic role, we are challenged to do our very best to serve our clients through design while also growing connections within our communities. Balancing professional and community work can be a difficult task, but it is widely modeled and valued amongst our team.
Our team recently enjoyed supporting the annual Fore the Flames Golf Tournament benefiting Eastern Mennonite School at Heritage Oaks Golf Course. The fresh air and change of scenery allowed us a wonderful day of building connections with our community, team building, and most importantly, having fun! As an event sponsor, we had a great time gathering a team to golf as well as overseeing the refreshment cart and checking on participants. It was a wonderful day well-spent amongst many of our community partners and friends.
In addition to supporting the golf tournament, we recently volunteered to judge the annual Lego Expo Event at Explore More Discovery Museum. This year’s theme was creating Lego models of “transportation” and it was a rewarding experience judging their creations. The little minds sure did come up with big ideas and we loved supporting our budding innovators!
Gaines Group Architect Paul was spotlighted this month for his involvement in coaching soccer and supporting his daughter’s girl scout troop in Charlottesville. Below is a picture of Paul with his family and an article highlighting their community involvement.
Paul was recognized by the “Southside Neighbors” publication for his family’s community involvement.
Amongst the many projects coming down the pipeline, Charles also found time this month to partner with Carpenters Guild, Give Solar, and the Shenandoah Valley Black Heritage Project to do an energy audit. The collaboration between these community partners helped move critical projects forward at this important community site. Charles continues to model community engagement and service to the rest of our team. Not pictured but worth mentioning, he also volunteered his time supporting both a Sustainability Summit at Mary Baldwin and a Career Fair at Harrisonburg High School.
This month also featured the launch of a project supported by Charles along with industry friends Julie Foley and Hana Nguyenky and Caitlin Morgan called Emerge AEC. This effort is designed to connect emerging professionals throughout the architecture, engineering, and construction industries through education, mentorship, and networking. The effort grew out of Charles’ pandemic zoom networking sessions for emerging professionals.
Lastly, we recently gathered (almost) all the Gaines Group team between the Charlottesville and Harrisonburg offices for the first time since the pandemic. In honor of Adrienne passing her Architecture Registration Exams, we celebrated over lunch and enjoyed seeing each other outside of our Zoom screens. As we reflect on this busy month filled with exciting new projects and opportunities to engage with our community, we are filled with gratitude and anticipation.
