We are all hoping to get things back to normal as fast as possible. Dare I say, we are hoping to get back to work. I miss going into the office each day and working with my clients for sure. So what are the post pandemic changes needed for your local business?
As a small business we only have between 4 – 6 people in our office most of the time. However, we share a kitchen with Herr and Company so that would double the number of people we come into contact with daily. We also have lots of visitors to our art exhibit (empty at the moment), product representatives, train enthusiasts, and of course our clients. So as the possibility of going back to working at the office seems to be getting safer, I am wondering what we should do to protect each other. Of course we will consider wearing masks. Our desks are 6′ apart already, but should we add dividers? How many bottles of hand sanitizer are too much?
I am also looking at screens that could be added such as what you have probably seen at grocery stores. How can those be added in an affordable way and aesthetically pleasing way?
Are temporary screens all we need or should we find something more permanent? Will we start to see more designed solutions or basic (due to economics) and bluntly, ugly solutions?
I am also thinking about restaurants. Of course sitting outside at a local restaurant enjoying the weather and handing out with friends sounds wonderful. However, should we have shelters around our outdoor tables?
How close should tables be to one another? Should there be screens between each table and between the table and the server? Should businesses require masks for all staff? customers? Will we start to see screens at all cashiers?
What about commonly touched office equipment? Who will be willing to go make copies when we get back to the office? Will there need to be a bottle of sanitizer next to the copier, refrigerator, microwave?
If sanitizer is going to be everywhere, killing off good and bad germs for our protection – can we please come up with something better looking than this?
Our world has forever changed. One we know that we can stop everything in order to help each other stay healthy. We know that our world is fragile. I believe we will also be very aware of those around us and appreciate our times together more. Architecturally I am not sure of the impact yet. I imagine there will be a lot of innovation coming into the industry to help protect each other while not creating ADA obstacles or making it feel like we each have to live in a bubble.
For now, wash your hands, use sanitizer when you cannot wash your hands, and trust the scientists and medical experts – they are working hard to figure out the right solutions to keep us all safe.
In the post-pandemic things need to change. I am reading articles on new standards for schools, retail, grocery, church, and any other place groups of people might pass through. So each of these have one thing in common – public use doors. So I asked the local hardware expert, Michael Shaner, AHC, CSI, CDT, FDAI with Augusta Steel for some solutions to making doors safer.
So the challenge will be how you can make a no touch door work, not prevent someone with mobility or sight restrictions from safely operating it, and hopefully keep the function intuitive.
The first option I asked Michael about is a low door mounted bracket that you could use your foot to open a swinging door with no latch. It turns out the “StepNPull” already exists. This simple device mounts low on the door and is long enough with a rough edge that you can grab it with your foot and pull open the door. It appears to meet ADA requirements for access, but would not be readily apparent for someone with sight limitations.
Michael mentions that he has also seen attachments added to door hardware making it possible to open the door with an elbow. See the picture of a 3D printed solution.
There is also door hardware that lends itself to this solution more than some. I found this option at Restroom Direct.
Of course there are many motorized solutions, but these tend to be expensive if you don’t already have electricity to the door. There are “keys” that you can carry that look like hooks that can be used to operate some door hardware. I found some options on ETSY that look to be 3D printed. I am sure we are going to see more innovation in this area in the coming months and years as demand for such devices will surely go up.
New home construction and remodels are some of the biggest and most intensive projects homeowners undertake. Construction and remodeling trends change rapidly, and now that 2020 has kicked off a new decade, people are looking to update their homes now more than ever. Today’s homes look nothing like they did 20 years ago.
Gaines Group Architects participated in the survey as one of the most prominent experts in the Home Construction Industry in 2020. Fixr also asked other experts to weigh in on what they think the latest trends in home construction and remodeling are. Their insights can help homeowners and designers alike to strike balance in their home designs and stay ahead of the curve for the years to come.
Some of the key findings include:
Open floor plan and two story homes represent the most popular layouts
Smart homes rank first among the most popular design choices
Most homeowners make accessibility modifications to their home for future personal use
Low energy homes are among the top designs for green construction
Outdoor kitchens are the most popular outdoor living addition to a home
Married couples with children are most likely to both build and invest in outdoor living spaces
Contemporary and modern will be the most common styles used in modular construction
Tight building envelopes will be the most common way to prevent energy transfer on home exteriors
The results were compiled based on 51 subject matter experts’ responses to a series of multiple choice and open-ended questions. To help you better understand the data, our team has organized the answers and edited them for clarity.
Each of the survey participants was selected based on their standing in the home construction industry, their previous professional achievements, their social media reach and influence, and prior industry awards and recognition. The experts all appear on Fixr’s 2020 Home Construction Expert List, and they represent a wide range of expertise in the industry, including construction, design, manufacturing, and publishing.
About: Gaines Group Architects
Gaines Group Architects is a small firm with a big idea – design can build a better community, enhance livability, reduce construction and operation costs, and protect our environment. Design matters. We work hard to understand the best practices in the industry so we can provide our clients with functional, affordable, and beautiful design solutions. We do this through a focus on quality, value, building science, and timeless beauty. Gaines Group Architects is located in Harrisonburg and Charlottesville, Virginia. We serve a wide range of clients from custom homes, renovations, additions, commercial, retail, industrial, ecclesiastical, and non-profits.
Mission statement: Through design we want to build a stronger more vibrant community. We want to design solutions that make positive changes for everyone in our community.
Why we do it: Because we want a better future for our clients, community, and world.
About Fixr:
Fixr is a home improvement resource with the mission of helping consumers make the best remodeling decisions. Fixr provides 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 helps connect homeowners with the best matching pros in their area to begin their home improvement projects.
For further information about the report: press@fixr.com
To contact Gaines Group Architects: charles (at) thegainesgroup.com
With so many spending more time at home these past weeks (again thank you to all those not able to stay home because they are working to save lives and / or keep our communities running) have you found your kitchen needs an upgrade? We have done lots of renovations over the years to create places for cooking, baking, gathering, building relationships, and bonding with family and friends. The kitchen is almost always the heart of a home where activity brings people together.
Taking this kitchen from plain to magnificent was one of my favorite projects we have ever done. The existing kitchen was renovated into a formal dining room and an addition was added that was bright and open for the kitchen and family room. The space certainly became a place for family to enjoy one another and the gathering space for guests.
Understanding the goals for the “life you want to live” is the first step for designing a solution like this one. As an architect I have been trained to hear your goals and translate them through spatial solutions that provide the framework to achieve those goals. If you are thinking that your home does not facilitate the life you want to live, give us a call. We would love to work with you to create your dream home through a dream renovation.
I purchased an existing house this past year and of course got a home inspection by Benjamin Meredith of Building Knowledge prior to closing. He identified a list of things that needed to be adjusted, replaced, fixed, and monitored. As with any older home, it has issues and I certainly understood it would need some maintenance. On the top of the list Ben created for me was the heating and cooling system. The existing system was functioning, but not optimally. It was more than 15 years old (probably more than 20 years old) and nearing the end of its life. The system was using more energy than it should to barely keep up with comfort on moderate days.
We added a WiFi enabled control system that links to my phone allowing tracking and comfort adjustments easily from anywhere. The UV light kills biological contaminants in the air and keeps the house odor free. I am certainly happy to have invested in this heating / cooling system a few months ago that not only keeps my electric bills low and my house comfortable, but now provides knowledge I am doing everything I can to keep everyone as healthy as possible. Clean fresh air inside our homes is a must and this is a way to help achieve that goal.
This system also met Pearl Certification for the HVAC system which could improve resale value of the home. Pearl Certification is a national firm that provides third-party certification of high-performing homes: homes with “performance assets” that make them healthy, safe, comfortable, energy and water efficient.
If you are thinking through upgrades on your home right now, it might be time to consider upgrading your heating / cooling system to one that is efficient, keeps you comfortable, and cleans the air.
