Eastern Mennonite Elementary School is close to finished. This has been a long time coming and we are finishing later than I hoped due to a variety of reasons. However, this project has turned out just as beautiful as I hoped it would be when I did my first sketch of it back in 2015.
The color scheme changed a bit and the gathering space is a work in progress, but the design intent is evident in the finished product.
The finished landscape will come along with figuring out how the students will use the space. For now, we have a minimal landscape design so the school can evolve into this new loved space that is exactly what the students want and need to learn and play.
The classrooms are not yet filled with life, but you can see how open and full of light they are even in their pre-move in condition and our sketch of what we thought would evolve.
The change from what used to be there to what is there now is incredible. This building has new life and I hope a long life! We, collectively as a team – contractor / building owner / subcontractors / architect – were able to save the embedded energy of the previous structure and update the systems to allow for an efficient and long lasting future for this school and building. With every renovation project there are surprises along the way, but with a good team you can navigate those challenges and produce this kind of dramatic change. This team included Harman Construction, Trumbo Electric, Blauch Brothers, Classic Kitchen and Bath, Lantz Woodworking, Weaver’s Flooring America, Partners Excavating, Coleman Engineering, F & R Engineering, Don Largent Roofing, Rich Wagner Masonry, E=MC2, Marv Nicly, Mike Stoltzfus, and Mast Landscapes.
The building was originally an appliance store when it was built.
It took on new life and was renovated many times, but when we started our work it was a church and Menno Media.
The entrance to the building is welcoming and the front desk we designed and was built by Lantz Woodworking is beautiful. It is a dramatic change from the before photo. The other cabinets that you see through the building were designed and installed by Classic Kitchen and Bathto provide ample storage options for all the teachers.
The existing building rooms were small and most of them were dark. We opened up the floor plan to allow a lot of light and sized the rooms for the Eastern Mennonite Elementary School community. These new classrooms are light and larger than their former classrooms on the loved Rt. 11 campus. Each classroom has ample storage and close access to a restroom and drinking fountains.
The new teaching kitchen in the Eastern Mennonite Elementary School is going to allow for a lot of exciting lessons. It is a big space that will allow for flexibility teaching and is another dramatic change from the previous kitchen in the building.
We wanted to make all the spaces feel light and welcoming so we moved the corridor to the east wall to allow in light. This will also buffer some of the road noise from the classrooms. The old corridor made the space feel small and dark. Our design change opened up the building making it feel larger.
Our goal to make sure we designed fun in all the spaces possible and created usable elements for all the students which led us to upgrade the previous circulation system as well. This new lower handrail in the stair will be friendly to the youngest to oldest in this new building use. There is also an elevator making the entire building accessible to all abilities.
In an effort to make the building itself a teaching element all the systems in the building are being labeled. This building science lesson will be able to take place at all grade levels and in all parts of the building. Even the mechanical rooms got access to light providing viewing windows into the heart of the building systems. Viewing portals will be added in walls to further tell the story of how this building works.
This project makes me happy and I am thankful to have been given the chance to work with the teachers and students to achieve the finished product. I am looking forward to hearing and seeing the activity in these spaces. The love this school gives their students is evident in the dedication they put into creating this new space. If you are thinking about an Elementary School that has a focus on loving your children, teaching them the importance of service, music, art, and play while offering the best education possible – you should check out Eastern Mennonite Elementary School.
Change is coming in Harrisonburg and we should discuss it in public dialog. Harrisonburg’s debt capacity vs the goals for our future city seem to be just a hint of what is coming. I heard the debate about a new elementary school a few years ago and the new high school coming soon. We are talking about how we should not spend “that much” on either of them. I wonder why the same debate did not happen for the new municipal building – or maybe it did and I missed it? What about the money that will be spent on expanding the courts in downtown? What are we willing to spend to address the homeless issue in town? Will we spend money to upgrade our local parks? What else is coming that the city needs to pay for that is not “in the budget?” Why are we not asking for the EUI (Energy use Intensity)for all city buildings and new proposed schools? This is a monthly bill that has to be paid for by our taxes. Why do we get stuck on specific projects and not holistic efficiency for our buildings and systems? What might “break” next that we are not expecting that will need to be repaired?
This morning the Citizen published an excellent article on Harrisonburg’s debt capacity to help us understand the challenge we are facing.
The conversation should be about more than debt capacity, it should also focus on what we want our city to be when we grow up.
I believe at the city council meeting where the new high school was presented with a budget under $100 million (as the contractor was directed to deliver) that the real estate tax locally will need to go up .13 cents per $100 of assessment to pay for the debt service. This is a huge jump in real estate taxes. That would push us to one of the highest real estate tax levels in the area. I don’t think it is the wrong thing to do (build a new high school), however, I think we should discuss ALL the spending that is on the horizon along with specific projects.
Winchester – .93 cents per $100
Staunton – .95 cents per $100
Harrisonburg – .86 cents per $100
Waynesboro – .90 cents per $100
Roanoke – $1.22 per $100
Lexington – $1.06 per $100
Charlottesville – .95 cents per $100
Other things that we should financially consider include:
expansion of water supply
addressing the homeless issue
parking structures downtown that are nearing the end of their useful life
underground utilities that are in the same condition as those replaced this summer on East Market St.
New middle school or renovation of THMS
New elementary school
downtown park / expansion of the farmer’s market
expansion of the greenway network
streetscape continuation downtown
adjusting pay scales for public servants
What else should be on the list?
I have been here for 11 years now. I have fallen in love with Harrisonburg and I want it to be a world class city. I want that goal to be built on our traditional values and I don’t think we can get there quickly. With good financial decisions, efficient use of our funds available, and proper planning with intentional DESIGN!!!! we can get there. We are already an amazingly diverse melting pot of cultures, foods, language, personalities, but we can be even better. I am looking forward to that challenge and the discussion that needs to happen along the way.
Post your healthy and well informed comments below.
The modern custom home in the woods in Harrisonburg is complete. We invited Andrea Cable Photography to visit this home to document the finished product. I documented the home process in the past HERE and HERE. This project was built by Herr and Company.
Front Elevation
Rear Elevation
Rear Deck
Custom deck rail to maximize views and offer some cool textures.
Lots of high windows to provide natural light inside while preserving walls for furniture.
Contrasting colors from the siding to the doors offer a nice play on texture and color.
Open floorplan with living room, kitchen, and dining area.
We used a cable rail on the stair to keep the open feel along with lots of windows.
The kitchen includes open shelves and light colored cabinets to maximize the feeling of open and bright space.
The laundry room is efficient and so is the water heater.
The window detail offers soft edges.
The tile work done in this home and installed by our client is amazing.
The counters continue the natural stone theme through the house.
Yes, this is a stone counter.
The high windows in the bedroom allows in lots of light, maintains privacy, and provides a bed wall.
Do you want to make your home comfortable this winter? I purchased an older home, built in 1975, a few months ago. The location is perfect and the layout is functional for what we need as a family right now. However, the house was not energy-efficient at all when we moved in. It was also not comfortable. The first step was to replace the heating and cooling system. This was needed as the existing unit was at the end of life. The new unit is very efficient and is able to keep up with demand. I did let the HVAC company, Excel Heating and Cooling, know that I would properly insulate the attic and basement so the unit is sized appropriately to avoid short cycling. The first couple of warm months in the house were not a problem with the heating and cooling system keeping the upstairs comfortable and the downstairs is naturally cool. As cooler days set in the downstairs was not maintaining temperature as we had not corrected the insulation issues.
So, near the end of October the insulation truck from Elite Insulation showed up. The first step was to remove the existing blown in insulation from the attic. They essentially vacuumed out the dirt and fiberglass. The insulation was black in places showing how much air was moving through the insulation. You see insulation does not work with air moving through it. You need an air tight envelope to and solid insulation to provide a comfortable space.
This insulation method, open-cell spray foam, creates an air barrier while insulating. It corrects the problems of the old insulation and properly insulates the attic floor.
Once the attic problems were solved, Elite Insulation turned their attention to the basement level. This space is tricky to fix. There is a lot of concrete which absorbs heat and makes the space feel cooler than the air temperature. This space also has finished space in it which complicates fixing insulation problems economically.
The first step in this space was to remove the black fiberglass insulation. Talk about air movement! The rim board (the space where the floor joists meet the exterior wall) is a huge air leak in most every house I visit to do an energy audit. This old house was no different. This is also a space where critters gain access into the house. The process of removing the fiberglass is dirty and I am glad I hired Elite Insulation to take care of it. They then filled the gaps with open-cell spray foam.
This insulation not only closes off access for critters and stops air leaks – it properly insulates this 10″ tall space around the perimeter of the house. So far the solutions we have added to the house has improved comfort and cut the electric bills off of the previous owners average. I also changed all the lights to LED so that helps reduce the monthly bills. So as we move into the colder months we will see how much money is saved, but the comfort level has certainly improved thanks to Excel and Elite Insulation.
The custom home in the woods is finished. See previous post here.
We usually photograph our projects before our client moves in, but the timing did not work out on this house. So I ventured out yesterday and interrupted their weekend to get some finished photographs of their custom home (I will post the professional shots once they get sent to me). It was great to see them living in the house and using the spaces we imagined months ago.
With any custom home project there is a discovery process. We start with conversations about the life our clients want to live in this new place. We look through their inspirational images, talk about goals, habits, and traditions. This leads to concept sketches that help continue the conversation. As we go through the back and forth of design plans and elevations are developed and the idea becomes drawings for a builder to execute.
(Thinking of building a custom home? Start HERE first)
This home we spent time on the project site looking at opportunities, deciding on views and solar potential, and refining the design. The clients wanted a bright and open living space and after our visit yesterday – they got it. What a wonderfully cozy place to relax and enjoy life for years to come.
The builder, Herr and Company, served as part of the design team on this project. Their role was to make sure we are on budget through the decision making process. We take this integrated approach on every project possible – it only works when you trust the team and process – but the end result is success.
Bringing the entire team together through the design process builds cohesion and reduces surprises during construction. Finding cool details that can be done without greatly impacting the budget is key to making a house a home. From the colors or the exterior to the light on the interior from the interior rails to the exterior rails – I am very happy with how this home turned out.
