Job Shadowing with Gaines Group

Job Shadowing with Gaines Group

Meredith Charlton is a student at Blue Ridge Community College. She is the latest student to job shadow in our Harrisonburg office. This experience is a chance to see the profession to get a better sense of daily life in an architectural firm. We have hosted more than a dozen students in the office over the last 10 years, some have continued on into architecture and some have taken other paths. It is a wonderful experience for us to see these young people explore career options.

Guest post by Meredith Charlton:

As a college student, you are given many opportunities to explore career options if you take the risk to do so. Attending Blue Ridge Community College I was able to meet the College President, Dr. John Downey, and talk with him about my career. He was kind to listen to my struggle with finding the right career path and when I mentioned architecture he immediately thought to connect me with Gaines Group Architects. That is one of the great things about going to a community college, you get to make real connections with your professors and even the President of the College. I reached out to Charles with Gaines Group Architects to ask about job shadow opportunities at his firm. I was a little nervous meeting with Charles the first time but was welcomed into the office to talk about my goals. Charles and I set a job shadow schedule that would allow me to balance my school work, job, and spending time in his office to see what really happens in architecture. Shadowing at the firm has allowed me to see different areas of the profession and it helped me find my calling. I am grateful for the opportunity to shadow and very grateful to Dr. Downey for taking the time to help me find the right connections. I encourage others to take the time to explore career options, talk to professionals that are doing what you think you will love, and find the right path for yourself. If you are interested in architecture, I suggest you job shadow with Gaines Group Architects to see the design process in action, learn a 3D modeling software, and hear from a variety of people how their path led them to their current positions.

Other Job Shadow blog posts here:

Learn how job shadowing informs career path

High School students should job shadow

A story of job shadowing during a pandemic

Why you should job shadow while still in high school

Architectural Mentoring during a pandemic

A story of mentoring in Architecture

A story of career development by BRCC Student

Hillcrest House

Hillcrest House

The Hillcrest House is moving into the finishing stages, with the siding started, solar PV installed, and drywall being sanded. This infill home has incredible views and multiple options for hanging out inside and out. The rear double deck with a screened porch will offer many opportunities for incredible sunrise views, and the high-efficiency insulation will keep our clients comfortable throughout the year.


This 3 bedroom 2 1/2 bath home sits on a narrow lot and maximizes function with an efficient layout. The rooms all have large windows to invite in natural light, and the efficient heating and cooling system will contribute to low energy bills. 


As Herr and Company finish the project and Green Hill Solar finishes the solar PV installation, we hope to give you another update to show off the beautiful interiors. Get a sneak peek at what the early stages of this gorgeous home looked like!

Happy Festivus!

Happy Festivus!

In honor of the Seinfeld-inspired holiday Festivus, our team is celebrating by airing our grievances in preparation for a fresh start this new year. Festivus is a playful holiday that turns away from the consumerism of Christmas and instead celebrates letting go of negative feelings and moving on before 2022.

Charles: Air-permeable insulation – you would never use a blanket that has holes in it, engineers – they are all math and gravity and no whimsy,  gravity – it is always limiting our cool ideas, people that sing loudly to spread Christmas cheer, just kidding, love those people!

Deborah: Matty leaving us to move halfway across the country,  companies that redesigned their pens so the caps don’t stay securely attached to the end of the pen anymore, resulting in several new felt tip pens being thrown around during site measures…looking at you #sharpie ! Harrisonburg smelling like dog food on the most gorgeous days, house hunting right now is a roller coaster of emotions that I don’t want to be a part of anymore,  the building code books deciding to switch to the cheaper/thinner kind of paper.

 

New Year: 2022 Resolutions

New Year: 2022 Resolutions

As 2021 is coming to an end our Gaines Group team is looking back on the amazing clients, strong friendships, and challenges we have faced this year throughout the pandemic. To welcome in the new year we are following a classic tradition and sharing some of our team’s new year resolutions.

Charles Hendricks: over the past few years I have adopted the word grace for my resolution. I strive to give myself and others grace. I want to continue to focus on grace this coming year, but I am also drawn towards the word empathy right now. I want to continue to find ways to be, act, and grow more empathetic to better understand how I can serve others.

Maggie Bebel: Read two books a month

Deborah Smith: Meditate Regularly

Matty Tesch: Drink more water, less Redbull and prioritize my mental health by setting aside time for myself.

New Home vs. Custom Home

New Home vs. Custom Home

The value of adding someone that has years of training to think through design options to provide the optimized solution for facilitating the life you want to live in that particular place is the obvious answer. (and a really long sentence)


However, there is more to the design choice when thinking about a new home vs a custom home. The results of this early choice will have compounding impacts through the process of design and construction. An architect goes through extensive education and training to learn to think design, a skill that most have not developed. A home of business that is designed by an architect has taken into consideration so much more than just how it will be built or simple aesthetics, the design process thinks through daily life, challenges that might come up, energy usage, movements, habits, views, and the particular site. Architects are doing more than just providing what you will need to get permits, they are working on a holistic solution for a home or business that is just right for you. Architects stay in touch with the latest building science thinking and trends in the industry to be able to provide clients with the options available to achieve the best value solutions. Maybe most important, the architect acts as the client’s advocate through the process to reduce stress and make the process fun.


This home perched on a mountain top with views for miles is a good example of a custom design. The homeowner found an online plan as their starting point and then we set out to manipulate the design to create the space just right for this building site. We don’t usually start with an existing design and this one changed a lot to make it work for this site, but every project we do is truly custom. We start where our client needs us to start to realize the right solution for their lifestyle goals.


As you can see from the photos, this project is all about the views. We worked with the client to develop a comprehensive design where all the details come together into a beautiful, comfortable oasis. Framing the views from as many points as possible inside and outside the home was critical for the success of the design. The building science that informed the design decisions also loomed large as this home will be impacted by strong winds and lots of snow with the high altitude. As the parts of the assembly come together we are thrilled to see the care and attention to detail the builder is taking to provide the best product possible (see the lumber sitting up off the ground, a good indication that the builder cares about his work). 


Design matters is a recurring mantra in our daily work. We take pride in listening to the goals of our clients and developing the best possible solutions to meet those goals from aesthetics, budget, to framing views. We are thrilled to see this one take shape and would love to talk to you about your dream home to come.