As you know, it is a difficult decision to hire a design professional. Before you start the process there are limited ways to figure out who will do a good job. The best way to sustain The Gaines Group is by you telling people about us in your own words. Thanks in advance for your time. Here are some places where you can help me gain future clients:Thank you so much for reading and supporting my blog. I dropped the ball in the middle of the year, and as a result wrote 137 fewer blog posts this year than last. We are still closing in on 19,000 views this year and a total since starting of over 98,000. Here are the top 10 blog posts that have been viewed in 2016.
10. Chesapeake Western Depot Project Update
9. Chesapeake Western Railroad Depot in Harrisonburg History
8. Remember to clear your outdoor HVAC unit during the snow storm
7. My path to following my heart and building a better community
6. Another Net-Zero House break ground in Harrisonburg
5. What is the best water heater for efficiency?
4. Home energy tips – ventilation and duct sealing
3. Harmony Square Dairy Queen – possibly the greenest DQ in the country
2. Snow may help identify places you are wasting money
1. The evolution of a sketch and list of ideas into a dream home
Here is another day trip idea for your holiday break – Williamsburg, Va. This city is located in the northern part of the Hampton Roads area. It was founded in 1632 as a fortified settlement on the high ground between the James and York rivers. The city was the capital of the Colony of Virginia from 1699 – 1780 and the political center that led to the American Revolution. We visited this summer on a hot and humid day – I would imagine this week is way more appealing temperature wise. There are many buildings to see, details to find, and history to experience.
We started our day at the visitor’s center, crossing the bridge of dates and differences made by people over the years. What difference will you make NOW is the challenge for all of us moving forward.
There are so many architectural types, styles, and details to take in throughout the historic village.
The details in the brickwork is amazing for buildings this old. They truly took time to make the architectural details beautiful.
There are reenactments scheduled throughout the day telling the story of the American Revolution.
When we were there, the gardens were all in bloom. The landscape design tells its own story of class and function.
From the signs, to fences, doors, locks, and walls the architecture speaks in this place.
The girls even took off their shoes and pitched in making mud for the bricks. I reminded them that I draw the brick – I don’t make the brick!
I recently was invited to speak at the Department of Energy in Washington DC. The drive up that morning was supposed to only take a couple of hours, but fortunately I had a warning from a local about the orange line being down. The trip took 4 hours up and 3 hours back. It was not all bad, just a little stress to kick off and end the day.
While in DC, I spent some time on the mall enjoying the new architectural creation, the National Museum of African-American History and Culture. The building was designed by David Adjaye, a Ghanaian British Architect. President Bush, in 2005, endorsed placing this museum on the National Mall, but it took the site selection committee another 13 months to reach the same conclusion. In 2008 a design competition was held for the design of the building which would be 350,000 sf on a 5 acre site. The winning design was to reflect optimism, spirituality, and joy while acknowledging the “dark corners” of the African-American experience. The end result is an inverted step pyramid shape wrapped in a bronze colored architectural scrim. Unfortunately I did not have a ticket to get into this beautiful structure to see the exhibits – maybe next time.
So I ventured up to the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden. There I found an ice rink and several beautiful sculptures. My favorite being a reminder of what we each need everyday – LOVE.
I then headed to the National Gallery of Art to check out some of my favorite artists. Of course Andy Warhol is on the list.
Piet Mondrian was next on the list.
Pablo Picasso was there too.
Vincent van Gogh was well represented.
The softness of Monet is a favorite as well.
Then there was the whole Italian Renaissance section like this Giovanni Bellini.
Then there is perhaps my favorite artist – Salvador Dali. Here is the Sacrament of the Last Supper he created in 1955.
So over this holiday break if you need to recharge your artistic spirit, perhaps a trip up to Washington DC is in the cards. It certainly was a beautiful day while I was there (thanks Mary!).
It has been another great year at the Harrisonburg Gaines Group Architects office. We started off a team of three – Charles, Deborah, and Hannah (and James, but he sits in Charlottesville). We worked hard on a variety of projects including our new office location – the Chesapeake Western Depot. We moved into our new office July 4th of this year. It is amazing and you need to stop in for a visit!
Unfortunately Hannah decided to move back to Tennessee. The good news is we were able to add Rebecca Shank to our team to fill the void in our interior design department. We also added Ivan Huber and Maggie Bebel as our business continues to grow.We have worked on 55 different projects this year (a nice growth from last year) in our Harrisonburg office. I am very proud of our continued growth each year we have been here in Harrisonburg. We are building great relationships with you and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for allowing me to do what I love in this community that I love! The success we have is all because you support us whether it is hiring us, telling your friends about us, writing reviews online, or sharing our blog posts – you help us! Thank you so much.
My Christmas wish for you is for peace, joy, comfort, and love during this wonderful season. No matter how and if you celebrate I hope this season reminds you how important you are to us at Gaines Group Architects and this community. Thank you for all you do. I wish for you a Merry Christmas, Happy Holiday, and a wonderful new year.
