Designed to create wonder

Designed to create wonder

To meet our most primary needs we create shelter. It can be very simple and uninspiring or it can be beautiful and enhance life. It can shelter us from weather or it can be designed to create wonder. When we started our discussions about designing Eastern Mennonite Elementary School we first had to understand the school’s values. This is true of all of our designs. We meet our clients where they are.

It became clear to us that Eastern Mennonite School wanted a design that would create wonder for their students. This included beautiful spaces, connections to the outside, and strategies to create a better understanding of the actual building and systems in it. They wanted students to understand their building and how it acts and performs. We set out to create places where young minds could grow and understand their world throughout the building. We wanted a building that allows for dreaming and investigation. The result is a building that we are tremendously proud of and a design that will allow the exploration of wonder for many generations.

Creating Space for Wonder

Eastern Mennonite School

We started with an existing building that we wanted to preserve as much as possible. We sculpted spaces within the existing structure that would create opportunities for exploration and learning. The purpose of the design was to do more than just create space, we wanted to inspire the students and faculty using the building. The goal was to combine function and economy with performance and beauty.

Eastern Mennonite School

Interactive Building Systems

The practical systems in the building became places that young minds could explore. The mechanical room has labels and glass walls so the students can see how the building works.

Eastern Mennonite School

Eastern Mennonite School

Empowering through Inclusive Design

We added school colors to the lower handrail so the students did not have to reach up to navigate the stair, empowering those of all heights to feel safe and included as they move through the structure.

Eastern Mennonite School

Bridge for Connection and Imagination

The bridge connecting two sides of the campus could have been a simple land bridge with culverts underneath, but instead we were able to give them an outdoor learning space. A place for imagination of fishing from above or a troll down below can be fascinating. A space in the shade of a willow tree that is perfect for reading, meditating, and resting. It serves as an entry point to the elementary campus and a signal that wonder is welcome.

The Learning Kitchen

The learning kitchen is a place for creation, dreaming of being a chef, or just preparing a meal for your family based on a recipe learned at school. It is a place where imagination meets taste and wonder can triumph.

Eastern Mennonite School

Architecture is more than bricks and mortar, concrete floors, and floor joists, it is inspiring and beautiful. It allows for imagination and challenges imagination. It is based on wonder.

Bryce Resort Addition and Renovation project update

Bryce Resort Addition and Renovation project update

Construction has started on our most recent Bryce Resort Addition and Renovation project! This house was facing a similar fate as many homes at Bryce Resort. It was built as a weekend home in 1998 and had been maintained very well, but it had not been updated in 30+ years and our clients wanted to make it their primary residence. So we began to strategize how to achieve the goals of expanding the home on a modest lot with a bit of slope, matching floor levels, and staying on budget. It was a challenge for sure. It’s always nice to have clients familiar with the construction process and willing to be flexible in their goals. We looked at a variety of options and ended up adding space to both sides of the house and renovating most of the interior spaces.

Cabin Construction. Cabin construction.For any renovation project where the design calls for matching existing floor levels and details, it takes care and patience to get things just right. The construction has started and we have been answering questions of the builder along the way. Having a team approach is a key to a successful project.

The bedroom and kitchen space on one side are beginning to take shape. On the other side, foundation walls are starting for the garage with space above for a bedroom. Working on these sloping lots in Bryce takes a lot of attention to waterproofing, water management, and slope.

Bryce Resort Bryce ResortInside the existing space, we thought through functionality for aging in place and comfort. We are replacing the very steep stair with something more comfortable while keeping the high ceilings and large windows. We are also maintaining a first-floor bedroom should that ever be needed. However, we are creating a space on the upper floor with dynamic views to enjoy now too.

The new rear deck will do an even better job than the old deck to allow our clients to enjoy the incredible views. The lookout will be perfect for bird watching, and the screened porch will help keep the bugs away.

I cannot wait to update you as this project takes shape and finishes start getting installed.

10 Tips for a successful Multi-Family design project

10 Tips for a successful Multi-Family design project

By Principle Architect and Multi-Family Director, Adrienne Stronge, and Principle Architect and Business Manager, Charles Hendricks.

Meadow Branch Apartments drone shot

Meadow Branch Apartments, a multi-family Luxury Living Community in Winchester. Photo provided by KBS.

In multi-family design, we are designing communities and creating homes for a wide range of people. There are many requirements that must be considered such as code-required fire and egress stipulations, accessibility and fair housing concerns, and individual jurisdiction zoning requirements. For a successful multi-family design project, the goal is to find the balance between minimizing costs and creating inviting communities that rise above your competition, staying occupied and profitable for years to come. Some of our many considerations with initial multi-family design are below.

 

  1. Keep your target market in mind.  
  2. Optimizing the site plan for density of units, parking, and resident access is key.  
  3. The site should be comfortable for your residents.  
  4. Building design should be simple but attractive.  
  5. Create as few unit types as possible.
  6. Building science is an important consideration through the design of the building details.  
  7. Moisture intrusion is a major consideration in all building types, but especially in multi-family construction where any issues could result in costly repairs and unoccupiable units.  
  8. When specifying materials in multi-family construction, the instinct is to use very inexpensive materials to save costs. However, using cost-competitive, durable materials will keep the building working properly longer with less maintenance cost.
  9. The quality of the drawings and specifications is just as important as the quality of the design.  
  10. Lastly and most importantly, picking a small architecture firm with years of experience in multifamily design can make the process most tailored to you, your site, and your prospective residents.  

 

 

Keep in mind that the development varies by area, site, budget, and aesthetic goals. If you are considering developing land for a multi-family project, please reach out and we will be happy to share our resource guide.

Elk Rock Meadow Craftsman Home Project Update

Elk Rock Meadow Craftsman Home Project Update

Construction has started on our most recent project in Elk Rock Meadow. We also designed the Elk Rock Farmhouse and the Elk Rock Meadow Vista in this neighborhood.

The Elk Rock Meadow Craftsman Home project is a beautiful custom home designed in collaboration with our client, Herr and Company, Huntlands Landscape Architecture, Grey Fox Design Works, Dovetail Design & Cabinets, and several others. This project is a team effort to think through every detail and the final project will show the success of this strategy.

Our conversations during design focused on our usual of building science, aging in place, comfort, and of course beauty. We have thought through how life might unfold in the future and made as many provisions as possible to allow our clients to live their dream life in their new dream home.

Now the work of taking our design work to built work is in process. The site clearing and foundation work has come along quickly.

Now walls are starting to appear on the barn site.

Stay tuned as we continue to update you on the progress.

Oriental Express and Catering Company project update

Oriental Express and Catering Company project update

The Oriental Express and Catering Company is quickly taking shape as Constable Construction puts our design together. This new restaurant was designed in conjunction with our client to maximize the efficiency of the kitchen space to provide quick and delicious oriental cuisine.

I am looking forward to rolling through the drive-thru to get dinner once they open.

The design maximizes light into the dining space, has an open and modern style, and keeps a compact building footprint to make construction as affordable as possible.

Our experience designing restaurants allowed us to partner well with our client that owns and operates another oriental restaurant. We collaborated on the layout and understand the importance of layout to minimize the number of staff it takes to operate effectively.

The second floor of the building offers office operational space for the business owners to keep an eye on the business while getting their work done.

The large windows will invite diners to hang out and enjoy their lunch or dinner while watching the clouds roll by.

 

Visualizing the Design with Renderings

Visualizing the Design with Renderings

As architects sometimes we take for granted our ability to visualize the design solution before it is drawn. It is a skill that we develop over the years in our profession, and it allows us to quickly find solutions for our clients. We wave our hands, point to non-existent walls, and verbalize the design as if it is there – but sometimes (usually) our clients cannot visualize the design in the same way. So we convey our thoughts through sketches, line drawings, and more line drawings. However, for some details, that is not enough. Sometimes we need to also provide renderings that have people, light fixtures, windows, and daylight shown so our clients can understand what the space will feel like before it is built.

We don’t get the chance to do renderings for every project, but we use it as a tool in specific cases to help our clients make decisions. Here are some projects that we have renderings we have produced recently.

 

Law Firm

Law firm interior rendering.

Law firm interior rendering.

Law Firm front desk rendering.

Law Firm front desk rendering

 

Residential Living Room and Kitchen

 

Kitchen Rendering

Rendering of living room
Living Room rendering

Historical Porch Renovation

Historic Porch Sketch with notations.

Living Room Renovation

 

Living Room rendering.

Eastern Mennonite School Gathering Space

 

EMS Gathering Space Interior Rendering.

Rendering of Eastern Mennonite School gathering space.