by Charles Hendricks | Sep 12, 2017 | architecture
There are some things that you should do to get your home ready for Fall weather. Little things that will help protect your home through the Fall and Winter months.
- Have your furnace checked. I recommend having a service contract with a high quality HVAC company. They will check the furnace twice a year to make sure everything is working the way it should and hopefully prevent problems when you need it most. Check your filters and get them changed out.
- Check for drafts. Typically the most uncomfortable places in your home are those places with drafts. Check the weather-stripping around windows and doors. Schedule an energy audit to identify other locations that leak air into your warm spaces.
3. Replace batteries in your smoke and CO detectors. You will soon keep your windows shut for the season and stay inside more. Make sure your home is as safe as possible.
4. Clean out your gutters. This will help protect them against ice damage and hopefully keep them working as designed.
5. Put away the hose and shut off exterior faucets.
6. Trim back the landscaping recommended for this area. Protect them from the coming ice and snow storms so they will remain healthy and happy next Spring.
7. Make sure your exterior HVAC equipment is clear and free from landscaping. Give it the space needed to function properly.
8. Check your attic and see if there is enough insulation. Make sure it is free of any critters or holes for critters to get into this warm space.
9. Clean your chimney.
10. Inspect your roof. Use binoculars to see what is going on. Look for cracked or missing shingles.
by Charles Hendricks | Sep 11, 2017 | architecture
The diversity of our projects makes it fun to come to work and a challenge to keep up.
As a small architectural firm, you have to be able to take on many different types, sizes, styles of projects. Here is a variety of projects that we have currently in process.
Sentara RMH School of Histotechnology
The Sentara RMH HTL Program is a one year school that includes six months of lecture and student lab followed by a six month rotation through a hospital histology lab. This renovated space for the Lab School allows for more students to go through the program. The space was an open office floor plan. The new renovation will utilize existing offices while adding lab and classroom space into the central office area.
Weiler Orthodontics
Weiler Orthodontics has been providing healthy and beautiful smiles to the Central Shenandoah Valley since 1982. This interior space renovation will bring the facility in line with their passion for excellence. The existing dated interior will be stripped down with some reorganization of interior layout. The new aesthetic will bring a modern, sophisticated look to the facility.
Charlottesville Office
The goal in designing this facility was to provide flexibility and elegance with a modern flair. The two-story office space has an open floor plan. It features outdoor gathering spaces and lots of natural light.
Eastern Mennonite Elementary School
Eastern Mennonite School is looking forward to being a unified campus with grades K – 12 all in one location. This plan has been in the works for years and we are now working on the solution. We are designing a renovation to an existing office building that will be converted into classroom spaces for the K – 5 program. This “new” school will also have an addition that will provide a gathering space and needed office facilities. If you want to financially support the project, click HERE.
Farm Cottage
This small cottage on an existing farm is strategically placed to provide a viewing deck into the horse ring. The primary goal for placement of the cottage was to preserve the existing trees and minimize the structures aesthetic impact. The small footprint cottage will provide a lovely guest area or party central for a day of horses.
InterChange Group Portsmouth
This 200,000 sf facility will grow the abilities of Harrisonburg based InterChange Group into the City of Portsmouth. InterChange has been doing business with the Port of Virginia, and in particular at the Virginia Inland Port Terminal in Front Royal for years. “The Port of Virginia’s cargo volumes are continuing to grow, and InterChange’s decision to develop a warehousing operation in Portsmouth helps to expand the logistics infrastructure the port needs to help sustain its growth,” said John F. Reinhart, CEO and executive director of the Virginia Port Authority. The facility will feature 20 drop trailer locations, 28 docks, and meet food-grade specifications.
The Adams at Peppers Ferry
The Adams at Peppers Ferry is just one of the many multi-family projects under construction around the state. This 168 luxury living community in Christiansburg will have all the amenities you can imagine at your fingertips.
Stonegate at the Crossroads
Stonegate at the Crossroads is a luxury living community located in Zion Crossroads. Featuring high ceilings, stainless steel appliances, and contemporary open floor plan, these units are modern and sophisticated. The community also features a club house where you can exercise at the exclusive fitness center, relax at the pool, or watch a movie.
Lake Monticello Fire Department
The Lake Monticello Fire Department has outgrown their space. As the community demand has increased and the service calls have gone up, they found the need for a larger facility. Our addition adds bays for equipment as well as a bunk house for their growing volunteer squad. The key to this project was fitting all the program into a very tight space.
by Charles Hendricks | Sep 5, 2017 | architecture
There is a lot of construction happening right now. I don’t think it has been this busy since I moved to the valley 10 years ago. This is not just a local increase, as the national AIA Architectural Billings Index is also seeing strong growth. I hear from many builders that are booked through the end of the year and some into Spring of next year. I am also hearing for the first time in years, builders “too busy to bid work.” Things are getting back on track in the construction industry!
However, there is one major change – we no longer have the work force to keep up with all this growth. According to the NAHB “the share of builders reporting either some or a serious shortage (of workers) has skyrocketed from a low of 21% in 2012, to 46% in 2014, to 52% in 2015, and 56% in 2016.” The result is higher wages for those skilled workers that are still in the industry – which is good. It also means quickly growing construction costs for our clients – which is bad. The higher prices are not reflected in appraisals or comparables making it harder to get bank loans. The quickly rising prices are also making it hard to predict construction costs during design.
The results of higher construction prices are starting to be seen. Some jobs are being put on hold. Some projects are getting smaller. However, we don’t know the long-term impacts. As 10,000 baby boomers retire each day for the next decade what happens to our labor force? With many young people going to college instead of trade schools, where do the next generation of builders come from? Is this a temporary problem, or can it be corrected?
We are seeing automation come into other industries where labor costs are rising. Will this be the start of robotics on a real scale in construction in our country? Will large-scale companies that “optimize” construction fill the void that once employed local companies? It remains to be seen where this will go. For now, I hope things can moderate. Prices are rising too quick to be sustainable.
by Charles Hendricks | Aug 30, 2017 | architecture, project update
Check out the recent pictures of this Net-Zero energy farmhouse in Harrisonburg. The project has a beautiful site that provides even better views of the western mountains. We worked hard with our client to situate it just right on the slope.
It sits in the trees almost floating on the site.
Net-Zero Lifetime Home
However, to me the real beauty of this house is in the performance. The home is designed to use minimal energy, provide even comfort, and to produce the energy used from the photovoltaics on the roof. The other secret this home holds it that it is designed for a lifetime. This means we thought about wide doorways, open floor plan, wheelchair access, as well as comfort. The house can adapt for the clients as their needs change over time. The open floor plan allows for lots of flexibility.
While we focused on net-zero and accessibility for a lifetime. The house also has an important feature that all home owners want – beauty. Classic details are used throughout the home to give the little touches that matter. From the stonework to the custom cabinets – this home will most importantly – feel like home for many years to come.
The kitchen is warm and inviting. It is open to the living space so that everyone can gather together during the holidays.
The office has large windows for lots of lights and, more importantly, beautiful views.
The primary bathroom even enjoys incredible views.
by Charles Hendricks | Aug 29, 2017 | architecture
A story of mentoring in Architecture
Mentoring in Architecture is the key to a healthy profession. It is a regular occurrence that we have a student in our office observing, learning, and designing. These are not employees, but students interested in the profession. They are motivated to find out if architecture is really their passion. For me, mentoring future architects is not only good for the students, but good for the profession. Having students, high school and college, in the office gives them a view of what we do – it really is not all design. It is rewarding to share our lives with these eager designers and energizing to see their passion.
This past summer we enjoyed having David Martin, a Virginia Tech Architectural student, and Alex Alvarez, a Blue Ridge Community College student and hopeful University of Virginia Architectural student, in our office. They each took on the challenge to design a custom home as a process to learn the software, basics of design, construction systems, pricing, and specifications. It was also a chance for them to see what our firm does on a daily basis from behind the scenes. I asked David to write a summary of his experience. I will share it below. If you know of students interested in the architectural profession, have them talk to architects, job shadow, and interview current architectural students. It will be an incredible way for them to figure out direction, passion, and verify career path well before walking down the path.
David’s story
“With another year at Virginia Tech behind me, I was fortunate enough to be able to spend my summer at the Gaines Group Architects to further my education as an architect. Right away, Charles challenged me to design a house to fit on an empty lot in my neighborhood, with my parents acting as the clients, in order to give me a better perspective on the design process. With only two years of architecture school under my belt, I started this summer off knowing I had a lot to learn, but I had no idea just how true that was. I found myself having to learn the details of
building sections, roof plans, wall thicknesses, construction methods, manufacturing specifications, and floor layouts, all while trying to keep the design as cost-effective as possible.
I wasn’t alone in this project, though, as I was able to trade ideas and opinions with Alex Alvarez, another architecture student at the office.
Throughout the process, Charles showed me patience and was always willing to answer any questions I had. He also invited me to sit in on a few meetings with clients and contractors so that I could get a sense of an architect’s responsibilities outside of the office. I was even given the opportunity to volunteer at this year’s Virginia Business Keynote, which allowed me to meet some of Harrisonburg’s major business owners.
In one of Charles’ recent blogs, he talks about being the person you needed when you were younger. From my experience, I would say that he’s putting that into practice, since the help and instruction he provided me this summer has given me valuable insight into the world of architecture.”
by Charles Hendricks | Aug 25, 2017 | architecture, Multifamily Design
KBS, Inc. has broken ground in Christiansburg on The Adams at Peppers Ferry. This 168 unit luxury living community is just one of the many multi-family projects Gaines Group Architects have under construction or in design across the commonwealth. The project is located within walking distance to that region’s largest concentration of retail and is 1.4 miles from the Lewis Gale Hospital. This project will feature all the amenities that you want in a luxury community including a fitness center, theater, community game room, and pool. The large apartments feature 1 bedroom, 2 bedroom, and 3 bedroom layouts. Stay tuned to our blog as progress is made on The Adams at Peppers Ferry.
