Chemically sensitive Custom Home

Chemically sensitive Custom Home

Bailey Builders has started construction on a new custom home for a chemically sensitive client in Augusta County. This new home has to be healthy for our clients, energy-efficient, and durable. The challenge is that many of the cost effective materials available have chemicals that might impact indoor environmental quality for our client.

As we worked through the design process, we tested various materials to see how our client would react to them if used inside her home. We designed a tight envelope and specified a HVAC system that would clean the air.

Our design strategy was to keep the floorplan open and allow for easy cleanup when coming in from the barn. This custom home is just a place to recharge as our clients care for their animals.

While on our site visit we were able to finalize some color options for the exterior of the home. This one will be beautiful.

Welcome to Harrisonburg Dovetail Cabinetry!

Welcome to Harrisonburg Dovetail Cabinetry!

Jarod and I had a chance to visit Dovetail Design & Cabinetry for their open house recently. They have a new showroom at 2226 Rawley Pike in Rockingham County designed by owner Amy Hart. This full-service cabinet sales and installation company has grown to include showrooms in Charlottesville, Staunton, and now Harrisonburg. We have enjoyed getting to know them over the past few years and their work has appeared in multiple of our recent projects.

Dovetail Cabinetry
Dovetail Cabinetry

We love finding trusted partners that we can work with to support our custom dream home projects. While many of our project do have full-custom cabinetry designed for the main living spaces, we often will use lines like Welborn Cabinetry for semi-custom solutions. Their cabinet options include inset, frameless, and overlay styles to fit our design goals. They also have access to Wolf and Sub-Zero appliances which gives our clients many options to choose from when they visit with Jarod, our interior designer.

Rockingham County Custom Home project update

Rockingham County Custom Home project update

A lifetime home is an incredible design opportunity for us to take on with our clients. As we started this Rockingham County custom home it became very clear that our clients wanted intentional and meaningful spaces. Our designs focused on quality of life and we are using the architecture to provide a backdrop for a lifetime of memories. In our design kick-off meeting we discussed daily habits, life values, and dreams for the kind of childhood their child could experience. We laughed about stories they remembered growing up and the special places that they remembered. This is the heart of a custom home design process for us, we want to know our clients so we can join them on their journey to finding their dream home.

Rockingham Custom Home

We gave a homework assignment to find inspirational photos of places they loved and the types of spaces that will give them energy. We balanced their goals and desires with building science and functional solutions for living spaces. We included thoughts of fun spaces, healthy and invigorating spaces, and spaces that will sooth their souls. As the design process unfolds we developed some visuals to verify the home we are designing is their dream home.

We have also visited their building site and worked to balance the slope of the land, water drainage, views, and arrival sequence for guests. This holistic process of learning our clients dreams takes time and attention. There is empathy and care infused in every decision we make along the way. It is a true gift to be able to do this and call it work. We love solving the design puzzle for our clients. We don’t just create blueprints, we infuse our clients values into their projects. Stay tuned for more photos as the design progresses.

Ready to get started on your own lifetime home? Click below to let us know! We can’t wait to hear from you!

Rockingham Custom Home
Rockingham County Custom Home
Hello, Blacksburg! We’re Hiring!

Hello, Blacksburg! We’re Hiring!

Are you an architect looking to join an award-winning architecture firm that is committed to serving our community through innovative design solutions? You’re in luck! We are seeking a licensed professional architect to join our growing team and help lead our exciting expansion into the Blacksburg market. This role offers the unique opportunity to work within three dynamic Virginia markets: Charlottesville, Harrisonburg, and our new Blacksburg location. The ideal candidate will embrace the variety and leadership opportunities this multi-location practice offers while contributing to our mission of exceptional client service and community-focused design.

Click the button below to learn more about this opportunity over on Indeed!

The Clubhouse at Adams at Peppers Ferry
Game Room at Adams at Peppers Ferry

We are proud of the work we have done in the Blacksburg area so far, like the project pictured above. We are even more excited for what’s to come!

We’re proud that several members of our team are Virginia Tech alumni, and we see the Blacksburg market as a natural extension of our firm’s values and culture. Whether you’re familiar with the Virginia Tech community or the local dynamics of Montgomery County, your insight and connections will be a strong asset as we deepen our footprint in this region.

Our ideal candidate will bring 5+ years of professional experience, hold a valid architecture license (Virginia preferred or reciprocity eligible), and be adept with Revit, AutoCAD, building codes, zoning regulations, and construction documentation. You’ll lead projects from concept through construction, mentor junior staff, travel among our Charlottesville, Harrisonburg, and Blacksburg locations, and help spearhead business development in this growing market.

In return, we offer a competitive salary, comprehensive benefits (health, dental, vision, PTO), continuing education support, and a clear path toward leadership or partnership within the firm. If you’re passionate about thoughtful, community-driven architecture and excited to help establish a presence in Blacksburg and the New River Valley, we’d love to hear from you. Please submit your resume, portfolio, and cover letter describing how you’d contribute to our multi-location growth strategy.

We can't wait to hear from you!

Top Blog Post of The Month – October 2025

Top Blog Post of The Month – October 2025

Design From the Perspective of a Masters Student

Blog written by our very own: Rachel BernsteinWhat is design, and how do I do it? And for that matter, what makes it good? Those are questions I find myself asking a lot as someone new to the design world. My name is Rachel, and I am a budding Interior Designer with...

October First Friday featuring Barb Camph – Musical Mosaics

Please come out and support a local artist! Our First Friday in October will feature local legend Barb Camph.   October 2, 2026 from 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm   Series Name: Playing with Glass   Medium: Glass Mosaics   Artist Statement: I came to stained glass as a full-time...

Harrisonburg Art and Architecture Walking Tour

We created a Harrisonburg Art and Architecture walking tour and want to share it with you. We still need to add names of architects of some of the buildings that make up the fabric of our town. Please help me complete the tour, send me any missing information or...

Building a stronger community in Roanoke

Our growth in the Roanoke community is an exciting opportunity not just to do work for our clients, but to invest in our community. Charles and Helen both grew up in Roanoke and have deep ties to the area and we all want to use our skills to make it an even better...

Project Update: Scottsville Home Renovation

Our clients asked us to find ways to make their home more functional, utilizing existing spaces with intentional planning. We worked to find places to add architectural interest, pragmatic storage, and beauty throughout this home renovation in Scottsville, Virginia....

AIA-CV Community building site visit – Kindlewood Phase II

In our #Charlottesville office we spend a lot of time making sure to get all the details just right on our drawings. We work hard to make sure our wall sections, plans, elevations, and details are clear, concise, and correct. We research, learn, and investigate to...

The Veranda, Luxury Cabin Architecture

The design of this luxury cabin was focused around providing an amazing experience for all the visit the property. Our client asked us to use the same layout that worked well on the Sadana Cabin but to change the architecture to provide something new. This idea of...

Industrial Architecture Requires An Integrated Team

In the industrial and manufacturing industry downtime is the ultimate enemy. Efficiency and productivity are key elements to success. When an industrial facility needs renovation, expansion, or completely new space the plant...

Designing for good with Habitat for Humanity New River Valley

One of our favorite repeat clients is Habitat for Humanity New River Valley. Our core goal as a business is to use design to create a better future for all. Partnering with this organization fits our mission perfectly. This project, the Airport Road Townhomes, are...

Serving our Roanoke Community

Working in a variety of communities you find that there are teams that you collaborate well with and that support your business goals and allow you to support their business goals. Growing up in Roanoke, attending Northside, and...
How Architecture Solves Problems You Didn’t Even Know You Had

How Architecture Solves Problems You Didn’t Even Know You Had

Most people come to an architect with a list of needs: number of bedrooms, square footage, a kitchen island, maybe a home office. But one of the most powerful parts of our job is helping clients see beyond that checklist—to uncover problems they didn’t even realize they were living with… and solve them through design.

Sometimes good architecture is invisible—it just feels right. But behind that feeling? There’s intention, problem-solving, and a whole lot of listening.

Let’s explore how design can address the hidden challenges in daily life—often before you’ve even named them:

Problem #1: “My house feels chaotic and I don’t know why.”

Elk Rock Vista
Design Solution: Zoned Living and Visual Calm

Sometimes the issue isn’t clutter—it’s how your home organizes your life (or doesn’t). We’ve worked with families who felt overwhelmed at home, even though the space technically “fit” their needs.

Imagine this, the living room, dining area, and entryway all blur together—making it impossible to relax or entertain. With a few subtle layout shifts and a built-in drop zone near the entrance, now there are clear zones for gathering, transitioning, and unwinding.

Result: The space instantly feels calmer, more grounded, and easier to live in.

Architectural layout helps reduce daily stress—without adding square footage.

Problem #2: “I don’t feel great in the mornings… maybe I’m just not a morning person?”

Design Solution: Orienting the Home to Natural Light

Are you constantly groggy in the mornings, especially during winter? Look around, are your main living spaces, bedroom and kitchen receiving enough morning light? 

We can look at designing a custom home where the kitchen and primary suite are oriented to face east and use clerestory windows and open sightlines to bring in soft morning light. The result? A brighter, gentler start to the day—without needing extra caffeine.

Result: Improved energy, mood, and daily rhythm—just from letting the sun in.

Sometimes what you need isn’t more square footage. It’s more sunlight.

Problem #3: “We can’t figure out why we’re always bumping into each other.”

Casa Cielo
Design Solution: Circulation Paths and Intuitive Flow

Are you constantly dodging your loved ones in the kitchen and entryway? Maybe it isn’t about personal space—it’s about movement.

A redesigned floor plan to include a clear circulation path around the kitchen (no dead ends!), widened mudroom entry, and adding smart storage options clear the visual and physical clutter.

Result: Fewer bottlenecks. Less friction. More harmony in the everyday moments.

Design can protect your peace by preventing stress before it starts.

Problem #4: “Our utility bills are high, and we’re always too hot or too cold.”

Design Solution: Passive House Strategies and Energy-Smart Design

Many homeowners don’t realize how much comfort (and cost) is affected by poor insulation, window placement, or HVAC inefficiencies.

It’s common in both renovations and new builds where we can look at using passive solar design, improved insulation, airtight construction, and strategic shading to regulate indoor temperatures naturally.

Result: Reduced energy bills, greater thermal comfort, and a home that works with the seasons, not against them.

Smart design = long-term comfort and sustainability.

hvac duct layout

Problem #5: “I never thought I’d need a quiet space to recharge.”

Design Solution: Built-In Wellness Spaces

Homes often focus on gathering areas—and rightfully so. But many people overlook the need for private, restorative space. During the pandemic and beyond, we’ve seen how essential this is.

From reading nooks to tucked-away flex rooms, we can help clients design little sanctuaries where they can breathe, think, or simply be quiet.

Result: Greater mental well-being, improved focus, and a sense of control over your own space.

Architecture can make room for your body, your mind, and your spirit.

We don’t expect you to walk into a design meeting knowing every problem that needs solving. That’s what we’re here for.

Our job isn’t just to draw walls—it’s to listen between the lines, understand how you live, and offer design solutions that make life smoother, more beautiful, and more you.

Architecture, at its best, is a form of empathy. It notices what you need, sometimes before you do.

Ready to discover how your home could solve problems you didn’t even know you had?

We’d love to walk that journey with you—one thoughtful design decision at a time.