Harrisonburg Art and Architecture Walking Tour

by Charles Hendricks | Sep 22, 2026 | architecture, Charles Hendricks, citizen architect, community, Harrisonburg, Harrisonburg Architect

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 corrections. We also want to add in some interesting stories that go along with the buildings and art. If you are the artist, building occupant / owner, or have just been around a while and have a story to share, let me know. We want to make this tour as inclusive as possible.

Special thanks to the photographers on this project: Hannah Hendricks and Monica Espinoza!

Check it out here. Maybe you will find something new on the list in downtown that you did not know about from Caverns, to Green Book, to Love and Romance?

Designing for good with Habitat for Humanity New River Valley

by Charles Hendricks | Sep 16, 2026 | architecture, Blacksburg, Building Science, citizen architect, Green Building, Indoor Air Quality, Multifamily Design

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 designed for energy-efficiency, durability, and healthy indoor air. Those are our standards for every project. The Habitat model grows home ownership which benefits communities by creating a stable housing stock, providing workforce housing, and building neighborhoods. Airport Acres in particular provides an ideal location for families in walking distance to schools, childcare centers, shopping, and public transit.

The two-story craftsman style townhomes will feature three bedrooms with a focus on accessibility and visitability. Four of the unit are adaptable for home owners with disabilities or mobility challenges with aging in place features. The community includes a central green space to help build community.

Habitat for Humanity of the NRV is doing amazing work that is building a stronger community. The dream of home ownership is out of reach for many and their work, their clients sweat equity, and the communities support is changing futures. We are proud to partner with them to achieve our goal of building a better future for all through design.

You can support the work of Habitat for Humanity of the NRV by making a donation of in-kind gifts, money, or you can even donate a car.

Serving our Roanoke Community

by Charles Hendricks | Sep 15, 2026 | architecture, Blacksburg, Charles Hendricks, citizen architect, Commercial Architect, Empathy, Green Building, Roanoke, Roanoke Architect

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 then Virginia Western Community College, I have deep ties to the area. Once we started getting calls from potential clients in the New River Valley and Roanoke Valley area we knew it was time to open an office back in my hometown so we could serve the community. Our approach to business is a bit different from what I have seen over the years. If we are working in a community we want to invest in that community in ways that make it better. We don’t just want to do this on our project site for our clients, we want to make a bigger impact wherever we go. Our main goal as an architectural firm is to use design to create a better community for everyone.

This year for instance we were able to partner with AIA Blue Ridge on their Kidstruction 2026 event held at the Taubman Museum. This tied together our love of local arts, lego, and getting kids to flex their imagination while building things. What an incredible event and the smiles on their faces tell the story.

Our Roanoke office is almost a year old now. We have found some amazing opportunities so far to design cool projects, support organizations, and invest in our community in a way that can create a better future for everyone. We want to continue to grow that impact. Reach out to us if you are an engineer, interior designer, builder, or general contractor that loves working with a team that is excited about design and construction and want to build each other up. Talk to us if you are a non-profit that is doing good in the community and you need help with space planning, energy efficiency, or just have a cool fun event that you think we would love. Support our efforts if you also think that through design we can be and do better in this world – write an online 5 star review on google, Facebook, or any other platform that your friends visit. We need help growing. We need to know who we can collaborate with. If we all join together we can design a better community for everyone.

Should I stay or should I go?

by Charles Hendricks | Sep 13, 2026 | Accessibility, aging in place, architecture, Building Science, Charles Hendricks, citizen architect

LeeAnn and Phillip Maxwell are once again hosting a Should I stay or should I go? Seminar. This event features experts that can support seniors on topics including estate planning, aging in place, selling your home, and wealth management.

Why is this important for our community? Well, from experience, walking with dad over his last two years you need to know who to call when you need help. For instance, my go to expert on adapting existing conditions to make them safe for the specific need is Amy Depoy with The Pivot Point Group. Amy is an occupational therapist that understands how to evaluate mobility of a person and then can recommend the proper solutions. While I can help you redesign a space to make it easier to use for a lifetime, Amy knows the tools and resources to implement without major construction related changes to the structure of your home. She came to our house and spoke with dad, looked at what we had set up, and offered some additional resources that made it easier for him to move safely and for me to safely assist him.

VPAS (Valley Program for Aging Services) is another resource that you will find at the upcoming seminar. I have worked with VPAS for years helping spread the word about how to make a home more welcoming to people of all abilities. They also offer resources to help you know the paperwork you need, how to navigate Medicare services, can provide caregiver support, are working to educate our community about dementia, and organize meals on wheels. This organization is like a utility knife for our senior population. You will definitely want to know all the services they provide before you need them.

So join the seminar, register HERE. I will be at the event to answer questions about aging in place and architectural changes you can make in your home. There will be many other experts that are dedicated to helping seniors live long, safe, and happy lives in our community.

The event is free, includes lunch, will be held at the Doubletree Hotel in Harrisonburg, September 17th, from 11:30 am – 2:00 pm. You have to register so they know how much food to provide.

Collaboration to deliver better service to our clients

by Charles Hendricks | Sep 12, 2026 | architecture, Charles Hendricks, Charlottesville, citizen architect, Commercial Architect, community, Custom Home, Empathy, Harrisonburg, Harrisonburg Architect, Local Leaders

This amazing event, Charlottesville Architect + Builder Exchange, is building a better industry.

Charlottesville Architect Builder Exchange

This past week Charles and Sam were invited to share how they collaborate outside of projects to deliver better projects to shared clients. Sam with Herr and Company and Charles have worked together on many projects over the years. They have a trusting relationship. It is not just based on the projects though, it is based on each of them showing up for the other consistently.

The story they shared is not a new way of doing business. It is simply treating each other with respect and working towards a common goal: excellent service to our community, integrity in the process, and a desire to do better for our clients. Once the video of the event is posted we will share it. We welcome your ideas of how we can improve more. We don’t have it all figured out and want to continue to grow and improve. Let us know how you deliver better service to your clients through collaboration, trust, and integrity.

Thanks to Jim at Candid and his team for allowing this conversation to happen.

If you have a community group or event that needs a speaker: Charles loves sharing his passion for community, building science, architecture, aging in place, the history of the Chesapeake Wester Depot, using empathy as a design tool, or if you just want him to tell stories – reach out and let’s get it scheduled.

Celebrate Architecture Week at the Depot tonight!

by Charles Hendricks | Apr 3, 2026 | architecture, citizen architect, First Friday, Harrisonburg Architect

It doesn’t seem like Easter weekend but that is what the calendar is telling me. It also doesn’t seem like First Friday, but here we are on a First Friday. The artists this month are architects. So far I have Eugene Stoltzfus and Gaines Group with work on the walls. I believe Ivan Huber will have something to me today. I am still hoping some others drop off work and attend the event. Please join us and talk about why design matters for a better future for all.

The show “Design Matters” is a celebration of Architecture Week. I wanted a show that highlighted the importance of not only the beauty created through architectural design, but also the building and celebration of community, equality, inclusivity, culture and bonds. This show I hope will spark your ideas of what can be if we design the right future together. We can do better and architecture is the fabric that ties our lives together as we do better together.