Harrisonburg has seen a surge in public art over the last decade, and it is incredible!
Public art adds visual appeal to a community. It brings energy and vibrance to once-blank walls and incorporates bright vibrant colors and cool creations. Public art can celebrate heritage, diversity, and tradition. This makes the community more welcoming to others and inspires future artists to create.
It also brings in tourism which has a ripple economic impact on small businesses in our community. People will spend more time in a place that has fun things to look at and that has beautiful works of art to enjoy. These works benefit mental health and well-being for the people using these spaces. The spark curiosity and revitalization.
In Harrisonburg we have wall murals that celebrate people, play, and LOVE. We have ducks that tell a story, sculptures that honor liberty and sacrifice, and historic graffiti. There are dinosaurs and dragons, messages about saving the future, and Children reading. Take a minute and let us know which downtown creation is your favorite!
Gaines Group Architects has a new home in Charlottesville at 910 East High St. We hope you will Celebrate with us in Charlottesville for a Chamber of Commerce Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting on Wednesday, July 10th from 9am – 11am. Stop by on your way to work and grab a bagel and some coffee, stick around until 10am for a ribbon cutting, then hang out for a bit to let us hear all the incredible things you are doing.
After spending a few years on Pantops Mountain, it was time for us to get back to our roots in downtown Charlottesville. Our former offices have been located on Water St. and Ridge St., just a few steps from the downtown walking mall, and now, as they say, “Guess who’s back, back again”! We are excited to be able to walk to downtown local restaurants, so reach out to us if you ever want to grab lunch.
This bright blue house is the first time in a few decades our office has been in a space we didn’t design, so stay tuned, we are scheming for a very cool future! Please feel free to stop in and visit with our team, hear what they are working on, and see our new space. We look forward to connecting or reconnecting with you soon.
Parking:
– Limited parking behind building and on nearby streets. – Short walk from Market Street Garage. The first hour at the Market Street Garage parking is free.
It is time to ROCK THE RIDGE to support MTC! MTC has programs including agriculture production, architecture, auto technology, carpentry, collision repair, dental careers, fire and rescue, heating and cooling technology, nursing, welding, and more. Supporting technical education is critical to the success of any community. Charles serves on the foundation board and the marketing committee and says, “The work we are doing to support these students will pay off for our entire community as MTC develops our community’s future heroes.”
Rock the Ridge is a new summer kick-off event produced by Massanutten Technical Center Foundation and hosted by Massanutten Resort. With so many positive comments after last year’s event hosted at the school, MTC Foundation wanted to kick it up a notch and expand on the ever-popular Thunderstruck vibe. Thus, this new collaborative event was born.
MTC foundation worked with Bluestone Communications this year to kick off the marketing plan for the foundation and fundraiser – Rock the Ridge. This nationally affiliated student run PR firm at James James Madison University was a pleasure to work with over this last semester. Working with the Bluestone Communications team from JMU allowed us to develop a brand standard for MTC Foundation and graphics specific to promote the upcoming concert.
These students work with a variety of businesses and non-profits each year. Along with branding and social media, they work to get media exposure, which they did for us through WHSV and the DNR.
The Massanutten Technical Center Foundation, under the direction of its Executive Board, supports the mission of Massanutten Technical Center:
“Massanutten Technical Center will provide high school and adult students with the skills, knowledge, and industry-based experiences necessary to attain success in career and community.”
MTC plays a vital role in the community that directly benefits area students, businesses, and citizens alike. Area businesses have access to economical, high quality training services for their employees and a steady supply of highly-skilled potential employees. With MTC in the community, adults can continue their education, and working men and women can acquire new skills that greatly enhance their career prospects. At MTC, high school students are prepared for a future of lifetime learning and career success.
As a firm, we practice design as an act of service. We work closely together with our clients to create projects that are completely custom and unique to their needs. Well-rounded and well-designed projects should aim to better people’s lives by taking in their ideas and input. As designers and architects, we are driven by the passion of using our skills to help people better their environments. Practicing design as an act of service means meeting our clients where they are, working hard to understand their needs, and leading with empathy and patience to help bring their visions to life. These are the projects that have the power to truly connect people and meaningfully better their environment. Here are a few examples of projects we designed with this in mind!
Church Street Townhomes
The Church Street Townhomes project in Christiansburg, Virginia was developed by Habitat for Humanity in New River Valley. Working together with Habitat for Humanity has been a valuable part of us reaching our goal of building strong communities and it is always a pleasure working with an organization that shares our values. The seven conjoined townhomes are fully accessible for people of all abilities and EarthCraft and Energy-Star certified.
Speech and Language Center
The Speech and Language Center in Harrisonburg, Virginia came to us with a very particular problem. The client needed to grow the functional space of the building while only being able to add a few feet to two sides of the building. We worked closely with the client and the builder to expand the space and were able to successfully deliver the right solution for this business to continue to grow and thrive. Teamwork makes the dream work!
Eastern Mennonite School
The Eastern Mennonite School in Harrisonburg, Virginia was a renovation project aimed at converting a three-story office building into an elementary school. The project focused specifically on sustainable practices and creation care, which was important to our non-profit client. We worked together with the teachers, administration, and students at the school to create a space that would enhance the learning environment.
When engaging a client in the design process it is important for us to make sure they feel heard and know we are here to support them and what they want for the future of their space. We encourage all potential, current, and past clients to engage in conversations with us about what they want for themselves, and their communities, and how we can help them get there. Being in constant conversation with the people we serve is important to us, and we also can do community presentations to share our wealth of knowledge and help advance people’s community building. Including the community in the design process is an invaluable learning opportunity and allows for a greater capacity to make meaningful changes with architecture. Using design as an act of service looks like giving tools to people who do not have them and listening to their wants and needs.
Dust is in the air and this time it is not from dancers supporting a wonderful organization. The Harrisonburg Rockingham Day Care Center is under construction!
For 52 years HRCDCC has provided affordable childcare for the Harrisonburg and Rockingham community. Following their Dances with the Stars of the Burg fundraising campaign, the Center has raised enough funds to purchase and renovate an existing building on East Market Street. This building will allow the Daycare to continue providing sliding scale daycare opportunities in the heart of downtown Harrisonburg, something that is much needed.
The next fundraising goal is to fill the remaining funding gap for building expenses. WHSV covered this update and gives more description of what the funds will be used for here. Consider donating to this amazing organization that does so much for the community. Donation page here. Read more about their programs and reach at their website.
Harrisonburg Construction is the general contractor for this project and a long time supporter of the organization. They, along with Blauch Brothers, Mid-Valley Electric and many other trade partners, will take our design to reality over the coming months.
Red Wing Academy is back this year to play music for our special Holiday and First Friday event on Friday, December 1st from 5:00 – 7:00pm. We absolutely love supporting and partnering with Red Wing Academy each year, and it is such a pleasure to get to host a small group of these talented students each year for our holiday celebrations.
Red Wing Academy is hosted by Eric Brubaker of The Steel Wheels as a four-day intensive camp, leading up to a performance on-stage with the band at Red Wing Roots Music Festival. It’s open to non-beginner violin, viola, cello, bass, guitar, mandolinand banjo students ages 5 – 19. Students receive individual and group instruction from highly trained music teachers and are coached by members of The Steel Wheels throughout the week. It’s an incredible opportunity to play with and learn from music experts.
Gaines Group Architects sponsors the camp each year as a way to support the next generation of musicians in our community. A focus on musical instruction not only teaches kids how to play, but studies have shown that it accelerates brain development in young children, particularly in the areas of the brain that are responsible for processing sound, language development, speech perception, and reading skills.
Below, read more about Red Wing Academy and see clips of their performances at EMU and on-stage at the Red Wing Roots Music Festival.
“We see the old lines between instruction and play dissolving, bringing the spirit of traditional American music into the classroom, and fusing the culture of festivals with expert training in string instruments and live performance.
RedWing Academy’s mission is to nurture both the wings and the roots of the newest generation of old time musicians. We provide emerging, student musicians with the skills, talents, and community to go beyond classical training into the culture of improvisational performance and group play, the hallmark of a genre that has always celebrated spontaneity and place as part of its sound and tradition.”
This event is free and open to everyone. Refreshments will be served, there will be artists and craft vendors, and there will be opportunities to take photos with Santa himself! We look forward to seeing you there, and you can RSVP at our event page here.
