by Charles Hendricks | Mar 17, 2012 | architecture, community, Harrisonburg Architect, Leadership, Local Leaders
The flowers are blooming, the trees are turning green, it must be that time of year again: time for the SVBA Home and Garden Show!
The SVBA Home Show can help you make your house the home of your dreams. In one day, you can visit exhibitions featuring a wide array of products and services, covering everything from landscaping, home comfort, to architectural design. Are you thinking of doing an addition, remodeling your kitchen, or building an outdoor patio? If you need new windows, flooring, paint, or energy-efficient solutions, this is your one stop shop.
Feel free to start your visit at our booth and we can help guide you to the right resources at the show for any of your home projects.
The SVBA Home and Garden Show is being held March 30,31, and April 1, 2012 at the JMU Convocation Center. Admission is $5 per person and children under 12 are free.
by Charles Hendricks | Mar 11, 2012 | architecture, Commercial Architect, Harrisonburg Architect, Indoor Air Quality, Leadership, Multifamily Design
The latest news in the Green Building Movement is the introduction of the EarthCraft Light Commercial regional green building certification program to Virginia. This rating system is designed for new or renovated commercial buildings that are 15,000 square feet or less. The EarthCraft brand is familiar to those living in Virginia due to the popularity of the single family and multi-family rating systems that have been in the state for a number of years. This new program, EarthCraft Light Commercial, expands the EarthCraft opportunity for small-scale or light commercial buildings to have a more affordable third-party recognition of sustainable design and construction practices.
While the EarthCraft Light Commercial program pilot phase is being orchestrated out of the Southface Atlanta, Georgia headquarters, the program has come to Virginia. Triple C Camp’s “Nest” in southern Albemarle County has achieved EarthCraft Light Commercial Building Certification, the first building to do so outside the state of Georgia. Triple C Camp has long been dedicated to teaching kids, adults, corporate groups, and community groups the value of living in harmony with nature. The construction of the new “Nest” gives a physical center for this environmental outreach effort. The “Nest” is an exhibit for green building and a functional learning space for those attending camp. Designed by The Gaines Group, PLC, an architectural firm named “best green designers” in 2008, this building incorporates energy efficient building envelope and systems, durable long lasting materials that don’t off-gas hazardous chemicals, water conserving fixtures, ecologically sensitive site work, construction waste diversion from the landfill, and resource efficient design and building elements. Most important to any building owner, the design of efficient systems used in this project will save money. As camp director “H” says, “We are simply doing it right, to show the kids how it can be done, so they can teach their parents.” The Nest features a long list of sustainable design strategies including a tree preservation plan, diversion of 95% of the construction waste from the landfill, high efficiency windows and doors, tight envelope, high performance HVAC system, no and low VOC glues, paints, caulks, and sealants, appropriate shading, dehumidification system, and efficient plumbing fixtures.
Among the many benefits of EarthCraft Light Commercial certification are: third-party evaluation and technical guidance, an expedited documentation process (less paperwork and more in-field documentation), full project administration from registration until final certification, and better overall building performance, including:
- An integrated systems approach
- Environmentally conscious design and construction applications
- Efficient use of natural resources: water, energy, and building materials
- Potential utility cost savings, due to reduction in demand for water / energy
- Improved indoor air quality and a comfortable working environment
- Tighter building envelope and ductwork (as confirmed through on-site inspections and performance testing)
The EarthCraft Light Commercial program has been in Pilot Phase development for several years and has awarded certification to 7 of its 11 pilot participants. The program, based on the EarthCraft House residential program, which has certified close to 10,000 single and multifamily homes in the Southeast, was developed by Southface. This program offers another option for buildings looking at LEED NC certification or Green Globes certification. Similar to the EarthCraft Homes program, the Light Commercial program offers an intensive level of support during the design and construction process, focusing on the energy and water efficient design strategies specific to smaller commercial buildings, as well as prescriptive measures that enhance builder education on sustainable construction practices. This program is particularly well suited to office buildings, retail showrooms, community centers, club houses, churches, and other commercial building projects 15,000 square feet of less.
The architectural firm for this project, The Gaines Group, PLC is no stranger to firsts in the green movement. They also designed the first LEED certified project in Central Virginia, the 10th LEED for Homes certified project in the country, the first Net-Zero home in Central Virginia, the first LEED NC Industrial project in Central Virginia, and one of the first six EarthCraft Homes in Virginia. The Gaines Group has a comprehensive Environmental Stewardship outreach program where they engage not only clients, but also the community through teaching green design and construction courses, providing pro-bono lectures to community groups and schools, and offering pro-bono green consulting for select non-profits. Based in Charlottesville, Virginia, the firm also has a Harrisonburg, Virginia office.
by Charles Hendricks | Feb 29, 2012 | architecture, Harrisonburg Architect, Leadership
Does Solar PV makes sense for business? YES.
Check out my slides here: CAAV – Solar Business
Active solar PV is not new. The popularity of Solar PV is growing and becoming mainstream. As we all painfully have experienced energy prices are going up for traditional sourced options it seems daily. On the other side, Solar PV technology is getting more advanced and competition is increasing which is bringing prices down. These factors coupled with the incredible demand for energy in the coming years is going to have a dramatic impact on the Solar PV industry. Industry experts are predicting now that Electricity demand in the U.S. will grow by at least 40% by 2032. This will result in the need for 300 power plants by the year 2030. Solar parity with coal is predicted to happen by the year 2014-2017. I predict many of these power plants being built will be solar and wind powered.
The advantages for solar today are straight forward. There is no power drop over long transmission lines, set energy prices for 50+ years, it does not risk the lives of people to harvest the needed resources needed to provide other types of energy sources. PV energy is also clean, renewable, and reliable while not increasing the burden on existing infrastructure.
by Charles Hendricks | Feb 24, 2012 | architecture, Harrisonburg Architect, Leadership
The process of design is a mystery to many people and they don’t understand that this is the process. The former Dean of the UVA Architecture School William McDonough has been quoted as saying “Design is the first sign of human intention.” So this is our first step, if we skip it there is no telling what we are about to step in. “Design is that area of human experience, skill, and knowledge which is concerned with man’s ability to mould his environment to suit his material and spiritual needs.” according to the book The Need for Design Education. The design process, or the problem solving process is a required step as it identifies the goals, establishes the criteria by which to make decisions, and it tests the solutions before they are put into place. In other words, DESIGN MATTERS.
For an architectural design project the first step is to develop a budget, program, and schedule. With these parameters, you then move into site analysis including zoning and code reviews. These are the first steps and the backbone of any good design. You often are asked to develop schematic design to help the owner visualize the project. This could be a series of napkin sketches or a preliminary computer model that gets at the big picture and ignores the details. Through many conversations you are able find a design that meets the owners goals and you can create construction documents. Most builders want you to jump right to the last step and our industry has done little to educate people of the value of the many previous steps. In 28 years our firm has never sold a set of plans. We provide experience, advice, guidance, and knowledge that is seen in plans used to build projects, but also in specifications that spell out standards of care and product selections. While the mystery of each job is part of the fun of being an architect, the steps for success does not have to be a mystery for the client. Good conversation skills is the key to a successful project.
I certainly appreciate the need to keep a budget tight in this economy. However, I know on many jobs you are cash ahead by having good planning in place before you start ordering materials and pushing dirt.
by Charles Hendricks | Feb 20, 2012 | architecture, Harrisonburg Architect, Leadership
Building a home is a major investment of time, energy, emotions, and money. You have to make some hard decisions and put value vs cost to the test. One of the most expensive rooms in a home is the kitchen. You have to get it right to make it efficient, functional, and beautiful. There are so many decisions to make in this one area of the home that you can spend many hours dwelling on which options are required and which can be given up. The kitchen is almost always seen as the social center of the home from after school homework to the dinner parties. Having an understanding of how to put the pieces together is not something that you simply stumble upon through building. There is an art to the pieces and it is hard to quantify until you have worked in a well proportioned kitchen that has been designed. The finishes of the cabinets, their placement, and there sizes all play into the functionality of the space. The countertop surface not only provides an aesthetic statement, but also could be the source of major headaches in the long run if the wrong option is selected. The hardware, door closers, lighting, appliances, and flooring options are endless and all have a real impact on the durability and functionality of the space. It is worth the time to hire someone who has gone through the process with others to help you make decisions. While most cabinet suppliers offer an in-house design service, I tend to not want them to do the design (they may carry a bias as they make money on the choices you make). Look for a CAPS (Certified Aging in Place Specialist) interior designer that not only understands kitchen design, but also can help you make a functional kitchen that lasts a lifetime.
by Charles Hendricks | Feb 18, 2012 | architecture, Harrisonburg Architect, Leadership
Many developers are looking for new solutions to their traditional projects in this “new” economy. From live work spaces that allow for small business to start on the lower level and for the owner to live above to smaller footprint lots, innovation is happening. We have recently done projects that mix commercial and residential in the same building, townhouses that have studio space below, and small footprint homes. The solutions that we are going to use for the next economy will not look like those from the past. Sure there will be some exceptions to the rule, but the time of the big front yard with no connection to your neighbor is coming to an end as people are looking to be connected to their neighbors and to their community.
