by Charles Hendricks | Dec 20, 2011 | Harrisonburg Architect, Leadership
We want to put things in a box and know the solution. We want answers and we want them to solve the problems in front of us. Keep the questions straight forward, don’t make it complicated, solve the problem. We treat our symptoms and don’t spend time thinking about the cause. We want control and too much detail makes the problem unattainable. There are many people who are working on understanding Building Science. Some come from the energy efficiency side of things and are looking at ways to save energy. Some are coming from a product performance side and want you to buy their solution because it works best. Some are coming from a service side and understand there are so many factors that the perfect solution is different in every case.
Building Science is complicated. Every action causes a reaction. We have to take a step back and look at the larger issues and not just do one thing or the other. I talk about making buildings air tight and vapor permeable all the time. This is a hard fact for our building climate. However, with this you have to do many other things or you are creating other problems. If the house is too tight, then you have air quality problems. If you seal the crawl space and don’t make it positive pressure you are probably causing humidity issues. If you build tight and don’t understand the larger discussion, you will not have a durable long-lasting solution. While I do applaud those getting into the discussion and welcome their thoughts – we need more energy here – don’t slam others that have been working on it just to prop yourself up as an expert. There is plenty of bad information out there, but if it is taken out of context it looks bad and then is discounted. You have to look at the larger picture with all the solutions – if in fact you want real solutions and not just a treatment for the symptom.
I am the first to admit that I don’t have all the answers. I feel like I have many of the questions at this point, but the answers still need to be found, discussed, and perhaps even invented.
by Charles Hendricks | Oct 30, 2011 | architecture, Harrisonburg Architect, Leadership
Some pics of our Snowtober.
by Charles Hendricks | Oct 28, 2011 | architecture, Harrisonburg Architect, Leadership
When you design a home it should be for people of any ability. You will not incorporate every aspect of universal design into every home, but you do the best you are able with every project. The idea of designing your home now for what might happen is difficult for most people to imagine. Universal Design is a concept that has been around for years, but has only gotten a little attention until recently. The limitation to the idea has been the misconception that you are designing a home for a disability. The reality is that Universal Design is not about disability, but rather the idea of designing homes for any ability. Who would not want a more convenient home? Who does not want to bend less, step less, or stretch less to accomplish our everyday tasks? Check out this builder’s checklist of principles of Universal Design for your home and see where you stack up. This is the most comprehensive list I have found anywhere.
by Charles Hendricks | Oct 26, 2011 | architecture, Harrisonburg Architect, Leadership
I have been searching this year for answers. Is there a better way to serve my clients? Is there a better way to serve my community? Am I doing everything I can to be a good father? Can I find another way?
I attended a Leadership Summit in Charlottesville recently (I was actually presenting and just attended one session). The speaker told his life story about all the failures that he has run into in his life that got him to “success.” He failed at every turn and through that failure he found opportunity by asking more questions. He learned from his mistakes, he did not take no for an answer, he opened the shut doors. As I continue to struggle with how to make it in this economy, this community, this world, I have finally seen the key to success. I need to ask questions. I need to ask for help. I need to find better solutions. I need to open shut doors and shut minds.
The most important thing in life you can do and that you can teach your children to do is ask lots of questions.
Never say yes, but.
Always say, yes, and.
by Charles Hendricks | Oct 13, 2011 | architecture, artwork, community, Harrisonburg Architect, Leadership, Local Leaders
The SVBA is presenting the 2011 Parade of Homes on October 22 – 23. Open house times on Saturday are 10 am – 4pm and Sunday 1 pm – 4pm. This annual event gives you a chance to see the latest innovations in home building, learn from the builders what it takes to build high performance, and to meet some of the innovators in the community. I encourage you to take time to visit a few of the homes in the parade this year.Your support of this event is very important for those taking time to prepare their homes for the parade and will go a long way of supporting the industry the is so key to our economic recovery.
We have an entry in this year’s parade in Crossroads Farm. The Connelly residence features a rainwater harvesting system, vegetative retaining walls, high performance insulation and Heating and Cooling system, and self-cleaning windows. Come out to see me at the house and I will be happy to answer questions, give you a tour, and talk about any building science questions you might have for your own home.
by Charles Hendricks | Aug 31, 2011 | architecture, Harrisonburg Architect, Leadership
JMU is ranked as the 20th Happiest School in the country by Newsweek & the Daily Beast in a poll just released. The poll looked at six categories, weighted equally using a measure of how close or distant each school is to average: dining, housing, nightlife, number of sunny days per year, student-teacher ratio, and the average indebtedness at graduation. With these factors you can clearly see how the place, Harrisonburg, the school is located has a major impact on the ranking. In a town that is vibrant, community based, and beautiful shouldn’t people be happy? Downtown has seen major gains in the last few years with the addition of the Friendly City Food Co-op, Jack Brown’s, and Beyond. Family life is enhanced by the new and improved Children’s Museum, the established You Made It, and incredible downtown library. The Farmer’s Markets in the area are rich with good local healthy food options. The community is supportive of each other and want success for their neighbors. We have great locally roasted coffee. There are active leaders engaged in the promoting healthy community. Our non-profits are focused on a bright future. Of course JMU being in the middle of all this life is a happy place to go to school, learn about community, and begin a career! Congratulations JMU on your ranking!
