Our first house in Elk Rock Meadow has made some great progress since our post about the framing being in progress HERE. The Blue Ridge Mountain Home update shows that the cabinets are set, insulation fills the walls, and the roughed-in HVAC system is installed. These photos from a few weeks ago show an important stage of construction. First, you can see that the house wrap is installed allowing vapor to move through the walls. This particular house wrap has a very high permeability rating which is very important in our climate to maintain durability over a long time. With our multiple vapor drive seasons in this mixed humid climate, we want walls to be able to dry both to the inside and outside. We spend a lot of time thinking through this building science challenge.
This is also the perfect time to check out how the ductwork is installed and just as important, protected. You can see that there is mastic at all joints allowing the air these clients are paying to heat or cool to get to the room it is designed to go to make it more efficient. I was also pleased to find the ductwork sealed to prevent drywall dust from entering the ductwork. This extra step is critical for a healthy and durable HVAC system when the system is turned on post construction.
We were also able to see the insulation installation. This is just as critical as the house wrap in a total building science system. A complete installation fills and fits all gaps and cracks to prevent air leakage.
Finally, it was a great chance to see the cabinet installation in progress. The fit and finish of the cabinetry show the quality and care that Herr and Company put into their projects. Of course. the other items listed above also highlight the quality of construction being provided to these clients.
Finding just the right site to build your dream house is a chore for sure. This building site for a cabin on the mountain would check a lot of boxes for a lot of people. We are truly lucky to have the opportunity to help with a project like this one.
As we started working through the design goals we learned a lot about what our client wanted to have included in their custom cabin design. The open floorplan will allow for the family to gather and the views are framed by the windows looking out over the decks.
The wrap-around porch and decks create multiple spaces for outdoor gathering and the views are incredible. However, this home had a challenge of high winds that impacted the structural design. The location on top of the mountain has very similar challenges to coastal winds and the decks capture that wind uplift.
We also had a goal of adding solar panels to the roof, so the orientation to capture the views and the roof form to allow for solar was integral and took careful planning.
We worked hard to tie all the pieces and parts together from inside to outside to deliver just the right feel for this project.
However, the main goal of this cabin on the mountain and all the critical details came back to being able to create a place to just relax and enjoy creation from a comfortable and accessible home.
Over our 35 years of experience at the Gaines Group, our team has emerged as a leader in multi-family residential design. We have proudly completed projects throughout Virginia ranging from smaller, single-building urban solutions to large 14 building residential communities.
Our depth of experience allows us to quickly identify economic and feasible solutions to a specific site while considering both zoning and parking requirements, fire safety, and accessible design requirements. We work to ensure the site layout and grading allows us to maximize the number of dwelling units without sacrificing valuable amenity space.
Each project solution involves working closely with our developer’s goals and market information specific to the project location. Whether we are working with limited square footage or large luxury units, efficiency is key in multi-family design. Efficiency becomes paramount when designing units that need to meet accessible design requirements and clearances.
Most of our projects take advantage of green building programs to qualify for specific financing credits. We are well-versed in helping clients find the sustainable solutions that are most valuable to a project. Many of our completed projects have received the Earthcraft multifamily certification without a significant increase in budget.
Fostering a sense of community in every multi-family project we take on is central to our mission. We strive to make a difference in our communities through design, and know that creating spaces where residents love living, allows them to stay and invest in their communities. Our amenity spaces are designed to “wow” future residents while providing design that promotes community growth. We are proud that our projects have a track record of leasing up quickly!
Design can build a better future. We believe this holds true for both ground-up projects and the preservation of historical landmarks such as Deering Hall in Broadway, Virginia. Still standing from the 1890’s, Deering Hall is a local building housing over a century of history within its walls. It has adapted over the years and ushered in the changes of the decades by functioning as a town hall, school, opera house, and storefront for various local businesses. Our team jumped on the opportunity to partner with Anthony Slater in achieving his dream of seeing Deering Hall added to the Virginia Landmarks Register and the National Register of Historic Places.
New life and another century of history are ahead of this special building as Slater plans to use part of it to house his local business A-Able plumbing, while the other half will preserve and celebrate its history by functioning as a community meeting space. The restoration of this building will gain increased visibility as the Shenandoah Rail Trail is slated to run behind the property.
The front façade of Deering Hall on Main St, in Broadway.
Until recently, there were no houses or buildings in Broadway on the national registry of historical buildings. The town itself had not been deemed “historical” until Anthony sought to preserve and share the history housed within the walls of Deering Hall. History is truly written on the walls inside as there are signatures and sketches carefully preserved from the 1890’s in the upstairs walls. Thanks to a book found at the local municipal building, meeting notes from 1896-1914 were uncovered and Deering Hall was specifically named as Broadway’s first town hall. This critical piece of information cemented the history of this building and the town. This discovery led to the approval of Deering Hall to be added to the National Register of Historic Places and the Virginia Landmarks Registrar.
Signatures circa 1898 displayed on the walls.An original painted medallion preserved from the 19th century.
The Gaines Group partnered with Anthony to successfully complete the National Registry applications as well as code research and renovation permit drawings. Similar to our partnership in the historic Minor-Nelson project, it has been a rewarding experience to see a time-worn building be restored for new life ahead.
Our team recently had the opportunity to help preserve a slice of history in Charlottesville, Virginia. The Minor-Nelson house is a historic home dating back to the early 1800s and we were tasked with recreating a historic façade that appropriately honors the Georgian form it was originally built to reflect. The façade needed to include a front porch, steps, and other pediment and architectural detailing to make it appear “original” to its early 19th century roots. Before beginning the design process, we first investigated the home at UVA’s archives and Charlottesville’s Historical Society to uncover more information. Named after the original owner Martha Minor, the home was built between 1827-1840 and served multiple uses in its lifetime. It was originally built as a private residence but during the Civil War, the house functioned as a branch of Charlottesville General Hospital. It continued to serve as a medical practice after the war and changed hands to Dr. Hugh Nelson.
Although there was limited information specific to the front porch detailing, we uncovered the photograph below and took clues from the original construction. We based the design around the indications noted from this early photograph as well as the details found in the current door surround. The side veranda was also used as a guide to influence the design of the front porch as it displays many original architectural details.
The carpenter gothic porch and front gable detailing were added to the house in the early 1900’s. This photograph shows the house in the 1960’s.Around 1971, the front covered porch was removed and replaced with brick and stone double curved stairs. The door surround was used as a guide to rebuild to covered porch.
Referencing the early photos and Georgian style, we planned for the removal of the existing porch and double stairs. We designed a gothic gable and porch using both tapered half-square and “Temple of the Winds” columns. Additional architectural elements utilized in the design were the additions of cornice, entablature, dental mould, and frieze board. Although still under construction, the following photographs show the porch near completion.
Current (2022) photograph of the Minor-Nelson House porch.
After presenting our design to the Charlottesville Board of Architecture Review, the design was approved in record time! We enjoyed working on this historical project and serving as a resource in restoring a historical landmark in Charlottesville.
No project is too small, no dream is too big when it comes to the projects we design. One of our strengths as a firm is our diversified portfolio and eagerness to take on a range of projects. From custom residential to commercial, industrial, multi-family, church, school, and even a backyard playhouse, we enjoy the creative challenges these projects allow us. We value serving as a resource to our greater communities in designing a variety of projects and solutions.
We love sharing our work and will be highlighting the diversity of our designs under #WeDesignThatToo to help inspire your next project!
A backyard greenhouse in Albemarle County, Virginia.Modern home in Harrisonburg, Virginia.A 108,000 square foot award-winning warehouse in Harrisonburg, Virginia.Multifamily Community in Charlottesville, Virginia.Custom playhouse designed by Charles Hendricks.
As a small architecture firm, we love being a dynamic team that is ready for the next creative challenge. Our portfolio and upcoming posts under #WeDesignThatToo on our social media pages are a great source of inspiration and demonstrate our ability to take on many different types, sizes, and styles of projects. Think you might have a design idea and want to explore it further? Reach out and we will gladly talk through your vision!
