by Audrey | Apr 9, 2025 | architecture, Charlottesville, community, Harrisonburg Architect, resources
Destination Marvin: My Visit to Warroad
Part Two: Community
By: Adrienne Stronge
Our company mission has always been to serve our community, which is a mission shared by Marvin. It was great to see how a deep community commitment can play out at a larger scale.
Warroad and Marvin are inextricably linked. The company was founded in 1912 as a family run lumber company, and now the fourth and fifth generations are still mostly in Warroad, leading the growth and expansion of the business that now employs over 8,000 people across 16 cities, including Roanoke, VA.
Standing in front of the Marvin plane that flew us to and from Warroad.
Just by employing most of the town’s population, the company has an enormous impact on the community, but the company and its founding family have contributed so much more. Any time they have seen a need in the community, the company or Marvin family members have helped to fill that need. The library, hockey rink and heritage center were contributed by the family. There is a performing arts center slated to open soon that was developed by a huge donation by a family member. Even things like the retirement community and daycare were family contributions.
The town library.
An impressive window in the Cultural Center.
One of our favorite stops was a place called “The Shed”. Bob Marvin was a serious collector of classic cars, and instead of hoarding his personal collection, he created a museum of sorts where all his cars are displayed and open to the public for free.
Row of cars in “The Shed”
Row of cars in “The Shed”
Row of cars in “The Shed”
During our tour of the town, we were shown where many of the current family members live, and they all live in modest houses and send their children to the local public schools. The current CEO, Paul Marvin, even made time to meet with our groups and introduce himself, speaking volumes about his approachability.
While our contributions may differ in scale, we share Marvin’s dedication to our local communities. We strive to make a positive impact through sponsorships, volunteering, and ensuring that the work we do helps our neighbors and our community.
Click here for Part One
Click here for Part Three
by Audrey | Apr 7, 2025 | architecture, Charlottesville, Harrisonburg Architect, resources
Destination Marvin: My Visit to Warroad
Part One: Products
By: Adrienne Stronge
As architects, we are trusted to ensure the products that we recommend to our clients are of the best quality and efficiency that is offered at their price point. We spend a lot of time during the year learning about manufacturing details and testing procedures for many of the products that go into construction. It’s why, when offered the opportunity to travel to Warroad, MN to tour the Marvin Windows facilities, I jumped at the chance to get this in-depth look at their products and the factories where they are produced.
A group of kids playing hockey on the frozen river in Warroad.
Marvin Windows and Doors was founded in Warroad, and their window factory occupies a sprawling industrial facility of over 2 million square feet. The factory in Warroad produces the Ultimate line, which is an extruded aluminum exterior and wood interior.
The Marvin headquarters stair that uses window pieces for the railings.
Image of the product showcase at the Marvin Headquarters.
We started our tour at the very beginning, where raw lumber entered the facility to be sorted and processed into the individual window parts. The wood is continuously inspected for flaws and defects that might lead to weakness in the window frame before and after each step in the process. The number of people involved in visually inspecting each component as it works its way through the facility is impressive. As the wood is further processed into the necessary part, there is always a human presence guiding the process and inspecting the piece.
Ready to go into the factory, wearing a headset so we can hear our guide, and eye protection.
Wood cut and sorted by size and ready to be processed.
Window parts stacked and sorted.
A stack of window parts.
A window mock-up that was brought in to address questions and concerns from our team.
A divided light frame ready for glass.
A frame being bent into a custom shape.
In the round top and custom division, there is even more human skill and craftsmanship involved. So much of the process here is done by hand, with a select force of expert craftsmen who intricately work the wood into any design imaginable. It was especially exciting to see one of the employees there working on a window for a new UVA facility, carefully laying out the SDL bars that were dictated by a design in a historic existing building.
SDLs being cut and positioned by hand.
A window for UVA coming down the line.
Aluminum SDL lights being placed by hand.
In addition to factory tours, we were treated to some educational sessions and given the opportunity to give feedback to the team. The feedback from our team wasn’t just noted and forgotten. Our guide pulled people in from Marvin headquarters to directly address our questions and concerns. It was amazing to get a direct response and then to receive contact information for people to follow up with in case we have additional questions.
All of the individual pieces that go into a clad double-hung window.
Window corner sections used to discuss differences in Marvin window lines.
The new Marvin skyview window.
Having worked in this industry for nearly 20 years, I thought I had a good understanding of windows, but I learned so much more than I expected and will never look at a window the same way again.
Click here for Part Two
Click here for Part Three
by Charles Hendricks | Aug 5, 2024 | community, resources
Over the years, we have been grateful to learn more about dementia and dementia-friendly design through our clients, personal experiences, and dementia-friendly business trainings with Valley Program for Aging Services (VPAS) – we would highly recommend their Dementia Friends Training! Through this training, we are proud to have received the certification of “Dementia Friendly Business.” We are motivated to create a business that is dementia-friendly, continue learning, and integrate these important design considerations into our projects.
If you or your loved ones are interested in learning more about dementia-friendly design, don’t hesitate to reach out to us and we would love to talk with you.
Below, check out the Dementia Friendly Design Guide that we have developed (resource design by Annie Frazier). Download this guide for free at the button below.
Further explanation from VPAS’s Dementia Education Page:
“There is a national movement underway to ensure that people living with dementia have the resources and support they need to live independently and well for as long as possible.
VPAS offers many educational opportunities regarding dementia, and those who participate, help their localities achieve the official designation of a Dementia Friendly Community.
We also offer activities for persons with dementia and those that care for them.”
by Charles Hendricks | Apr 8, 2024 | architecture, Indoor Air Quality, resources
When doing a renovation, it is important to take a holistic view of what is possible. Most of the renovation and addition projects we receive start with a challenge such as – we want to add a primary bedroom on the first floor to make our home a lifetime home. This is a great place to start and we love taking on that challenge.
As a full-service design firm, we can evaluate the existing home for structural systems, aesthetics, function,
aging-in-place, and efficiency. We look at how the existing home is built and how to most efficiently add the desired space. We offer aesthetic solutions coupled with building science and efficiency expertise. We think through aging-in-place standards to make the home as adaptable as possible over time.
For many additions or renovations, there is an opportunity to add the right
insulation in the right places and upgrade the
mechanical systems, while making the space functional and beautiful. We don’t stop at picking out just the right tile and cabinets, we make sure the renovation addresses monthly utility bills and the durability of the structure. This holistic approach provides the highest value to our clients for their investment.
If you are thinking about doing a renovation or addition, consider adding durability, indoor air quality, and
comfort to your list of priorities. This brings your investment into a long-lasting value-added proposition.
by Charles Hendricks | Feb 29, 2024 | architecture, Multifamily Design, resources
By Principle Architect and Multi-Family Director, Adrienne Stronge, and Principle Architect and Business Manager, Charles Hendricks.
Meadow Branch Apartments, a multi-family Luxury Living Community in Winchester. Photo provided by KBS.
In multi-family design, we are designing communities and creating homes for a wide range of people. There are many requirements that must be considered such as code-required fire and egress stipulations, accessibility and fair housing concerns, and individual jurisdiction zoning requirements. For a successful multi-family design project, the goal is to find the balance between minimizing costs and creating inviting communities that rise above your competition, staying occupied and profitable for years to come. Some of our many considerations with initial multi-family design are below.
- Keep your target market in mind.
- Optimizing the site plan for density of units, parking, and resident access is key.
- The site should be comfortable for your residents.
- Building design should be simple but attractive.
- Create as few unit types as possible.
- Building science is an important consideration through the design of the building details.
- Moisture intrusion is a major consideration in all building types, but especially in multi-family construction where any issues could result in costly repairs and unoccupiable units.
- When specifying materials in multi-family construction, the instinct is to use very inexpensive materials to save costs. However, using cost-competitive, durable materials will keep the building working properly longer with less maintenance cost.
- The quality of the drawings and specifications is just as important as the quality of the design.
- Lastly and most importantly, picking a small architecture firm with years of experience in multifamily design can make the process most tailored to you, your site, and your prospective residents.
Keep in mind that the development varies by area, site, budget, and aesthetic goals. If you are considering developing land for a multi-family project, please reach out and we will be happy to share our resource guide.
by Charles Hendricks | Jun 27, 2023 | Building Science, Green Building, resources
The sun is shining down this summer and the weather is heating up out there. I’m suddenly more aware of my AC system… and the large amount of money it might be taking out of my wallet. These 7 tips can help you stay comfortable in the hotter temperatures and save money on your electric bill.
7 Tips to save energy and money:
- Adjust your thermostat up a few degrees. This is one we hear a lot. The Department of Energy recommends that you keep the temperature at 78 degrees while people are indoors. It may not be realistic to keep your thermostat set this high for everyone, but try raising the temperature by just a few degrees and see what it feels like. When the temperature inside is close to the outdoor temperature, the less your HVAC system needs to run, saving you money.
- Use those curtains! The sun beating through those gorgeous wide windows of yours can create significant heat in your house. On especially sunny days, draw the curtains and pull down the blinds to block the heat.
- Let your shrubbery grow. The shade from outside landscaping (or inside, pictured left) can block the sun from sunny windows. Plants who prefer full sun do well on the South-facing side of your house, the side that gets the most sun and heat. Their flourishing growth will block your windows from the hottest direction. Your plants will love you and you will feel more cool!
- Replace your HVAC filters. It can take about 2 minutes. Simple as that.
- Use a clothesline instead of a dryer.
- Take shorter, colder showers to save on the water and electric bill. Better yet, install a low-flow shower head.
- Use a ceiling fan instead of turning on the air conditioner. The air moving around the room improves comfort without using a lot of energy.
