Amazing views have been a hallmark of many of our recent projects and this one is no exception. Poised looking over the Blue Ridge Parkway in the Elk Rock Meadow subdivision this home is designed to capture views and enhance livability. So many of our clients understand the importance of design for flexibility, energy efficiency, and durability and this home features all of these. This Blue Ridge Mountain home highlights and enhances the beauty of Virginia.
We work hard to balance the budget and aesthetic goals with building science facts. Sometimes you want to capture views with lots of glass and therefore you have to enhance the insulation in other parts of the home to maintain comfort. Working through a custom design process we find the answers to “what life do you want to live in this place” and develop a home that enhances that goal.
Added to the idea of custom solutions that enhance livability, we incorporate building science knowledge to make a home comfortable and durable. Over the past year, indoor air quality has become a major point of discussion. We look at how the home can “clean” the air you breathe, what materials are being used that might off-gas chemicals, and where those air leakages might happen to reduce infiltration. This focus on building science and functionality of space creates solutions that when incorporated with aging-in-place design concepts create homes for a lifetime.
We are thrilled to see our small business clients growing and expanding. In 2016 we did a major interior renovation of Weiler Orthodontics clinic to update the aesthetics and improve the functionality of the space. This project was well documented in blog posts HERE, HERE, and HERE. We worked with Herr and Company and defied time of construction rules to get this space back up and running. As their business has continued to grow there grew a need for some more functional changes in the existing space and we were thrilled to get the call to help Weiler Orthodontics.
The current renovation work is updating some of their spaces for new technologies used in the business, improving the waiting area for parents, and providing some additional examination rooms. While this renovation is much smaller in scale than our 2016 effort, the value of this additional space is enormous for where the business has grown to in 2021.
There is nothing better than having clients call us back for their next project and no better feeling than seeing our clients enjoy success.
We are beyond excited for our very own Charles Hendricks to attend the first annual Rocktown Energy Fest to present his panel on, Building Science: Save Energy and Money. You can RSVP and find further details of this event here.
A home is the most complicated machine you will ever own. Humidity, water, insects, energy use, air quality, VOCs: there are so many factors that impact your health and comfort in a home, but we rarely think about them. Join Charles for a short session to talk about things you can do in your home that can reduce your monthly energy bills, saving you money while reducing your chances of getting sick.
We hope to see you there this weekend, Saturday, October 2nd at 10:00 AM. Our panel begins at 10:20 AM, and if you would like more information on saving money by going green check out our ‘At Home Energy Series’ Including Solar, Hydro, and Around the House!
We are thrilled to jump back into another First Friday celebration this month with artist, Sara Harper. Based in the Shenandoah Valley, Sara Harper explores the depth of nature with line and form in drawings and oil paintings. Her work evokes a deep appreciation for both complexity and simplicity in nature and is characterized by the practice of observation.
Varied lines and brush strokes are used in Sara’s oil painting portraits of animals and people. These pieces are created with the philosophy that there is great intrinsic value in the rich inner life of each subject. Harper’s dynamic use of color breathes life into her work in a way millions of artists have struggled to achieve, her intricate color layering and delicate brush strokes show she has not only mastered realism but is making it her own.
Sara isn’t just highly experienced with color relationships and layering, through her ink pieces she exemplifies a masterful eye of proportion, shape, and balance – especially when it comes to nature. These pieces and many more will be on display at the CW Depot through the month of October. You can also RSVP to the opening night to meet the artist. We are requiring masks be worn inside and encourage you to be vaccinated if you attend this event.
For more artwork, you can check out Sara’s Instagram and Etsy!
This week we went over the different ways to conserve energy using sunlight and rainwater, but if growing your own food and catching rain isn’t fitting for your lifestyle there are plenty of other things you can do to cut down on energy bills!
A quick fix that will save you money for years to come is swapping our your light bulbs! Switching from regular bulbs to LED bulbs can save you up to $1,000.00 in a 10 year span. By using a semiconductor to convert electricity into light LED light bulbs work 90% more efficiently than regular incandescent bulbs!
Unplug your appliances! Did you know that your appliances still use electricity even when not in use? That means the iphone charger plugged in next to your nightstand is still using electricity even when your phone isn’t plugged in. In retrospect it doesn’t seem like a big deal but when you have several appliances (toaster, coffee maker, etc.) plugged in and not in use this can add up to an extra $100-$200 a year in unused energy.
Washing your clothing in cold water can be a huge game changer for not only your clothes but your energy bills. While washing your clothes in cold water can help preserve the color and size of fabric, 90% of the energy your washing machine uses is just for heating up the water! Cold Water Saves does an excellent job of breaking down laundry loads and energy pricing here, washing in hot water costs around $0.68/load whereas washing in cold water costs $0.04/load.
Change your air conditioning filter monthly. As your AC gets dirtier over time it can make it more difficult for it to pump out air, which can even cause it to break down quicker. As a result you could save up to 15% on your utility bills.
