The #HilltopHouse is coming right along and is truly an amazing space. I was just looking back through my notes from the first design meeting: “modern, steep roof pitch, big columns, lots of windows, and connection to outside is everything.” When a client knows what they want it makes the process fun. We really get to dig into the design and figure out what they mean by particular terms and descriptions of space. We get to find special ways to highlight their goals in the design. We get to bring a touch of style to their dreams.
This #HilltopHouse has a very clear style, lets call it Industrial Loft Modern Farmhouse for now. It sits beautifully in the heart of the Shenandoah Valley capturing long views over the land and out to the mountains. The open feel of the home is amplified by the tall vaulted ceilings and plentiful glass. The details are subtle letting the views to the work of “decoration.” The house is designed for family to gather, to connect to the outside places where they play, and to build memories.
Here are some photos from my last visit to the home site. The home is being construction by Larry Sauder of Sauder Builders, Inc.
View from the driveway with driveway installation underway View from the rear of the house View from the rear porch First floor looking back towards the kitchen and loft second floor looking back at the loft
While most of us around here are swept away in the excitement of this holiday season, we playfully enjoy airing our grievances in honor of Festivus. Our new years resolutions are being carefully crafted but in the meantime, it sure does feel good to get some of these grievances off our chest. Let us know if you can relate to any of these or what else is on your list!
Deborah: “I only have two hands, so I can only walk two dogs at a time…or else I’d adopt a passel of them.”
Annie: “three words; Ticketmaster & Taylor Swift. Also worth mentioning, can the tripledemic be done now and why is self-check out at the grocery store seemingly the only option these days?”
Charles: get ready for a long list! “Supply chain brokenness, can we just go ahead and fix it already? Left lane slowness, I have places to go, move over people. Why is daylight savings still a thing? Starting work before dark and finishing in the dark makes no sense. As always, lack of good design is at the top of my grievances, plain and simple, hire an architect. Air permeable insulation is a waste of energy, vapor barriers in the wrong places is just wrong- let it dry out. Lastly, anyone who doesn’t love grumpy architects because we are the best. It’s outrageous, egregious, preposterous!”
Adrienne: “Toddlers who ask for food to then only take one bite and say ‘ew, yucky’, especially when that food is at a restaurant and you paid for their dinner. Dogs that act completely blind and deaf in the house but then coincidentally know exactly when a neighbor is walking a block away and needs to sound the alarm and bark! Also, our cars, for constantly giving us new reasons they need to be replaced, but also being so expensive to purchase right now. Lastly, I’m looking at you Netflix. Why do you give me an option with ads that I sincerely dislike but am too frugal to pay more to get ride of them? Oh and one more, laundry, because it’s laundry.”
Carla: “Bloop tone (not the frozen yogurt store) and robo calls. A forecast of snow but then it rains will always be at the top of disappointments. Lastly, when your car thinks there is someone in the empty passenger seat and the fasten seatbelt warning comes on. Enough!”
Not sure about you, but those of us who aired our grievances feel like we took a big exhale and are ready for both the exciting opportunities frustrating small moments ahead. Give it a try and let us know what is on your list. Happy Festivus from the rest of us!
The Cabin Addition in Luray is finishing strong and looking really good. Integrity Custom Builders took on this challenge to add functional space to a remote cabin retreat. The addition was straight forward but the site is remote adding to the complexity of coordination. This project highlighted the importance of a team approach from design to construction to owner’s being involved through the entire process.
Click the arrows to view some photos of where we started.
We started with a simple request of adding more functional space to make the cabin more comfortable when visiting. The existing kitchen was just big enough for two and the primary bedroom was very cozy. The cabin featured one bath making taking turns a little bit of a challenge in the mornings. So we developed a plan to make a very spacious primary bedroom with a private bath, added a laundry room, needed storage, and really opened up the kitchen space for entertaining.
We love how this project is coming together and look forward to the next phase in the future to update the other rooms we did not touch in this project.
Click the arrows to view some photos of the almost finished project.
When we kicked off the design for the modern home on Afton Mountain our clients provided aesthetic goals and a clear idea of program. They knew which rooms were needed on each floor and a general direction they wanted to go with overall aesthetics. Every home we design is custom from the design itself to the approach. However, these were the first clients ever to bring a massing model to the schematic design kick off meeting. It was good to discuss early how the house would sit on the lot and how to maximize the views from each room. We had a lot of inspiration from their existing house, spaces they loved and wanted to recreate, and were able to blend in some really cool custom features to tie it all together in this new place.
As the construction of the home finishes up I was able to stop by for a visit and to grab some photos of the progress. Our client is building some of the cabinets and furniture themselves so the project is not complete yet. The views are amazing, the modern mountain home sits just right on the land, and the program is perfect for how they plan to live in this new place. We are very happy to share some of the photos with you for this modern mountain home.
View from the road with detached garage/workshop on the right
View back to the kitchen from the living area.
Amazing primary shower.
Beautiful sunroom modeled after their existing sunroom.
If there is one thing we know to be certain, it’s that Adrienne Stronge is no stranger to hard work and setting big goals. As a licensed architect with 16 years of experience under her belt, Adrienne is a respected professional in our industry who credits her entry into architecture to small seeds that were planted throughout her life beginning as early as middle school.
Originally from West Point, Virginia, Adrienne grew up loving to read and research. Her first engagement with the world of architecture came when she participated in a governor’s school program that focused on researching historical regional houses. This experience of researching and building a house model planted a seed as she moved into high school and started paying more attention to the built environment. Also during this time, her family began buying and renovating houses which gave Adrienne a front-row seat to the ways small changes could dramatically affect the way a residence functioned. It was also during Adrienne’s high school career someone told her architecture was a “male profession” and that architecture school would be “too challenging” to get into. To that point, Adrienne fully accepted the challenge and earned early acceptance to one of the top architecture schools, the University of Virginia. Like all new challenges, doubt crept in and Adrienne recalls driving to UVA for the first time second-guessing her decision and the path ahead of her. Once she arrived, Adrienne immediately recalls a feeling of reassurance and an understanding that she was exactly where she needed to be.
Fast forward to her senior year at UVA, Adrienne was busier than she could have ever imagined. While taking a full course load, working four part-time jobs (you read that correctly, four!); she was also in the ecoMOD studio where her team built a modular house in an aircraft hangar. The house was built to be transported to Mississippi to aid in Hurricane Katrina relief and Adrienne traveled to the Gulf Coast three separate times to do relief aid and prep work for the Habitat House. Finding time for interviews was challenging and after talking to a few firms in the area, nothing was feeling like a good fit. That changed when, quite out of the blue, Ray Gaines reached out and asked her to interview at the Gaines Group. As it turns out, a former Gaines Group client who interacted with Adrienne referred her to the firm knowing she would be a good fit. Adrienne recalls the funny experience of not being able to find an interview time amongst all of her commitments and Ray asking her to spontaneously stop by on her way to work on the Habitat House. Ray said he didn’t expect her in interview attire and he wouldn’t hold it against her if and when she showed up in jeans with holes and liquid nail stains, and an old t-shirt. Although Ray was not expecting formal attire, he hadn’t mentioned it to Charles and Paul who questioned why the firm would be interested in hiring someone who showed up in a questionable outfit.
Adrienne officially became a Licensed Architect in 2022
Sixteen years into working at the Gaines Group and Adrienne is a licensed architect with a great depth of experience and a specialization in multi-family design. Her favorite part of being an architect is having an impact on the way people interact with the built environment. She has a special passion for designing environments that ensure accessibility for people of all abilities. This passion stems from a close relationship she had with a family member whose progressive disease confined him to a wheelchair. Adrienne was a first-hand witness to the challenges he navigated interacting with his built environment and the frustrations that came when his opportunities were limited due to accessibility limitations. For this reason, she especially loves working on multifamily projects where she gets to create whole communities with access for everyone throughout the site. These projects create unique challenges when considering accessibility, but Adrienne finds it extra rewarding to solve these design dilemmas. One of her favorite elements to design is accessible pools for people with all abilities to be able to safely enjoy. Additionally, she enjoys focusing on multifamily design as she gets to create smaller, efficient spaces that comfortably fit into an overall design goal while meeting budget constraints.
Outside of being an architect, Adrienne is busy with her family and hobbies. She has been married to her husband Andrew since 2007. Andrew is an artist and an illustrator known for live-printing and local comic-cons and together they travel to many of these local events. In 2020, they welcomed their son Alister to their family and the trips to comic shows have slowed down since having a toddler in tow. Their 16-year-old pug-mix Spudnik is also a beloved family member and together they love traveling and exploring new places. Adrienne has no shortage of hobbies and likes to unwind by reading from her large book collection and doing jigsaw puzzles. She and Andrew have a vintage robot and space toy collection that they enjoy “hunting” for at flea markets, antique stores, and yard sales. Andrew runs their small business buying and selling vintage toys, games, and books, both online and in their booths at a store in Richmond, VA (Odd Balls Collectibles).
Beautiful sunroom modeled after their existing sunroom.
Stonework in progress.
The view from the sewing room.
