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...

You can reduce your energy bills with these easy changes: Turn off lights when not used and phantom loads to cut wasted energy. What are phantom loads? Use a clothesline instead of a dryer. Get an energy audit to figure out how your home is performing. We do a light version for...

Rotary is celebrating a birthday. This organization founded by Paul Harris on February 23, 1905, is 115 today!! With a core mission of #serviceaboveself, these business leaders in Chicago set out to build a better community. Using their influence and power they used service, the...

As an architect, I am trained to think about problems–the things that are not working–and develop solutions to fix them. Design matters, and through design, we can build a better future. This requires trust, hope, faith, and experience. You must learn from your past...

We highly recommend travelers who frequent Interstate 81 to check out the new Petro Truck stop in Raphine! The expansion and improvements being made here are impressive. This facility will be one of the largest truck stops on the East coast and houses a wide variety of food and...

Light, delicate, and open; this modern house brings in warmth and comfort while capturing views acrossthe valley. Modern architecture is sometimes thought of as being cold due to its use of concrete and minimalization of details. Thus, the desire to create a modern house...

It’s a new year and the Gaines Group is welcoming a new face to the team. Annie Frazier is the most recent addition to the Harrisonburg team and she is eager to begin her journey. Although she doesn’t have design-related credential initials behind her name (yet), she is...

#YAWS2022 is an innovative architectural conference focused on helping architects be better people hosted by Young Architect. My topic is Empathetic Design or how to use empathy as a design tool to serve your clients while serving your community.

#libraryshelfieday happens on the fourth Wednesday in January and offers a unique opportunity for book lovers to show off their collections. Our bookshelves are a reflection of who we are as designers and our personalities. Our bookshelves change over time as our season in life...

Time for another year-end recap, here are the top blog posts for 2021 on the Ga