I hosted, virtually, two Eastern Mennonite high school students this past semester in our office as they explored a career in Architecture. I have had the opportunity to mentor students(here is another story and another here and one more here) for a number of years now and I always learn a lot from them. This year was no exception with Ryan and Eli joining me once a week on ZOOM. It is amazing to see how fast they are able to learn software, grasp design concepts, and start producing design drawings. Here is Ryan’s recap of his experience job shadowing:
The idea of an internship was new and unfamiliar to me. Unlike many of my fellow students who also enrolled in an internship, I was apprehensive and unsure of my feelings towards architecture, the field of study I was in. I had little past experience with architecture so one of the main reasons I chose to intern under Mr. Hendricks and the Gaines Group Architects was to try to grasp what it was like to be a professional architect. I learned a lot about myself and what I enjoyed and disliked about architecture but I also developed meaningful relationships, improved my time management, teamwork, problem-solving, and communication skills, and learned more about what it’s like to be an architect.
The first time meeting with the architecture group was fairly intimidating. I wasn’t sure what to expect and did not know Eli, the other student interning with Mr. Hendricks, very well. We were assigned one main project that we would work on over the course of the internship. We were asked to design a three-bedroom, two-bath, 2200 sqft house. When this assignment was given I had no prior background with SketchUp, the design software we were told to use. My first few weeks were spent messing around with the technology, making boxy house models, and attempting to gain a better understanding of the various tools provided. As my learning and experience progressed I began to develop a better understanding of the software and what a home design requires.
When we weren’t talking about our house designs Mr. Hendricks was most likely sharing interesting stories of his week and explaining his various architecture endeavors. I realized that architecture, most of the time, is not designing grandiose creations from your head, but is more of a tailored approach to other clients’ wishes. The design is the fun part but, from my understanding, most of an architect’s time is spent working around various legal codes and regulations. Learning more about the realistic side of architecture was very helpful as I am still trying to decide if architecture is something I’d like to pursue.
I am very grateful to the Gaines Group Architects and to Mr. Hendricks for taking time out of his immensely busy schedule to mentor me and Eli. I am thankful for the relationships I have built over the course of this internship and the knowledge I have received. My perception of architecture has definitely changed and while I am still considering this as a possible career option, I feel as though my eyes have been opened to some of the non-ideal aspects of architecture. I have learned a lot during my couple of months with Mr. Hendricks and would definitely recommend an internship to students who are unsure and want to learn more about a career path that they are interested in.
Our team at Gaines Group Architects was honored to be named one of the “Best Tiny Home Architects in the US” and the only firm named in Virginia and West Virginia.
Home Builder Digest blog named 35 firms in their recent list of The Best Tiny House Architects in the US. The tiny house movement or small house movement is a social change in our country where people want to live simply and shed their stuff. The most recent definition of a tiny house that I could find is a maximum of 400 sf excluding lofts. So our small house mentioned in the article is actually large at 448 sf.
Built by Beck Builders, this house was an experiment for our client to see how economical we could create detached housing in the City of Harrisonburg. Our client wanted to help solve the affordable housing issue that we are facing and this project shows us a solution. Smaller footprint homes along with more density, smaller lots, a variation of project types, land trust, and new zoning solutions will all have to come together to solve our local affordable housing challenges.
While the national trend is for larger houses, we are seeing renewed interest in more intentional design that is smaller and more affordable. I hope this trend continues as we need more diversity of house types in the area and I love working on these smaller footprint homes! Here is one I designed with hopes of seeing it built in the future – maybe a cottage/office for a future backyard infill project?
The economy and pandemic combined are doing everything possible to stop construction. It is a challenging time to build, but I am thrilled to say we have a custom home in Keezletown under construction. This custom house we designed is special not just because it is moving forward in a time when so much is on pause, but because it is for some of my favorite people.
The one-story house on a full basement fits comfortably on the sloped farm site. The design was kept compact on purpose while the strategically placed windows capture the incredible views. We wanted this house to have multiple connections to the land surrounding it with exterior space positioned for shade, function, and views throughout the day.
The home features an open floorplan, sunroom, two-bedrooms, and one bath. There is a full walk-out basement that could provide more living and storage space in the future.
I am very thankful that this one is making progress, it is good to see the design taking shape. There are plenty of challenges right now, but with interest rates so low we are still seeing strong interest in custom home design solutions.
Our second Dairy Queen we had the pleasure of designing is now under construction. The first project we completed, Dairy Queen Harmony Square, featured many innovative green strategies. However we stayed true to the corporate design with some minor modifications to allow for additional cake freezers.
However, Charter Colony has a design control district that does not allow for corporate design. It was a challenge to work through the process to develop something that fit their criteria, but we did it and construction has started.
This beautiful one-story Dairy Queen located in Charter Colony will feature cathedral ceilings in the dining room, a large front patio, and of course blizzards!
On my last visit to the site the foundation work was well underway and the under slab piping was being installed. I cannot wait to see where they are at in the coming weeks!
Like most construction during a pandemic, this job has faced so many challenges to get underway. I am thankful for clients that are continuing to move their projects forward and for allowing us to be part of them.
At the Young Architect Winter Series virtual conference session yesterday, “Mastering your inner game…” one question posed by Julia Jack was what is your purpose. Why do you do what you do? She said we should keep asking why of ourselves until you get to our endgame – why are you doing that thing today. Think of something you would give everything up for – that is your because / why. Your because / why drives you each day and gives you energy to keep going. Of course my first because / why is family and friends, but my purpose in life is to serve my community. It is why I make the decisions I make and do what I do each day. I believe that through architecture we can create a greater good.
This service above self approach to life leads me to make design, business, and life decisions. It helps me figure out where to put my time. It also opens me up to failure, disappointment, and rejection like losing an election. Those are the risks of taking a leap of faith to live your life of purpose, your because, to answer your why.
One of the people I see making the biggest difference in the world of architecture right now is Michael Riscica and his organizationYoung Architect. Attending an industry conference where 71.5% of the people are under 35 years old is fairly amazing. There is not talk about needing to add diversity because it is already in the room, attending and presenting, and the space is welcoming and safe for everyone. The sessions being presented are often the first time the presenter has done a training session and they are still top notch. The questions are quality and the chat is crazy active. This is a model of how to build a community that works together for the greater good of an industry, community, and world. I cannot give Michael all the credit as I know Joanna and Destiny are the backbone that makes it happen. This is an amazing community that wants to see other members in the industry find success. I am proud to be part of the YA community and to be recognized for the work I am doing giving back to others.
Michael, Joanna, and Destiny – thank you so much for this recognition. It is very much appreciated. Congratulations to the other YA Award Winners.
For anyone in the industry that wants to do good, here is a great way to do it – sponsor Michael’s work!!!, pay it forward, ask him how you can best support him, show up and mentor others, listen to the young architects in your firm because I am hearing and seeing the future of our industry at this conference and the future is bright (and right now, it is already happening).
