by Charles Hendricks | Jan 12, 2025 | architecture, Charlottesville, project update
Paul sent us an update on the Haiti Eating Pavilion project he worked on with Dave Wheatley.
Dave is a carpenter that attends church with Paul at
Charlottesville First United Methodist Church. He approached Gaines Group Architects to provide a rendering for fundraising and awareness purposes and structural consultation for an eating pavilion. Dave is a project team leader that travels to Haiti to help build a variety of projects for churches in Haiti. He operates through a group called
FrIends of Fort LIberte. .
by Charles Hendricks | Jan 5, 2025 | architecture, Building Science, Green Building, green term defined
Over the next 10 days the temperature in the area is going to be a high of freezing most days. It is time to hunker down and enjoy the warmth of your home when possible. So fire up those logs and pull out the extra blanket – winter is here. I have written a lot of blogs over the last 14 years about saving energy, making your home more comfortable, and reducing your monthly electric bills. However, 10 days of cold will test any system and all levels of protection. So here are a few home updates to get you through the freezing weather.
Take advantage of the sun and protect against heat loss through windows. Close your insulated curtains on the north side of your house over the next few days and on the south side when you are not getting heat gain from the sun. If you have storm windows make sure they are closed up tight. If you feel air coming through the windows, a temporary fix is to put plastic over the windows. This is not attractive and should not be a long term solution, but it works in a pinch.
Make sure your exterior heating unit is cleared of any snow so it can breathe and make sure the inside filter is clean so it can work efficiently. Most heating units can work 10 degrees and better outside temperature but might struggle on these really cold nights to keep up. If you have gas or electric back up heat your bill could grow quickly. So reduce the set temperature inside when you can and add a blanket to your bed.
Frozen Pipes are a huge problem when temperatures stay below freezing for multiple days in our area. This can happen at an exterior hose connection or just pipes in an outside wall. Read more about what to do to prevent frozen pipes and what to do if you have frozen pipes in this blog “Freezing Pipes: Should I be worried?” Open up the kitchen and bathroom cabinets if they are on an outside wall and keep the door open to those rooms if possible. If you have exposed pipes in your crawl space and it is not insulated (which is should be) then make sure the vents are closed. You need to protect the crawl space in this weather.
Make sure your attic access has insulation over it. In so many houses the attic access insulation was never installed or moved and never put back in place. This is a huge hole in your thermal envelope and should be corrected immediately. Don’t let this one go without checking. If you want to take it an extra step, the attic access is a door and should be weatherstrip sealed to prevent air leakage.
Make sure your attic has the right amount of insulation and is completely insulated. Code minimum has moved to an R60 minimum. I honestly think R30 is economically and functionally all you need – so that is your minimum if you are adding it yourself. However, you want to make sure you don’t block any soffit ventilation if you have a vented attic – this could lead to more problems. If you have ductwork in the attic you really should insulate the entire attic.
Air leakage is a huge concern for comfort on cold days. Leaks around light fixtures, electrical outlets, doors, windows, and even at the top and bottom of walls cause heat loss and energy waste. Make sure your storm door is closed tight and the garage door is down.
Finally, as you start melting away any snow tomorrow, be sure to protect your concrete. Here is a guest post by Phyllis Friesen on the topic.
As they say, this too shall pass – it will be spring soon and there is a whole new list of household tasks that will need attention. I hope you have done the prep needed to be warm this winter but if you have not, make a list so you can get it done before next winter!
by Charles Hendricks | Jan 5, 2025 | architecture, Harrisonburg Architect, Massanutten Resort, project update
Work on this new custom home at Massanutten Resort continues to uncover the design we planned for our clients. Working in the resort on the steep slopes takes some extra care to develop a design that looks like it belongs. There are many houses that clearly just got put on the site but our goal is to always integrate the design with the land. As Beck Builders continues to their work we will update you on the progress.
This modern style cottage has the large glass wall to capture views as well as a large wrap around deck and screen porch. It also blends into the landscape with earth tone colors and exposed wood overhangs. Blending in a rusted metal color and the warm wood over the backdrop of the dark siding makes it clear that this home has style.
Working with the grade on the site we were able to diminish the garage door from being a focal point of the home design. We also extended the driveway and planned a parking area on the home site so the owners can host lots of friends at their retreat. We cannot wait until the interior finishes get installed so we can see the final vision in real life.
Previous update here.
by Charles Hendricks | Jan 4, 2025 | architecture, citizen architect, community, Harrisonburg Architect, Local Leaders, Office Culture, team
VPAS Soup, Socks, and Sunshine drive for older adults is running from January 2nd – 17th. Our office (downstairs in the foyer) is one of the collection sites along with Visiting Angels, Town of Timberville Town Hall, and the VPAS Harrisonburg office! So stop by 141 W. Bruce st and make a donation this coming week of socks, soup, or a card / drawing.
This event invites you to donate Men’s and Women’s socks, cans of soup, and cards, drawings, and kind notes for older adults in our area. VPAS will distribute them to those in need of comfort and warmth this winter. This kind gesture will certainly warm the hearts of those receiving, but also those VPAS volunteers getting to give the donations out.
Valley Program for Aging Services. This non-profit organization provides a range of services to help older adults (60+) in the Central Shenandoah Valley of Virginia live independently and with dignity. They offer information and referrals, case management, home-delivered meals, congregate meals, transportation, caregiver support, and wellness programs. In essence, VPAS plays a crucial role in supporting the well-being of older adults in the Harrisonburg area and beyond.
To learn more about VPAS and their services, you can visit their website at https://vpas.info/.
by Charles Hendricks | Jan 3, 2025 | architecture, green term defined, Harrisonburg Architect, project update
We have been fortunate to work on a variety of Daycare facilities this year. The Spanish Lab and Learning Center Daycare is another brand new facility that will open in 2025 in Harrisonburg.
This facility is going into an existing building that will require a few major changes to make it work efficiently for a daycare. The biggest challenge with converting an office building into a daycare is typically exterior egress access. In the case of this building, which had holding cells, the major challenge was thick concrete walls where you didn’t want them. We evaluated multiple buildings before finding this one that seemed to work just right for the new use. However, taking out a concrete ceiling and walls that were specifically designed not to come out proved to be a challenge. Fortunately our builder, Nesselrodt Construction, partnered with the innovative excavation firm Maust Excavating to figure out a simple way to safely remove the existing concrete.
As work progresses, the vision for this space is coming into focus. The Spanish Lab and Learning Center will get a dedicated entrance and the Daycare will have a separate entrance. The fenced in yard will make for a great playground and over time more equipment can be added. The classrooms will have lots of windows to invite in natural light where possible.
The additional of more daycare spaces in Harrisonburg is huge for our community. There are waiting lists everywhere for daycare and this prevents everyone who wants to work to get to work. Children who have the opportunity to attend a daycare are more prepared for kindergarten and have opportunities for growing social, emotional, and cognitive skills.
This particular daycare will provide for Spanish speaking skills to grow before ever entering kindergarten. Once you meet the owners of this facility, you will know that the care and quality it will provide will be the best.
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