by Charles Hendricks | Oct 26, 2024 | architecture, Charlottesville
Albemarle County Custom Homes and Renovations
Our firm was founded in Charlotteville, Virginia over 36 years ago. In that time we have designed 100s of homes and renovation projects for our community. We have built solid relationships with quality builders and know this community. From Key West to Glenmore, Old Trail to Ivy, Keswick to Earlysville we love working on traditional to modern styles. Our work infuses building science into all types of homes making them durable, energy efficient, healthy, and beautiful.
Renovations and Additions
Renovation and addition work in the Albemarle County area often allows us to bring a traditional style home into a functional modern solution. This home we added an in-law suite on the rear of the existing brick ranch house.
Custom Homes
We have 100s of custom homes designed to provide a dream life on beautiful dream lots. The styles of home that we have had the opportunity to design include prarie, modern, traditional and more.
Interior Design Consulting
We also offer interior design consulting. We can help create a plan to update your existing home. Our connections with trusted material suppliers provide many options for you to choose from.
by Charles Hendricks | Sep 28, 2024 | architecture
The variety of architectural projects we have the opportunity to work on is fairly amazing. The types, locations, systems, builders, and clients all have a huge range of diversity. If it is true that variety is the spice of life, we are very spicy indeed. It keeps every day interesting and offers challenges and opportunities. We are constantly learning and growing as designers. We get to work with so many different types of clients from homeowners, to non-profit boards, to industry leaders. We have the opportunity to discuss requirements with building code officials, city planners, fire departments, engineers, sprinkler experts, building product representatives, and contractors. We balance budget, performance, dreams, scope, best practices, workflow, living habits, and more in each day of design.
Commercial Building Change of Use – Office to Daycare
Another project is a commercial building change of use from an office to a daycare. This steel framed structure with open web steel trusses, on a crawl space required coordination between client, engineer, and contractor. We worked for a building committee that reported to the client’s board of directors.
Wood Framed Construction
This project featured extra tall wood framed construction over a crawl space, and scissor trusses. We worked for the home owners and also got input from extended family members.
Wood Framed Restaurant
This project is a wood framed restaurant with a truss roof. The project required learning about the process of cooking amazing oriental food in a fast food style. The layout of kitchen to allow for flow of product and dining to bring in natural light was critical. We worked through the builder to develop the right solution for this client’s dreams.
Historic Porch Renovation
This historic porch renovation using bricks to create a circular column was a challenge because of how thin the historic columns needed to be to achieve the right historical aesthetic.
Elementary School Addition
This elementary school addition that is steel framed with wood trusses has a lot of specific details that needed to be coordinated. We have been collaborating with MEP Engineers, Structural Engineers, client, building officials, and contractors to get the details just right.
Heavy Timber Coordination
This custom home added a heavy timber coordination element to a dream home goal. With building science as a primary driver in building decisions we make, this specific material type has an added layer of complexity over some of our other projects.
Industrial and More
Add to this mix of project types to others such as industrial, warehouse, change of use commercial projects, interior design consultations, and small residential addition projects and no two days are the same. This is an incredible profession and we are so fortunate to get to work on such a wide variety of projects.
by Charles Hendricks | Aug 8, 2024 | Charles Hendricks, citizen architect, community
The Shenandoah Valley Partnership brings together local government, education, and business to increase economic development activity. Jay Langston and his team have done a fantastic job figuring out new ways to promote our valley in an ever-increasing competitive economic landscape. The result is amazing success at adding new jobs to our valley, growing existing businesses, and attracting new businesses.
“SVP is an awesome collection of businesses that understand the importance of supporting each other, combined with local government and education partners. This organization understands that a rising tide raises all ships.” Board Chairman Charles Hendricks continues, “it takes innovative leadership in our world to attract new business and to support existing business growth, and we have that at SVP.” From a local cooking show to a podcast series, Jay and his team are reaching a large radius of site locators in an authentic way. The message of collaboration among local business leaders resonates with how business wants to be done and these outreach efforts highlight that approach.
We need your help. If you want to be involved in SVP, reach out to Charles or Jay, learn more about investing in the partnership HERE.
by Charles Hendricks | Aug 5, 2024 | architecture
A high percentage, 90% or more, of the houses built in the United States are not designed by an architect. Builders and developers that have expertise in efficiency of building make the design decisions. These homes do not look at quality of life, value added to the occupants, energy efficiency, or even the land they are sitting on. These houses don’t maximize the potential for natural light or think through how a particular family might live in the spaces created.
A house designed by an architect can significantly improve the daily lives of those living in the home. First is the functional layout of the house, which, when working with an architect, will go through careful consideration. The client is asked many questions about how they live and how they want to live. This is a time to dream of what could happen if the house you live in facilitated the life you want. Think about getting a home that captures the view of a sunrise while you comfortably sit and sip your morning coffee. What about when all the family comes together to celebrate and the home is sized to adapt, making a large group feel welcome and comfortable where daily the spaces are just right for your small family.
Architects will also focus on the aesthetic appeal of the whole home, details within the home, and help coordinate space to space. Thinking through bringing in natural light and ventilation will make the home warm and inviting. Of course, there is also the focus on building science that helps with indoor air quality and energy-efficiency. With an architect you will get the right spaces in the right places for how you imagine your dream life. The architect will balance budget concerns with quality goals. They will look at the land and how the house should sit in that space and make the home as future flexible as possible.
In a home designed by an architect there will be little things that you might overlook that make life easier. Window in the right place and right size, HVAC system that cleans the air you breath, and a kitchen that allows for gathering. The home will be a lifetime home and not just your new home.
by Charles Hendricks | Aug 2, 2024 | architecture, project update
Our most recent Elk Rock Meadow custom home is moving along and now has walls, windows, and a roof. This Craftsman Style house is being built by Herr and Company.
The driveway brings you into the site and towards the front of the home. From there you can see the barn on the left and the incredible front porch. The two-story home on a partial basement will feature craftsman-style details including stone bases on the tapered columns. The barn on the left will allow our clients to have flexible workspace for their future hobbies. The two-story structure has garage bays and an open plan second floor.
The house entry is recessed giving plenty of room to greet guests while framing the view through the back of the house and out over the valley beyond.
The den in the back opens up to a large deck area where you will be able to enjoy some amazing views.
Pictured below is the house wrap that protects the walls from bulk water while allowing vapor to move through the assembly. This is an important element of the building science strategies used to make this home durable, efficient, and comfortable.
As the house continues to take shape we will post updates. To see past blogs about this project, you can visit Here and Here.
