Canstruction Harrisonburg 2016 wrapped up earlier in April and it was a huge success. This year’s event included teams from Blue Ridge Architects, 4 teams from the JMU Engineering School, and Valley Engineering. These amazing teams constructed a 8′ tall corn cob, a bridge, a space shuttle, and several buildings from JMU. With their combined efforts this event raised 6,098 pounds of food!
This event is important to our community because it raises awareness of the issues of hunger we have in our community. Factoring in inflation, many families now earn less than they did before the great recession. Finding it challenging to make ends meet, many people have to make tough choices between hunger and paying other bills. The Blue Ridge Area Food Bank serves an average of 118,600 people per month. They also distributed 24.8 million pounds or 20.6 million meals last year.
The 2016 Home and Garden Show is in the books. This year’s event had the most attendance since we have been part of the event. Our booth space featured my “new” 60+ year old drafting desk. The desk was Ray’s Grandfather’s drafting desk. We are going to use it in the new Depot office space.
As the SVBA Home and Garden Show continues to evolve into a larger community event each year. This year Canstruction, the Harrisonburg Homesteading Festival (although weather impacted this event), the non-profit showcase, SPCA Adoption, MTC Auction, and the WHSV Yard Sale all at the same venue.
MTC pavilion at sunrise
WHSV Yard Sale
Some of the SVBA building members were banner sponsors this year.
There is always a wide variety of vendors at the show.
The Friday night VIP party continues to be a huge success.
MTC is a huge part of this event and the auction is a source of funds for scholarships. The school uses this event to showcase their student’s skills. You would be amazed to see how many programs and how excellent these students are in their field of study.
With 5,000 people attending the event this year, the event certainly was popular. However, the SVBA Home and Garden Show committee continues to look for ways to improve. If you have ideas of what the show could evolve into over the coming year, please let me know.
I have lost my blogging mojo. Maybe I have said everything I had to say or maybe this is just the break so many told me I needed to take from trying to do too much. I have tried to write several posts over the last few weeks, but nothings seems to gel. So for now, here are some pictures I have taken over the last few weeks. If there are topics I can cover about architecture or building science that you think are interesting, let me know.
A fast-food restaurant is not often thought of as a “green” building. However, when Jane and Michael Blackburn approached their future Harmony Square Dairy Queen, that is exactly what they asked for from us. Mike said, “this is a locally owned business, we care about our community, and we want to impact the community and the environment in a positive way.” This Harmony Square Dairy Queen is in its second generation of ownership. The store is run by Jane Blackburn who grew up in the business with her late mother Josephine Musser. Jane’s goals were simple, “make a store that will be energy-efficient and durable – we have lots of loyal clients and we want them to love this new store and for them to know that we love them.” Working with a standard Core 72 Dairy Queen design, we had to convert the design package to reflect local code and also boost the efficiency. This is a delicate balance that would have to meet local standards and also be approved at the state and national corporate levels of the chain.
Harmony Square Dairy Queen – Jane and Mike have now created a Dairy Queen that is very energy-efficient.
Opening in early January 2016 the loyal customers have shown their appreciation for the efforts after only one month of data. With a 46% increase in business over the same month last year, a larger store footprint, two additional cake freezers, three additional reach in freezers, a chain broiler, site lighting, and additional exterior signage, there is a higher energy demand. Even then, the store is trending at 50% of the national average for energy usage per square foot for a fast food chain store. The energy-efficient features used at the store are:
high performance air tight insulation package to reduce wasted energy and increase occupant comfort
Energy-Efficient LED lights
Skylight tubes to provide natural daylight deep into the space
5 Kw Solar Photovoltaic Array on the roof
On demand water heating
Low flow water fixtures
High efficiency heating and cooling system
Harmony Square Dairy Queen – Using innovative building science systems, they have created a store that is very likely the greenest Dairy Queen in the state if not the country.
Work on The Chesapeake Western Railroad Depot continues and Jim and the guys are making tremendous progress. The electrical, plumbing, and mechanical rough-ins are all done. The structural flooring repairs are done. The insulation is installed in the attic. The warehouse roof is being rebuilt and brick cleaned from the fire damage.
Chesapeake Western Railroad Depot in the News
These past few weeks the project was newsworthy for WHSV and the Daily News Record. It was a busy time doing hard hat tours and making final decisions.
Tours of the Chesapeake Western Depot
Michael Sheeler a talented young photographer in Harrisonburg joined one of the hard hat tours to document the event. His work enhances the beauty of the buildings.
