The Shenandoah Valley Black Heritage Project (SVBH) is a non-profit organization in Harrisonburg that exists to recover and share resources on African American history in the Shenandoah Valley. The impactful work put forth by these community members is coordinated and housed in the Shenandoah Valley Black Heritage Center located on Hill St. in Harrisonburg, Virginia. The Gaines Group partnered with SVBH in their efforts to improve the environmental stability of their building by completing an energy audit. This complimentary service helped identify areas that can be modified to reduce energy usage and increase the overall efficiency of the building.
Charles with members of the Carpenters Guild talking through improvements to Shenandoah Valley Black Heritage Center.
After identifying areas of improvement, the Carpenter’s Guild of Harrisonburg donated their time and efforts to making energy-efficiency improvements and preparing the roof to install solar panels. Give Solar is promoting fundraising efforts to support the entirety of this project which includes the installation of solar panels. If you are interested in supporting this project, please visit their website to learn more about these efforts.
Members of the Carpenters Guild of Harrisonburg worked to make energy-related improvements.
Energy audits are a free service and a great opportunity to support organizations such as SVBH who are doing important work in our community. We have experience providing these audits in numerous homes, non-profit organizations, and various churches in our surrounding areas. We want everyone to feel comfortable in their living or working spaces and cut down on the overpayment of energy bills. Reach out if you or your organization are interested in this free service!
Our last collaboration with Give Solar and the Carpenter’s Guild resulted in a more energy-efficient building at Our Community Place in Harrisonburg. This pro-bono work benefits the community by lowering the monthly utility bills of area non-profits making them more sustainable and our community more resilient.
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 shopping options. We teamed up with Nielsen Builders to design the latest renovation and addition which will provide 27,160 square feet of additional retail space.
The existing Iron Skillet restaurant at Petro is being converted into a convenience-type store that will have the largest drink cooler we have ever seen. This destination is the perfect stop for rest and relaxation for travelers, especially for big rig drivers as there will be many options available to customize your truck, take a break, and eat.
The Petro project is being done using a design-build model in partnership with the property owner and Nielsen Builders as the primary contract holder. This construction contract type has many advantages for a complex, industrial-type renovation project, where the facility needs to stay operational during construction. This project requires a high level of coordination between contributors to ensure the unified goals are met. We deliver high levels of coordination through numerous design meetings that bring together civil, electrical, plumbing, architecture, HVAC, and general contractors. The results are a testament to our focus on collaboration from initial concept to completion!
The value of adding someone that has years of training to think through design options to provide the optimized solution for facilitating the life you want to live in that particular place is the obvious answer. (and a really long sentence)
However, there is more to the design choice when thinking about a new home vs a custom home. The results of this early choice will have compounding impacts through the process of design and construction. An architect goes through extensive education and training to learn to think design, a skill that most have not developed. A home of business that is designed by an architect has taken into consideration so much more than just how it will be built or simple aesthetics, the design process thinks through daily life, challenges that might come up, energy usage, movements, habits, views, and the particular site. Architects are doing more than just providing what you will need to get permits, they are working on a holistic solution for a home or business that is just right for you. Architects stay in touch with the latest building science thinking and trends in the industry to be able to provide clients with the options available to achieve the best value solutions. Maybe most important, the architect acts as the client’s advocate through the process to reduce stress and make the process fun.
This home perched on a mountain top with views for miles is a good example of a custom design. The homeowner found an online plan as their starting point and then we set out to manipulate the design to create the space just right for this building site. We don’t usually start with an existing design and this one changed a lot to make it work for this site, but every project we do is truly custom. We start where our client needs us to start to realize the right solution for their lifestyle goals.
As you can see from the photos, this project is all about the views. We worked with the client to develop a comprehensive design where all the details come together into a beautiful, comfortable oasis. Framing the views from as many points as possible inside and outside the home was critical for the success of the design. The building science that informed the design decisions also loomed large as this home will be impacted by strong winds and lots of snow with the high altitude. As the parts of the assembly come together we are thrilled to see the care and attention to detail the builder is taking to provide the best product possible (see the lumber sitting up off the ground, a good indication that the builder cares about his work).
Design matters is a recurring mantra in our daily work. We take pride in listening to the goals of our clients and developing the best possible solutions to meet those goals from aesthetics, budget, to framing views. We are thrilled to see this one take shape and would love to talk to you about your dream home to come.
Each year the talented students at Massanutten Technical Center (MTC) (https://www.mtcva.com/?fbclid=IwAR33Xupl6DyJEsNhr8Hp1mz4kLpFGsq8frswPGIytk4rsPo26pbMfyZV7go) have an opportunity to build a house. This is a wonderful way to learn all that it takes to put together a home. Massanutten Technical Center not only provides excellent hands-on education but gives students real-world experience at the same time.
Charles Hendricks has served on the MTC Foundation (https://www.mtcva.com/mtc-foundation) for a number of years and has had the opportunity to work in many ways to support the school. He loves that MTC brings so many resources to local students that want to learn a trade before going out into a career or continuing on at a University. This past summer he returned to teach in the architectural camp for middle school students. The quality of education provided at MTC makes our community better as these students have hands-on experiences that they will use for a lifetime. Charles says “I am always blown away by the quality of teachers and their passion for the students. Of course, the administration at MTC is also top-notch!”
The house this year will be sold through sealed bids. Gaines Group Architects is proud to have designed the current version of home they have been building now for a few years. It has an efficient and open floorplan, 3 bedrooms, and 2 baths. There is an optional stair for a full basement or that space could become a closet if your lot demands a crawl space.
If you are in the market for a new house, take a look at this project. The quality will be exceptional and the purchase of the house itself supports the students for years to come.
We are beyond excited for our very own Charles Hendricks to attend the first annual Rocktown Energy Fest to present his panel on, Building Science: Save Energy and Money. You can RSVP and find further details of this event here.
A home is the most complicated machine you will ever own. Humidity, water, insects, energy use, air quality, VOCs: there are so many factors that impact your health and comfort in a home, but we rarely think about them. Join Charles for a short session to talk about things you can do in your home that can reduce your monthly energy bills, saving you money while reducing your chances of getting sick.
We hope to see you there this weekend, Saturday, October 2nd at 10:00 AM. Our panel begins at 10:20 AM, and if you would like more information on saving money by going green check out our ‘At Home Energy Series’ Including Solar, Hydro, and Around the House!
