We love our small business clients like Harmony Square Dairy Queen. Here is a link to the project portfolio. We were honored to work on this project to help transform the standard Dairy Queen design into a site specific energy-efficient solution for local owners. The general building layout is very similar to the standard. The systems, insulation, lighting, and solar pv all make this building unique.
When working with a “standard” corporate design you are limited in what changes can be made. The local owners of this restaurant were determined to build the most energy-efficient and durable structure possible. They included solar PV on the roof, high performance insulation, natural daylighting into the core space, and reduced the water usage of the facility.
We love working with small local businesses to make sure their buildings reflect their business culture. We can work with your budget, schedule, and goals to develop the right solution for you and your business.
Eastern Mennonite Elementary School is close to finished. This has been a long time coming and we are finishing later than I hoped due to a variety of reasons. However, this project has turned out just as beautiful as I hoped it would be when I did my first sketch of it back in 2015.
The color scheme changed a bit and the gathering space is a work in progress, but the design intent is evident in the finished product.
The finished landscape will come along with figuring out how the students will use the space. For now, we have a minimal landscape design so the school can evolve into this new loved space that is exactly what the students want and need to learn and play.
The classrooms are not yet filled with life, but you can see how open and full of light they are even in their pre-move in condition and our sketch of what we thought would evolve.
The change from what used to be there to what is there now is incredible. This building has new life and I hope a long life! We, collectively as a team – contractor / building owner / subcontractors / architect – were able to save the embedded energy of the previous structure and update the systems to allow for an efficient and long lasting future for this school and building. With every renovation project there are surprises along the way, but with a good team you can navigate those challenges and produce this kind of dramatic change. This team included Harman Construction, Trumbo Electric, Blauch Brothers, Classic Kitchen and Bath, Lantz Woodworking, Weaver’s Flooring America, Partners Excavating, Coleman Engineering, F & R Engineering, Don Largent Roofing, Rich Wagner Masonry, E=MC2, Marv Nicly, Mike Stoltzfus, and Mast Landscapes.
The building was originally an appliance store when it was built.
It took on new life and was renovated many times, but when we started our work it was a church and Menno Media.
The entrance to the building is welcoming and the front desk we designed and was built by Lantz Woodworking is beautiful. It is a dramatic change from the before photo. The other cabinets that you see through the building were designed and installed by Classic Kitchen and Bathto provide ample storage options for all the teachers.
The existing building rooms were small and most of them were dark. We opened up the floor plan to allow a lot of light and sized the rooms for the Eastern Mennonite Elementary School community. These new classrooms are light and larger than their former classrooms on the loved Rt. 11 campus. Each classroom has ample storage and close access to a restroom and drinking fountains.
The new teaching kitchen in the Eastern Mennonite Elementary School is going to allow for a lot of exciting lessons. It is a big space that will allow for flexibility teaching and is another dramatic change from the previous kitchen in the building.
We wanted to make all the spaces feel light and welcoming so we moved the corridor to the east wall to allow in light. This will also buffer some of the road noise from the classrooms. The old corridor made the space feel small and dark. Our design change opened up the building making it feel larger.
Our goal to make sure we designed fun in all the spaces possible and created usable elements for all the students which led us to upgrade the previous circulation system as well. This new lower handrail in the stair will be friendly to the youngest to oldest in this new building use. There is also an elevator making the entire building accessible to all abilities.
In an effort to make the building itself a teaching element all the systems in the building are being labeled. This building science lesson will be able to take place at all grade levels and in all parts of the building. Even the mechanical rooms got access to light providing viewing windows into the heart of the building systems. Viewing portals will be added in walls to further tell the story of how this building works.
This project makes me happy and I am thankful to have been given the chance to work with the teachers and students to achieve the finished product. I am looking forward to hearing and seeing the activity in these spaces. The love this school gives their students is evident in the dedication they put into creating this new space. If you are thinking about an Elementary School that has a focus on loving your children, teaching them the importance of service, music, art, and play while offering the best education possible – you should check out Eastern Mennonite Elementary School.
On this anniversary of moving into the DepotI wanted to share a love story about an Architectand a Train Station. This story starts many years ago around 2009. When I first moved to Harrisonburg and opened an office downtown I used to walk around looking at buildings. There was still a lot of empty storefronts and a lot of potential. On the outer fringe of the Historic Downtown there was this one beautiful building that was looking a little rough.
It has a powerful presence even in a neglected stage of life. It was often blocked from view by building products being stored all around the structure. One this sunny day as I was walking I snapped a photo of the building as a dreamed of what it could become in a new life. I would have loved to have my office in the beautiful structure. However, at the time I was a 1 person firm with little resources to expand my office needs and certainly no resources to renovate such a structure.
A few years later in 2014 I was invited on a trip to Warroad, MN to learn more about Marvin Windows. This is a training that is offered to architects and builders to see how the window is made / performs and to meet some of the people involved in the process. We were fortunate to have a private jet fly us up and back to shorten the time the trip would take away from our work that needed to be done at home. On this flight I was able to sit with R.S. Mongers & Sons, Inc. President Jim Higgs. We discussed many things as we got to know each other. One topic that came up was this beautiful building at the end of their street and how it would make a perfect window and door showroom and professional office space for an architect. The seed was planted perhaps.
The building however was still a little rough.
Then the stars aligned and I was in need of an office move. We were out of space in our current building and it simply did not fit the narrative we were trying to tell about our business. I started making calls to find the right next office space. It turns out at the same time the Depot building owner was also getting ready to renovate his building. I called Jim Monger and we discussed a strategy to provide design services and for us to take a good portion of the second floor professional office space. The timing was perfect and we all agreed on how to best move forward on the project. Design kicked off in early 2015and construction soon followed. Construction was painstakingly slow for me but in reality moved quickly for a building that had suffered so many years of neglect, fire, and water damage. Jim Monger was there most days and I was as well. It was a process for me of learning about the building, researching the history of this structure, and making design decisions as challenges arose. I learned the incredible history of the Chesapeake Western Railroad, why the building was built at all, the evolution of train culture / industry in Harrisonburg, and honestly fell in love with this building. I refer to it all the time as my Depot – even though it has other owners.
I was fortunate to be able to invite some of my friends to join me in the professional office space upstairs as construction finished up in the summer of 2016. It was an incredible project to be involved with on a daily basis for over a year. Then on July 5, 2016 we got permission from the city to inhabit the building. Moving day had finally arrived.
Now three years later time has flown by and I am still just as much in love with this building. Our work on this building, signage on the street, and monthly parties has grown our business without question. Saving a historic building in downtown Harrisonburg has expanded the narrative I want to tell about design, our business, and the importance of making sustainable decisions. The historic Chesapeake Western Depot building is a gem in our town and the CW has helped to shape our city in the past and my firm for the future.
As our 3 year anniversary arrives on July 5th I want to invite you to our monthly celebration of the arts, our building, and our small business. Just like our very first art opening in our space back in August 2016 with Rhett Miles, we have some amazing artists for you to see this month. I was blown away by their work as they were hanging it yesterday. You are going to want to be there! It is worth the drive, walk, scooter trip, or uber – come on by and see us!
I am serving as a judge for the gingerbread house design competition this year. Just bring your house on December 8 to the Christmas at Crossroads, or drop it off during business hours anytime the week of December 3 – 8, 2018. The winning house will get a Harrisonburg downtown gift certificate for $25.
It would be cool to see this in person – if you are up for the challenge.
Christmas at Crossroads is an annual event and has become a tradition for my family. The small strength and beauty of candles in the still and silent darkness allows visitors a respite from the hubbub of commercialized Christmas chaos as they reflect on the experience of Advent preparations as they might have taken place 100 years ago. The event takes place December 8 from 2pm – 6pm. Admission for adults is $10, students $5, and children 5 and under are free. These fees support the ongoing work of the CrossRoads Valley Brethren-Mennonite Heritage Center. In addition to the traditional candlelight tour, this year’s celebration includes hands-on family crafts, live music, singing, and wonderful holiday refreshments.
The Chesapeake Western Depot is a 100 + year old beauty.
According to the Harrisonburg Daily News on April 22, 1913:
Work on the new Chesapeake Western passenger station and freight depot at the West Bruce street crossing is being rushed by the contractors. The freight shed, 120’ long, is ready for the slate roofing, with which the entire building will be covered and the concrete floor. The front of the building, of the passenger station proper, is now more than two stories high, and it too will soon be ready for the roof and the interior carpenter work. The passenger station proper is being finished on the interior with a white pressed brick, impervious to moisture, the first of its kind used in Harrisonburg, It makes a very attractive and neat appearance. The first floor of the building will be taken up by a large general waiting room, in the four corners of which will be constructed the ladies waiting room, smoking room, colored waiting room, and ticket office. These small rooms will be so constructed that the general waiting room will be octagonal in shape with a 16’ ceiling. Entrances will be made from the north and west sides with steps down to trains on the east. The second floor of the passenger station will be occupied by the general offices of the company which are at present located on the fourth floor of the First National Bank building. The building is being erected of native burned brick, with cut stone trimmings, and will be a very handsome and imposing structure when completed.
This picture was taken around 1918 and shows the engine 102 with a combination mail, passenger car, and coach ready to pull out of the Harrisonburg station on the way to Elkton. The steam engine show was buildt in 1895 by Richmond Locomotive Works.
1949 – Fire in the office space upstairs – no details
1950 – stopped us as passenger station
1980 – Building Fire in lower level in “light world” showroom. Smoke and water damage reported in upstairs offices
1980ish – second floor offices renovated and rented out to securities company
On July 28, 1982, the Chesapeake and Western Offices burned in a five alarm fire that was attributed to arson.
1982 – 1990 – building abandoned
1995 – plans for museum proposed
2003 – used as storage for feed company
2005 – JM Apartments purchased building
The building was used for storage of building materials by Monger’s Lumber for years.
2015: Rezoned to B-1 to allow for no parking requirements.
Special Use permit to allow for warehouse in B-1 district.
Proffers to limit use to professional office and retail owned by building owner.
The building came back to life and tenants moved in in July 2016.
There are monthly open houses hosted upstairs in our office and at least once a week someone stops by to check out this architectural beauty.
Eastern Mennonite Elementary Schoolconstruction has started. The first round of demolition over the summer removed interior finishes and asbestos. You could tell something was going on by the workers around the building and the dumpsters, but from the outside it was hard to see progress. The flooring, walls, ceilings, wiring, and insulation were all removed to make way for the new Elementary school layout to fit perfectly into the existing space. Plans have evolved as pricing has been developed by the contractor and design has continued through the pricing phase. Often in renovation work we don’t have the chance to see behind the walls before design documents are finished. This preliminary demolition opened up the structure and we have been able to see actual conditions and plan the correct solutions for any issues that have been identified.
Now phase two of the demolition has started for Eastern Mennonite Elementary School. The trees along Rt 42 are being taken down. They have been deformed by power line trimming over the years. They also are in the space of the new stair and elevator tower needed for circulation in the new elementary school. While we hate to lose these mature trees, we will bring back landscaping once construction on the building is complete. Planning will be done to select and locate trees that can better coexist with the power lines. The wood is being saved for use around the school as benches and play structures.
The next big change will be the removal of the recording studio that is attached to the warehouse. This will be a dramatic change to the existing building. Stay tuned for updates.
