by Charles Hendricks | May 13, 2015 | architecture, Commercial Architect
I have been documenting the history of Chesapeake Western Railroad Depot building in Harrisonburg. With help from many area resources the history of the building is coming together.
The structure was built in 1913 at 141 West Bruce Street and was a site to behold. According to the Harrisonburg Daily News on April 22, 1913:
“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 this 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.
Entrances will be made from 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.”
The depot was built as the second passenger station in Harrisonburg only minutes apart. When access was denied to Union Station, the Chesapeake Western Railroad set out to build a “bigger and better” station for their passengers. The structure was placed strategically to block expansion of competing rail lines. According to reports from 1913, the new station was constructed in a fit of spite against the B & O, effectively blocking the Baltimore & Ohio RR from ever expanding business west of it mainline. Mr. Charles Grattan Price, Jr. in his book, “The Crooked & Weedy,” noted of the building “in every respect the new station was one that citizens of much larger cities could envy…. It even made Harrisonburg’s other station, Union Station, look puny.”
Over the 102 year history of the building there have been several fires, one in 1949, 1980, and 1982. The 1982 fire was the most destructive and stopped the active use of the building to present day. The fire started in the warehouse and spread quickly into the attic of the office structure. According to a Daily News Record article on July 30, 1982:
“Mrs. Griffith said she first thought the blaze was in a trash can beside the former railroad station. When she went outside to investigate, she found “fire coming out of the windows and doors.”…
…The fire apparently started in the one-story storage area near where it joins the two-story front portion of the building.
City Fire Chief William A. Austin said the blaze apparently burned toward the two-story section, swept into a stairwell and roared up through the building.
Firefighters said the blaze was under control at 12:45 a.m and was contained in the two-story portion of the building.
On Sept 11, 1980 fire swept through the same building and did an estimated $125,000 damage to the same three businesses.”
At the time of the fire the building was used as a lighting showroom (Light World) and the upstairs still was used by the railroad and a Securities company.
In the mid-1990’s a movement to purchase the building and convert it into a railroad museum failed to gain traction. Until 2005 when the building was purchased from the railroad, it sat empty with fire damage and deterioration happening every day. The new owners, JM Apartments, worked to stabilize the building with hope of renovating it in the future.
by Charles Hendricks | Apr 27, 2015 | architecture, Building Science, Commercial Architect, Green Building, green term defined, Indoor Air Quality
Green Terms Defined: Air Changes per Hour
Air Changes per Hour (ACH) is the measure how many times the air within a defined space is replaced. This measure is determined by how the house / building allows for air to be pulled in or pushed out. It is important to have the right ACH to keep the indoor-air-quality healthy and your energy bills low.
There are many places for air leakage that negatively impacts the right ACH for a home / building. The key is to stop the unwanted leaks from happening and only use the designed ventilation system for air changes. The goal is to make the home / building as air tight as possible rather than allowing it to “not be too tight.” This approach allows you to protect indoor-air-quality, reduce energy bills, and maintain the right ACH for your particular space.
The only way to determine your ACH is through using a blower door test. The 2012 building code that is used in Virginia has a requirement to measure the ACH for both commercial and residential construction. In Virginia, you can do a visual air leakage test for residential construction (this is not possible), but for commercial you have to do the blower door test on all new construction.
by Charles Hendricks | Mar 18, 2015 | architecture, Commercial Architect, Harrisonburg Architect, project update
Progress is being made and the details are emerging at the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank building in Verona. The walls are in place, the siding is being installed, and the demolition is complete.
The front office is two stories tall giving space for the entire staff in one location. The aesthetic of the office space is simple but brings a touch of style to the warehouse aesthetic.
The rear warehouse addition will provide space that allows the Food Bank to provide more fresh vegetables to their clients. This impressive structure takes storage high in the space to maximize the square footage available. Once the frame is complete, the floor will be poured and the wall panels installed.
Back at the front of the property, the office has the siding installed and the windows will be in soon. Once the building is weather tight, the interior finishes can begin.
For more updates on the Food Bank, click here.
by Charles Hendricks | Jan 14, 2015 | Building Science, Commercial Architect, Harrisonburg Architect, project update
The work continues at the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank in Verona even with the cold weather. We have gone from old farm-house to no building to finally a new office taking shape. In the rear you can now see where the warehouse addition will take shape as demolition has started.
Inside the building office spaces are starting to take shape.
In the rear, demolition has started and the footings have been poured.
by Charles Hendricks | Oct 9, 2014 | architecture, Commercial Architect, Harrisonburg Architect
I absolutely love working with clients who daily work to make our community a better place. Attending a job meeting where the design goals are “to make the building functional, humble, and affordable so that we can best serve our community” inspires me to be better. I want to be a better architect for them. I want to be a better community member for them. I want to be a better supporter for them. These are the clients that make my job so enjoyable.
Now the test of my work has begun, the construction process has started at the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank. Now we find out if I was able to achieve their building goals to increase their productivity and capacity to serve the community. This stage of construction is focused on the office portion of the site and prep work in the existing warehouse. The rear parking lot grading is done and the storm water control systems have been installed. This project is a difficult balance between keeping the warehouse functioning while the construction process is moving forward. The site supervisor for Nielsen Builders has to maintain an open road to the rear of the warehouse for daily (sometimes feels like hourly) food delivery and pick up, while keeping construction workers safe and productive. The work is steady and moving forward – I cannot wait to see the office walls go up around this stair tower.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbuY38I9loI?list=UUr3GAs9r2HHtrI4pso-DfKg]
by Charles Hendricks | Jan 31, 2014 | architecture, Commercial Architect, Harrisonburg Architect
We design many different types of buildings. One of the most interesting to design (while they may lack something in aesthetics) is the warehouse. You have to learn how the facility inhabitants move materials (food, lumber, medical supplies…) whatever they are and design a solution that enhances the efficiency of the facility. This process of learning the flow through the building gives you the information you need to design an effective building solution. From warehouse to retail, design is delivered through understanding the occupants needs and hearing their concerns. Here are some of our various warehouse projects:
