Project Update: 865 East Interior Renovation

by Lindsey Kohler-Austin | Sep 3, 2026 | architecture, Commercial Architect, Harrisonburg, Harrisonburg Architect, Interior Design, Multifamily Design, project update

Blog by: Jarod Sankar
Interior Design: The Gaines Group Architects
Lobby Contractor: Legacy Building Co.
Game Room Contractor: Sustainable Solutions

If you’re from Harrisonburg, or have any association with JMU, you’ve probably encountered 865 East, the luxury student housing complex located right off I-81 on Port Republic Road. While the complex isn’t new to the area, it is under new ownership and has recently undergone a complete transformation.

The project began with a vision from the property managers. They knew that the building was in an incredible location, offered great amenities, and was well-loved by the community, and they wanted to capitalize on those things with a full facelift on both the apartments and the common areas. Adrienne and Jarod met with the property management team, asked lots of questions, took lots of photos, and looked at lots of inspiration images. Once the main programming and scope were determined, the interior design team got straight to work.

The first step of the project was capturing the right vibe for the proposed facelift. We wanted the space to feel fun and striking, yet inviting, clean, and home-like. For luxury student housing, it’s important to design with longevity and maintainability in mind, without creating a space that feels sterile. Giving the students a sense of home helps make the space feel unique but comfortably familiar. To start the process, we analyzed the information from our first initial meeting with Star and the Asset Living team and generated mood board images that would set the tone for the full renovation. After getting approval from the team to move forward, Jarod 3D-modeled the space and started working through the design for the renovated lobby, game room, and rooftop.

The lobby was the top priority. The space called for a statement, and with its tall ceilings, balcony, and expansive entrance with glass windows, the “bones” were there. We wanted to capitalize on the existing conditions but bring it up to date by incorporating warm wood tones, moody colors that create depth, statement lighting, and a 2-story tall green wall. We also relocated the lobby desk to a more central location, so the staff would have better sightlines, and would be able to access other utility spaces more easily without leaving the desk unattended. The new design proposal was fully 3D-modeled and rendered, giving the project management team marketing material for promoting the upcoming renovation.

Left: Before; Right: Our Rendering

Left: Before; Right and slider images: Renderings and after

Next, we tackled the game room. The current space had all the right conditions – natural light, easy access, and a large space. The game room was a great amenity for the apartment complex, but it was underutilized due to a poor layout and outdated finishes. The property management team’s goal was to make this space inviting and fun, and the wheels in our head began turning the moment we got back to our desks. Our vision was to create a space that would serve all needs – and addressing the layout and how the space would be used was our first step. We reconfigured the space to house a pool table, a foosball table, and a shared snack bar with couches and ottomans for game day fun or large gatherings. Alongside the new large group seating, we also added banquet seating with partitions to create pockets of more private spaces, so multiple people could use the room at once without feeling like they are impeding on another group. The finishes complement the lobby renovation, bringing in those warm wood tones, subtle JMU color influences, and capitalized on the existing space’s industrial flair.

CONSTRUCTION DRAWINGS:
Just like the lobby, we created photorealistic renderings that the project management team used to build excitement for the renovations and drive leasing.

Lastly, we refreshed the rooftop terrace space. With incredible views, a wet bar, and a covered pavilion, the space already had strong potential. With just some minor tweaks to furniture, colors, and listening to how the space is primarily used, the space took on a whole new look. We added some fun pops of color to brighten the space, some furniture that allowed for suntanning which is what the space is commonly used for and updated the soft furniture under the pavilion.

We’re excited to celebrate 865 East’s new look and enjoyed having a hand in their complete renovation!

To see more photos and learn more about the complex, check them out here:

Click Here

Project Update: The Elkton Castle

by Charles Hendricks | Aug 5, 2026 | aging in place, architecture, artwork, Building Science, community, Custom Home, Harrisonburg Architect, Interior Design, Not used, project update

Elkton Castle Project Update:

As architects we have the best jobs in the world. We get to listen to our clients dream about how they want to live, then we get to design a place to facilitate that dream.

Designing this home for our incredible clients is a great example. In the first meeting it was clear they had a strong idea of what they both wanted. They had a vision for their home, but were not sure how to put it together. So we listened, took notes, documented goals, sketched, tried again, refined, and developed a concept for them.

While the home being built is designed around function, it is also what they described as their dream home. It allows for mobility, welcoming guests, and captures the incredible views. The dining room is designed for bringing family and friends together. The kitchen allows for gathering as well. There is a detached space to facilitate a hobby interest. There are outdoor gathering spaces including a fireplace, an outdoor kitchen, and a screen porch. The movie room is designed specifically for enjoying favorite movies at full volume. There are whimsical elements that highlight their personality. It is their dream home they described.

This home- or castle as we are calling it, is a prime example of designing a home to facilitate the dream life our clients want to live. Stay tuned for more updates including a magical wooden wardrobe.

May Series: Anatomy of a Custom Home

by Charles Hendricks | May 21, 2026 | architecture, Charlottesville, Custom Home, Harrisonburg Architect, Interior Design, resources, Roanoke Architect

Anatomy of a Custom Home: How design Emerges from Land, Process, and Detail

Every custom home begins long before a line is drawn. It begins with its slope, light, edges, and constraints and evolves through a sequence of decisions that gradually transform raw site conditions into a fully realized place of living.

This May series, Anatomy of a Custom Home, breaks that journey into its essential stages. Rather than treating design as a single act, it reveals it as a layered process where each step informs the next, and every detail carries forward the logic of what came before.

The Site: Where Everything Begins

The land is never neutral. It dictates orientation, frames views, suggests circulation, and sets the emotional tone of the home. Before form or style, we study how the site behaves, how it receives light, how it drains, how it opens or resists. The design begins by listening.

Concept Sketching: Where Ideas Begin to Take Shape

Early sketches are less about precision and more about interpretation. They translate site conditions into spatial ideas: massings, thresholds, voids, and relationships. This is where intuition meets analysis, and where the first version of “home” begins to emerge.

Flow & Function: Floor Plan Logic

A strong home is organized around how life actually moves. Floor plan logic establishes hierarchy, adjacency, and rhythm. Public and private zones are clarified, circulation becomes intentional, and spaces begin to support daily rituals rather than interrupt them.

Windows & Orientation: A Natural Light Strategy

Light is one of the most powerful design materials. Window placement and orientation determine not only how a home looks, but how it feels throughout the day. We design with sun paths in mind, capturing warmth, controlling glare, and shaping the atmosphere.

Framing the Vision: Structure Planning

Structure is often invisible in the final experience of a home, but it defines what is possible. This phase aligns architectural ambition with engineering clarity, ensuring that open spans, cantilevers, and volumes are both expressive and buildable.

Texture & Tones: Material Conversations

Materials give the home its voice. Whether natural stone, timber, plaster, or metal, each surface contributes to a broader sensory language. Here, durability, aging, and tactile quality are considered alongside aesthetics and cohesion.

Room Configurations: Interior Flow

Beyond the floor plan, we consider how rooms feel in sequence. Transitions matter as much as destinations. A well-configured interior creates moments of compression and release, openness and intimacy, guiding experience without forcing it.

Patios, Porches, Landscapes: Outdoor Integration

A home does not end at its walls. Outdoor spaces extend living areas and connect architecture to the environment. These thresholds: porches, courtyards, terraces, mediate between built form and landscape, anchoring the home in place.

Millwork, Finishes, Fixtures: Final Details

Details are where intention becomes tangible. Built-ins, hardware, lighting, and finish selections refine the character of the home. These elements may be small in scale, but they carry the weight of daily interaction.

The End Result: The Finished Home

A completed home is not just a composition of parts, it is a synthesis of decisions made across time. When successful, it feels inevitable, as though it could not have been arranged any other way. It reflects not only design intent, but the life it was designed to hold.

Welcome to the Team, Rachel Bernstein!

by Lindsey Kohler-Austin | Apr 1, 2026 | Harrisonburg, Interior Design, Intern, team

We are excited to announce the latest addition to the Gaines Group Architects team! Please join us in giving a warm welcome to our new Interior Design Intern, Rachel Bernstein.

Rachel brings a unique, global perspective to our studio. A 2020 graduate of James Madison University, she holds a B.A. in International Relations with a concentration in Asian Studies and a minor in Chinese. Her journey has now led her back to the world of design, where she is currently pursuing her M.F.A. in Interior Architecture and Design at the Academy of Art University (Class of 2028).

As an Interior Design Intern, Rachel will be working closely with our designer, Jarod, assisting across all phases of the design process. While she navigates her Master’s program, she will be immersed in our office workflow, learning firsthand how a project evolves from an initial concept to a completed space. “This opportunity is so exciting,” Rachel says. “From applying what I have learned in school to gaining new, applicable knowledge from the Gaines Group team, I know I am going to learn so much and begin to feel like a confident and knowledgeable designer!”

To get to know Rachel a little better, we asked her a few questions:

Where do you call home?

Harrisonburg is my home now—I have lived here almost 10 years! I was born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and I also lived in Beijing, China, for a couple of years. I have been so lucky to love every place I’ve lived, so it’s hard to pick a favorite! But making Harrisonburg home has been great. It is truly such an amazing place; I feel so lucky to have found this little town.

What is a fun or interesting fact about your hometown?

Most people would mention Breaking Bad when talking about Albuquerque. But I’m going to say that the mountains there are called the “Sandias” because sandia means watermelon in Spanish. At sunset, the mountains turn a beautiful watermelon color.

What do you like to do in your free time?

You can catch me reading on my couch or spending time outside in any way possible. I have picked up mountain biking, and now that the weather is getting warmer, if I am not doing homework, I will most likely be on my bike in the forest!

What’s one thing most people don’t know about you?

I have recorded a fake news segment with me as the anchor! I worked on a morning show in Washington, D.C., and on my last day, we did a mock recording where I shared stories I had written for the actual live news. It was really fun!

What’s your favorite TV show—the one you’re always watching on repeat?

Gilmore Girls. I am obsessed…

Rachel’s welcoming personality and diverse background make her a fantastic fit for our team culture. We are thrilled to have her on board as she grows her career in interior architecture. Next time you are in the office, be sure to say hello!

Architect vs. Design-Builder: Who Should Design Your Custom Home?

by Lindsey Kohler-Austin | Mar 4, 2026 | architecture, Building Science, Charles Hendricks, Charlottesville, Custom Home, Harrisonburg, Harrisonburg Architect, Interior Design, Roanoke, Roanoke Architect

Building a custom home is one of the most exciting—and stressful—projects you willever undertake. As you start planning, you will quickly run into a major fork in the road: Should you hire an architect, or should you work with a builder that offers in-house design services (often called a design-build firm)?

Both avenues can lead to a finished home, but they offer vastly different experiences, priorities, and results. Let’s break down the value of each approach, what can go wrong, and the fundamental differences between the two:

The Builder-Designed Home (Design-Build):

In this scenario, you hire a single company to handle both the design and the construction of your home. The designer usually works directly for the builder.

The Value Added:
• Streamlined communication: You have one point of contact from the first sketch to moving day.
• Cost-centric design: Because the builder is involved from day one, they design
strictly with their own construction costs and preferred materials in mind.
• Rolled-in fees: The design fees are often rolled into the overall construction
cost, which can sometimes make the upfront design phase appear cheaper.

What Can Go Wrong:
• The “cookie-cutter” risk: Builders prioritize efficiency. Their designers often rely on modifying existing templates rather than starting from scratch, meaning your “custom” home might just be a tweaked version of something they’ve built ten times before. It is not a custom solution to allow for the life you want to live.
• Conflict of interest: When the designer works for the builder, their ultimate loyalty is to the builder’s bottom line, not necessarily your grand vision. They might steer you away from a brilliant architectural feature simply because it is outside their standard practices.
• The “fast-track” illusion: Design-build firms often tout faster timelines by starting construction before the house is fully designed. In reality, rushing the design phase rarely speeds up the total construction time and often leads to expensive mid-project changes.

The Architect-Designed Home (The Collaborative Approach)

In this approach, you hire a licensed architect to design the home and advocate for your vision. While some assume this means the builder is kept in the dark until the end, a modern architectural process is highly collaborative. We bring a builder into the process early, but they work directly for you, the client.

The Value Added:
• Uncompromising customization: An architect starts with a blank piece of paper, your lifestyle, and your specific plot of land. The home is tailored precisely to how you live, the direction of the sun, and the topography of your lot.
• Real-time, accurate pricing: By bringing a builder to the table early in the design phase, you get the best of both worlds: uncompromised architectural design and realistic, ongoing cost feedback from the people who will actually build it.
• Built-in efficiency: We work through complex buildability concerns during the design phase. Solving these issues on paper ensures a highly efficient building process once ground is broken.
• Your personal advocate: During construction, the architect works exclusively for you. We visit the site to ensure the builder is executing the plans accurately and that the design intent is maintained.

Dispelling the Myths:
• The “Bidding” Myth: We rarely put our projects out to bid. While traditional bidding seems like a way to save money, it rarely adds value for the client and often sets up an adversarial relationship between architect and builder. Hand-selecting a trusted builder early creates a unified team focused on your home.
• The “Early Construction” Myth: Just like a design-build firm, architects can issue early construction sets to get dirt moving. However, we are honest with our clients: this doesn’t actually speed up the overall construction timeline. Taking the time to fully detail the design upfront is what truly ensures a smooth, timely build.

What is the Core Difference?

The easiest way to think about it: A builder designs primarily to construct efficiently based on their standard practices, while an architect designs to inspire, solve problems, and reflect your unique life.

Which Should You Choose?

If your priority is a hands-off process and you are happy adapting your lifestyle to a somewhat standard layout and limited material choices, a design-build firm is a practical route.

If your priority is maximizing a unique piece of land, achieving a highly specific aesthetic, and building a one-of-a-kind home with a unified team of experts dedicated to your vision, hiring an architect is the clear choice.

Emotional Cues and Intense Listening Deliver a Truly Custom Home

by Charles Hendricks | Jan 21, 2026 | architecture, Blacksburg, Charlottesville, Custom Home, Harrisonburg, Harrisonburg Architect, Interior Design, Roanoke, Roanoke Architect

I know that the most successful custom home designs don’t start with a sketch. They start with an open conversation and intense listening to goals, passions, and interests.

While the architectural concept is very important for every project we engage, that vision is not the driving factor if you leave the designer’s ego behind. The best custom homes are developed around our client’s dreams and goals instead. The only way to deliver this type of solution is to move beyond just listening to your clients to a deeper level of hearing, infused with years of experience and knowledge of design thinking. Digging a little deeper into the number of rooms and learning the “why” someone wants something delivers a dream solution. It is not just a kitchen; it is the heart of the home. It is not just a primary bathroom; it is a luxury oasis that allows escape to decompress from the stress of the world.

We search for unspoken pain points and places that make the home flow better. We think through how the space will feel and function and how emotion plays into the design. We listen to how space can facilitate the dream life and use our experience to sculpt a solution into a functional home.

A custom home is an extension of the life our client dreams of living. This has a high emotional investment, and they are asked to be vulnerable to imagine what is possible. While our clients can’t give a clear architectural solution, often them describing what works and doesn’t work in their lives, allows the design to become very evident in our minds.

This work of listening allows us to take emotional cues and dreams and translate them into tangible design elements that frame views, buffer noise, and mix textures. When we show the design sketch and our client’s eyes light up we know we truly heard their dream. The foundation of trust continues to build with each conversation.

Ultimately, our role isn’t just to design a house; it’s to design the home that creates the backdrop for our client’s life story.

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