by Charles Hendricks | Jan 7, 2026 | architecture, Blacksburg, Charlottesville, Commercial Architect, Custom Home, Green Building, Harrisonburg, Lake Monticello, Massanutten Resort, Roanoke
We traveled all over Virginia and West Virginia in 2025 checking out building sites, offering input on project location, collecting data needed for design, and enjoying some incredible views. We love getting out of the office to help your clients better understand their property opportunities. From renovation to new construction, getting to go see the site is a huge benefit when we are designing a custom solution for our clients.
An architect’s presence on-site is crucial for several reasons:
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Understanding Topography: Seeing the natural slope and soil conditions firsthand prevents costly structural surprises later.
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Capturing Environmental Context: Only by standing on the land can an architect truly map the path of the sun, the direction of prevailing winds, and the unique framing of local views.
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Problem Solving in Real-Time: Site visits allow architects to collaborate with contractors, resolving discrepancies between the “perfect” drawing and the physical constraints of the earth.
- Learning from Existing Conditions: Having a chance to stand in the space and think through flow, views, structural restrictions, water flow, and opportunities is critical in the design process.
Ultimately, a building doesn’t exist in a vacuum. By immersing themselves in the site, architects ensure the final design is not just a structure, but a thoughtful response to its surroundings. The list is long for all the places we worked this year including Harrisonburg, Charlottesville, Roanoke, Blacksburg, Christiansburg, Rockingham, Brandywine, Bergton, Fulks Run, Newport News, Portsmouth, Heathsville, Richmond, Crozet, Afton, Lake Monticello, Fluvanna, Augusta, Quicksburg, Lynchburg, Waynesboro, to Staunton.
We are so incredibly lucky to get to work with our clients to develop their dreams at some of the most incredible building sites across the Commonwealth of Virginia and in West Virginia – even when they are a little harder to get down the slope to measure existing conditions…
by Charles Hendricks | Dec 31, 2025 | architecture, artwork, Blacksburg, Bryce Resort, Charles Hendricks, Charlottesville, citizen architect, Custom Home, First Friday, Harrisonburg, Harrisonburg Architect, Holiday, In Review, Interior Design, Massanutten Resort, project update, Roanoke, Roanoke Architect, team
Happy New Year! Before we jump into 2026, enjoy a quick recap of our top 10 blog posts of 2025!
We are thrilled to announce a significant milestone in the history of The Gaines Group Architects: the opening of our third office, establishing a dedicated home right in Roanoke, Virginia!
This blog post shows off one of our projects from this year near Massanutten Resort! Take a look for some photos of this beautiful property and even some comparisons of our renderings vs. final product!
This blog post features a beautiful renovation project that made this home feel so warm and inviting!
In 2025 we were lucky enough to be recognized with a few awards:
-Best Architectural Firm in the Shenandoah Valley Region by Virginia Living Magazine
-#1 Rated Architectural Firm in Virginia by Top Rated Local
-Top Employer for Interns in 2025 by VTOP
-Charles was named one of the Top 100 Architects in the US by Fixr.com
We couldn’t do it without the support of our clients and community!
6. Eastern Mennonite Elementary School Project Update
In this post we see an update to the Eastern Mennonite Elementary School’s gathering space!
Shopping for a late Christmas gift for your favorite Harrisonburg architect? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered!
We love participating in First Fridays in the Valley here in Harrisonburg! This post goes back over our wonderful artists from 2025!
We were so excited to partner with Shenandoah Valley SBDC on this project. See photos of this awesome space here!
In this post we share a project update where a vacation getaway is turned into a forever home! Click below to see photos and before and afters!
Thank you for a wonderful 2025, we will see you in 2026!
by Charles Hendricks | Jul 27, 2025 | architecture, Harrisonburg Architect, Massanutten Resort
We are closing in on the finish of this beautiful new home at Massanutten Resort. This custom home captures the views of the slopes, provides lots of outdoor gathering opportunities, and feels comfortable. When we started the design process for this project we had a clear direction and a solid budget. As we worked through out design process, listening to our client, the design goals emerged. As with most lots at Massanutten Resort, the grade and lot size offer some challenges. We used those to create some opportunities for a striking architectural solution.
Working with Beck Builders the execution of the design has created a bright and welcoming space for playing, gathering, and building memories. I am thrilled with the interior finishes that our client worked out with our talented interior designer, Jarod. The vibrant pops of color exactly match our clients vibrant personality. The large expanses of glass on the front open the house up and connect you to the beauty that surrounds the house.
While we worked through the design using renderings to make sure spaces met the goals, the final product exceeded our aesthetic expectations. It is simply stunning.
I cannot wait until they are moved in and the exterior is finished so we can get complete photos done to share.
by Charles Hendricks | Jan 5, 2025 | architecture, Harrisonburg Architect, Massanutten Resort, project update
Work on this new custom home at Massanutten Resort continues to uncover the design we planned for our clients. Working in the resort on the steep slopes takes some extra care to develop a design that looks like it belongs. There are many houses that clearly just got put on the site but our goal is to always integrate the design with the land. As Beck Builders continues to their work we will update you on the progress.
This modern style cottage has the large glass wall to capture views as well as a large wrap around deck and screen porch. It also blends into the landscape with earth tone colors and exposed wood overhangs. Blending in a rusted metal color and the warm wood over the backdrop of the dark siding makes it clear that this home has style.
Working with the grade on the site we were able to diminish the garage door from being a focal point of the home design. We also extended the driveway and planned a parking area on the home site so the owners can host lots of friends at their retreat. We cannot wait until the interior finishes get installed so we can see the final vision in real life.
Previous update here.
by Charles Hendricks | Jun 20, 2024 | architecture, Harrisonburg Architect, Massanutten Resort, project update
Beck Builders has started moving dirt at Massanutten Resort for a new custom home. This contemporary architectural creation will be flooded with natural light and have some incredible views. Working on a tight-sloped site in this resort has several challenges: driveway, garage, water management, and rock to name a few. However, our client had a clear vision for what they wanted in this incredible design and we were able to fit the pieces on the site and create just the right solution.
Our process for working on a custom home is to work hard to figure out the life our client wants to live on this particular building site. We have a series of questions to get to know each client’s goals and values, how they function in a space, and how they would enjoy this new home. We want to know functionally how spaces need to work with each other and what the dream day might be. When designing a custom solution, we help facilitate the goals our clients dream about. It is a design process that not only focuses on beauty but functionality and buildability too. We want to make it efficient and affordable to build and operate, so we work hard to find the values in our client’s dreams and incorporate those into the structure.
In this design, we used a variety of techniques to show the client what the spaces would look and feel like as they make critical design decisions. Keeping the high ceilings and glass wall facing the views was an important element in their vision. This, along with the narrow lot and slope, gave us the parameters to design within. With an understanding of building science and materials, we created an efficient structure to build that will be aesthetically striking and provide our clients with functional spaces to live comfortably.
Knowing the clients comes from listening to the clients. There are a lot of conversations that happen throughout the design process and the more we listen, the more we learn and can design the right solution.
Hearing from the builder that our complete design will make the build go smoother reassures us that our process works and provides greater value – as time is money when it comes to construction. We strive to achieve that balance between beautiful and functional design in every home we create. We want builders to be proud of what they are constructing. Most importantly, we want our clients to live their dream life in their new space.
