by Charles Hendricks | Feb 8, 2013 | artwork, community, First Friday, Local Leaders, Office Culture
This week’s featured local business is Universal Design Partners.
About: Universal Design Partners is run by Scott and Sarah Pruett; both of whom are health care professionals who specialize in Universal design and accessibility. Their passion is helping businesses design things that are functional for the greatest amount of people.
So, Sarah, give us some background on your company. What do you do and why do it?
We both have a background in physical rehabilitation and made a decision to apply our skills in the community instead of in a clinical setting. I’m an occupational therapist and Scott is a therapeutic recreation specialist. Back in 1999 Scott was in a skiing accident, broke his neck, bruised his spinal cord, and has been using a wheelchair ever since. It wasn’t really one of those things he planned for and life changed quickly. Lesson learned: life isn’t predictable. I know we’re not alone in realizing that.
We’ve each worked with people whose lives have been turned upside down by some sort of physical issue, whether age, injury, or illness – speaking very generally here – that has affected ways they interact with nearly everything in their homes and communities, and we see tremendous opportunity to help make life easier for them.
We’ve chosen two things to focus on:
- Encouraging widespread use of universal design, which is about the design of things that are highly accessible and highly usable for the greatest amount of people, regardless if a health condition exists or not.
- Consulting with businesses and organizations to help make the things they offer more accessible and usable. Not only does this increase value of what they offer, but if enough businesses and organizations get on board with the idea of universal design, it will ultimately will make communities more “welcoming” and easier to access for people who live in them, again regardless if health-related needs exist or not.
There are places that people want to go and things people want to do on a regular basis that are more difficult than needed, simply because of the design. When things are designed well, whether a place, product, or program, all sorts of stuff in life becomes easier and less stressful. Who doesn’t want that?
Do you have an ideal client? If so, what do they look like?
Yup. We ideally want to work with businesses or organizations who are designing, building, or creating new things. This can include everything from residential homebuilding, commercial construction, product development, leisure service, and all sorts of things in-between. We want to work with clients that value the intellectual capital that we can provide as healthcare professionals to increase the functionality of their products and/or services.
What is your favorite success story in the past few years?
We love to travel; two years ago we were able to move to a small mountain town in Colorado for 4 months as Scott was finishing his graduate degree in Parks and Recreation Management. We rooted ourselves in Crested Butte while Scott worked at The Adaptive Sports Center – an outdoor adventure organization that specializes in providing opportunity for people with disabilities to participate in outdoor adventure sports. These sports, activities, or programs offer tremendous therapeutic value through increased physical skills, confidence, and other context-specific benefits. It was a wonderful change of pace and gave us the time to challenge ourselves both physically and vocationally. We also worked with local lodging providers to increase accessibility for participants of the center, and we saw firsthand that all that’s necessary to catalyze big results in people’s lives is a little problem-solving. It was rewarding personally and professionally as we saw positive changes as the result of our efforts.
What do you like to do for fun in Harrisonburg? Favorite Restaurant? Favorite place to spend a Saturday afternoon?
Well, Strite’s Donuts isn’t really a restaurant, but we live downtown and they conveniently park their donut truck within easy walking distance on Tuesdays and Thursdays; we love their hot and fresh awesomeness. Union Station and Dave’s are also downtown favorites. We enjoy getting away from the quick pace of everyday life and getting outdoors, whether taking a walk around the neighborhood or taking our Subaru or Jeep up into the mountains for a little off-road adventure. If we stay in for something low-key, it often includes Netflix, coffee, and maybe a dark craft beer. We’ve also developed some close friendships through our church community, and regular evenings with them provide entertainment and some borderline unhealthy amounts of laughter. I play volleyball once a week too.
What is on your (iPod, radio, phone) while you work?
It depends. Sometimes we need to work in silence, but usually Pandora is streaming something in the background. I typically work best with music from film scores or other classical music without words so I won’t get distracted by the lyrics and start singing. However, when doing mindless data entry you’ll probably hear either oldies, folk, contemporary bluegrass, or acappella music of all kinds coming from my computer. Scott’s music preferences are a little different from mine, but again dependent on what he’s doing. It’s typical to hear everything from acoustic folk/bluegrass/americana to bass-heavy uptempo stuff.
What is your favorite book?
I’m not a big reader these days, but I read Real Simple Magazine often. Scott’s a nerd and reads mostly non-fiction. His recent recommendations for business-related stuff are “The Personal MBA” by Josh Kauffman, “Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die” by Chip & Dan Heath, and the book of Proverbs from the Bible.
What is your favorite app for your phone?
Haha, other than Facebook and Pinterest? When out-of-town I use “Around Me” to locate places to eat or get gas. I’m definitely known to play several games of “Ticket To Ride” on long car trips. Scott’s are Any.Do, Buffer, Catch, and Flipboard.
Where is your favorite place to vacation?
I like the mountains and the beach. My favorite trip was a Caribbean cruise (our honeymoon). Scott doesn’t have a favorite, but he’d likely gravitate to the mountains for something quiet. Or, on the total flip side, he’d suggest a road trip to a big city for a bit of culture change and entertainment.
Find them on:
by Charles Hendricks | May 14, 2012 | community, Local Leaders, Office Culture, team
Once again Harrisonburg has reason to celebrate. In a time of economic struggle for so many businesses it is such an honor to be recognized by an industry leading magazine. Virginia Living magazine has announced their Best Of the Shenandoah Valley list and many of those honored are based in Harrisonburg, VA. Check out their site dedicated to the list and see if your favorites made the cut.
Best Art Museum
Third Place – Oasis Fine Art and Craft
Best Bar for Live Music
Second Place – Clementine Café
Best Asian
First Place – Taste of Thai
Second place – Beyond
Best Barbeque
First Place – Smokin’ Pig BBQ
Second place – Hank’s Smokehouse
Best Breakfast Restaurant
Third Place – The Little Grill Collective
Best Burger Joint
Second Place – Jack Brown’s Beer and Burger Joint
Best Continental Cuisine
First Place – Joshua Wilton House
Best Diner
Second Place – L & S Diner
Best Ethnic Supermarket
First Place – Oriental Food Market
Second Place – Euro Market
Best Food Cart
First Place – Mama’s Caboose
Second Place – DankU Truck
Third Place – Tacos El Primo
Best Happy Hour
First Place – Union Station
Second Place – Clementine Café
Best Ice Cream Shop
Second Place – Kline’s Dairy Bar
Best Locavore Restaurant
Second Place – Local Chop and Grill House
Best College or University
First Place – James Madison University
Best Golf Course
Third Place – Lakeview Golf
Best Private School
Third Place – Eastern Mennonite High School
Best Retirement Community
First Place – Sunnyside Communities
Best Local Band
Third Place – The Worx Band
Best Local DJ
Second Place – Chris and Rosie Q102
Best Local Radio Personality
Second Place – Q101 WQPO 100.7 (Hobart)
Third Place – WSVA 550am (Karl Magenhofer)
Best Local Sports Team
Second Place – James Madison University Dukes
Best TV Personality
Second Place – WHSV TV3 (George Hirshmann)
Third Place – WHSV TV3 (Josh Knight)
Best Tattoo Artist
Second Place – Painted Lady Tattoos and Piercing (Margaret)
Third Place – Dreamland Tattoo (Michael Hiles)
Best Arts and Crafts Store
First Place – Michael’s
Best Bike Shop
Second Place – Shenandoah Bicycle Company
Best Bridal Salon
Second Place – Bridal Impressions
Third Place – Anna-Joy’sBridal & Formal Wear
Best Consignment Shop
Second Place – Second Time Around
Best Cosmetic Surgeon
First Place – Asfa Plastic Surgery (Dr. Afsa)
Best Dermatologist
First Place – Harrisonburg Dermatology (Dr. Jerri Alexiou)
Best Event Planner
Third Floor – The Wishing Well
Best Farmer’s Market
Second Place – Harrisonburg Downtown Farmer’s Market
Best Florist
Second Place – Blue Ridge Florist & Gift Shop
Best Gift Shop
Third Place – 10,000 Villages
Best Home Décor Store
Third Place – 10,000 Villages
Best Hospital
Second Place – Rockingham Memorial Hospital
Best Local Architect
Third Place – The Gaines Group
Best Man Cave Store
Third Place – Crutchfield
Best Orthodontist
Second Place – Alvis Orthodontics (Dr. Alvis)
Third Place – Bluestone Orthodontics (Dr. Brent Lenz)
Best Pediatrician
Second Place – Harrisonburg Pediatrics
Best Personal Trainer
Third Place – Rockingham Memorial Wellness Center (Catherine Thorton)
Best Pet Boutique
First Place – Pet Smart
Best Place to buy athletic Clothing
First Place – Downtown Athletic Store
Second Place – The Runner’s Corner
Best Real Estate Company
Second Place – Kline May Realty
Best Salon and Day Spa
First Place – The Beauty Spa
Best Shopping Area
Second Place – Downtown Harrisonburg
Best Toy Store
Second Place – Dragonflies Toys
Best yoga Studio
First Place – The Center
by Charles Hendricks | Mar 30, 2011 | Charles Hendricks, community, Empathy, family, Harrisonburg Architect, Local Leaders, Office Culture, team
My six-year-old was asking me about Earth Day. I explained that it is a day to remind us of the power of mother nature, a day to remember that we have to take care of our natural resources, and a day to think about our actions as they impact others and future generations. She then told me that she knows the solution to the problem. “You just have to stop being lazy and fix things.”
It does seem that simple on paper to me as well. If we just quit fighting over who caused it, or who should pay for it, or how to fix it, and we all just try to be better, a little better, then we will all be a lot better off. If we all reduced our energy use by 30% annually, what would happen to the amount of foreign oil we have to import each year. What would that do to the mercury levels in the air from burning coal? What would that do to the increasing rate of illness we find in certain sectors of society? What would that do for mountain tops in West Virginia? What would that do to the quality of drinking water available to all of us?
I know, I have already heard the argument that you cannot afford all those expensive upgrades. BUT, What if we all cut our water usage by installing a $3 aerator on our sinks? Would that reduce our water bills, water consumption, our environmental impact across the country. If ALL of us make a small change, wouldn’t it make a huge impact?
If we look past the expensive solutions and every household changed one light bulb, or even just turned off the lights in rooms that they are not using all the time. Or if car lots turned off their lights after 2 am each night. Or if you cut one car trip out of your weekly schedule each week. What if we each just did one thing, would you see the difference?
I am ready for Change. Real Change. Change that makes the world a better place for my children and your children. I am ready to make a difference. Will you just stop being lazy with me and fix things?
by Charles Hendricks | Mar 26, 2011 | Charles Hendricks, citizen architect, Empathy, family, Harrisonburg Architect, Local Leaders, Office Culture, team
Balancing life: being Dad
I have been accused many times of not sleeping in order to do the amount of work that I accomplish each week. I promise you that while I am involved in many activities, events, and efforts, I do get plenty of sleep. I do worry though that I am sacrificing things in my life that I will regret later. I worry about the little things that I don’t spend time doing, like attending social events to better get to know people in the community. Anyone that has seen me knows that I have not given proper attention to being healthy. While I don’t have many of the vices that one may suffer with in modern society, I do have a lack of desire for exercise and eating healthy and I worry what this will result in over the coming years. However, My biggest fear is that I am not spending enough time with my family. I struggle with balancing life: being Dad.
Over the past several weeks there has been a change in the normal pattern that I hope to continue. I have worked hard to get the garden set up. The girls have helped me with the process, sometimes actively, sometimes taking breaks, sometimes forgetting completely about the garden and just running around the yard. We have also enjoyed several family outings these last several weeks that were focused on my daughters. Last Saturday, the girls dressed up like Thing 1 and Thing 2 and we drove 1 1/2 hours to Hooville (Charlottesville) to meet the Cat in the Hat and watch a 30 minute cartoon on the big screen at the Paramount Theater. A couple of weeks ago we attended Annie at Four County Players, staying up very late for the girls and also me, but I will never forget the way they both had their eyes glued to the stage the entire time. Even better, thanks to our friend, Tracie Skipper, the girls got to meet the amazing actress that played Annie after the play. (by the way, I highly recommend making a trip to Barboursville to see a play at Four County Players, they do an incredible job). It is hard to find balance in life to be the best dad, best architect, best husband, best committee member, but that is my goal. While I know something always has to give, I can assure you that I will never give up trying to be the best.
by Charles Hendricks | Mar 24, 2011 | citizen architect, Empathy, Green Building, Local Leaders, Office Culture, team
One of my favorite quotes in the architectural world, “design is the first sign of human intention” ~ William McDonough, sets the stage for how architecture should be approached. Architects should focus on delivering design that will save money, save energy, reduce environmental impacts, and serve the intended use to the best of their ability. It all starts with design: setting the right priorities and understanding the process.
Let’s examine this notion of design. Take a step back and look at the process of creating a family calendar, a list for the grocery store, a vacation itinerary; these are all your designs for these activities. So how does making a grocery list apply to designing a building? It is essentially the same process of designing a solution. You can scatter shoot and simply make a list of things needed, without any thought to how the items will best fit together. This process will waste your valuable time in the store. Or you design the most efficient solution to the problem keeping items on the same aisle grouped together on the list. In other words, you have to understand the process, materials, and members of the team to best design a solution that is most efficient. If you understand the store layout, know how the products are arranged, and know which cashier is most efficient, then you can maximize your investment, time, used to accomplish the task.
In designing a building, an architect is trained to maximize your investment through design. The architect understands the pieces of the puzzle, the materials, the efficiencies of systems, and the members of the project. While anyone can purchase a floor plan design software at a big box store and put rooms together, they don’t understand all the complex pieces of the puzzle. Builders can deliver a house that provides shelter, but can they make sure that the spaces function to optimal performance for daily living. I contend that only an architect can bring all the pieces together, understanding how to design the most efficient solution, how to best use the materials, how the integration of systems impact spaces, and how the roles of the team members impact the end product. Yes, hiring an architect will cost more on the front end, but you then can achieve the most efficient design that meets your goals. Hiring an architect will save you money through energy-efficiency, by using materials to the best of their means, and by creating space that meets your daily lifestyle goals. Hiring an architect is your first sign of intention that sets the standard for your project.
by Charles Hendricks | Jul 18, 2010 | Charles Hendricks, citizen architect, Construction Specifications Institute, Local Leaders, Office Culture, team
Clay Nelson gave a presentation on Leaders Growing Leaders at Construct 2009 CSI Show in Indianapolis. His position is you have to train your employees to do what you do. This give you the ability to stay on the cutting edge and continue to be the visionary.
So this concept, of growing leaders to advance your vision, grows the diversity and depth of your business. If you constantly answer questions and tell people what to do, you will have no time to do visioning. Clay says as a leader your job is to know what you don’t know. So if you set your goal to be right all the time then you have stopped learning.
Hence you should look for things you don’t know and focus on learning those things. Let your employees do all the things you already know. If they can’t, then you have not done your job of giving them the power. This is the only way to be one of the leaders growing leaders. Your staff will do what you let them do through your actions. If you always give them the answer, or if you tell them they are wrong when they bring you an answer, then you have given them no power to learn and grow themselves. Therefore, as a leader you have to stop telling and start asking questions.
Write down all the things you do for two weeks. As a result this will give you a job description of what you do now. What on the list can you have someone else do? Figure this out and you can start doing things you don’t already know how to do and you can grow.
A leader is only as great as the weakest part of his team. Don’t worry about making mistakes, mistakes = growth. Set an example, be what you want other to be. This will give you the leaders that you need in your firm.
This was a great seminar with a tremendous speaker.
