We have been so fortunate this year to have so many incredible projects. However, the Chesapeake Western Railroad Depot in Harrisonburg may be my favorite. I had a chance to do historical research and get to know the building prior to construction. The building owners were gracious enough to let me be one of the building tenants once construction is complete. Finally, it is always very fun to work on bringing an old building back to life – fun and difficult may be the same thing here.
Work continues and really ramped up this week. The framer is making the building whole again after many many years of water leaks and wood rot. It is still not completely safe to walk around, but it is getting there. The roofer is on site to make sure the water leaks are stopped and the skylights are delivered. We are still waiting on a few things to finish all the details, but when you are doing tax credit projects – you are not completely in control of the schedule.
Interior selections are coming around, we have done our preliminary selections for tile, lighting, and paint colors. I certainly like the direction we are going – what do you think of the Chesapeake Western Railroad Depot?
Want to see more, check out these posts HERE, HERE, and HERE.
We are getting close to the finish line now with less than two months of work to be done on the Harmony Square Dairy Queen Project in Harrisonburg. Tile is being installed, HVAC is finishing, high performance insulation is done. The store it taking shape and is shaping up to be one of the most energy-efficient Dairy Queen Grill and Chill restaurants in the area if not in the country. The building features spray foam insulation thermal envelope system that will provide a comfortable working and dining experience to occupants. The HVAC system is sealed with mastic and wrapped in thermal protection to get the air distributed to the appropriate locations. There are multiple solatubes bringing daylight throughout the restaurant. However, the most unique feature is the solar array on the roof. If will provide 5kWh of energy to this building – Blizzards made by the Sun anyone?
The average size home in the United States for a new single family home has grown from 1,780 sf in 1978 to 2,662 sf in 2013. With the growth of the average home footprint also a decrease in the average size of the US family. From this push for bigger homes has come a counter-culture movement to create highly functional and efficient intentional livable spaces called the Small House Movement.
A small house is less than 1,000 sf and more than 400 sf. A tiny house is typically less than 400 sf. So technically, our tiny house is really just a tiny small house at 448 sf.
Tiny House Kitchen
Built by Beck Builders, this home that hit the market today for $99,400 is designed with adaptability in mind. The open floor plan and wide doors allows for flexibility of space. The storage loft above the bedroom could be used for storage or a cozy sleeping space for overnight guests. The bathroom is set up to accommodate someone in a wheelchair or two people getting ready in the morning. It also has plenty of rear yard for a large garden and very friendly neighbors.
Tiny House Storage
Designed for efficiency, this home features a high performance building envelope and heating / cooling system. The large front porch will be the perfect place to enjoy the late day sun and plenty of windows allow in lots of natural light. At 448 sf, this house feels grand with the 12’+ tall vaulted ceiling in the gathering space. The wall mounted mini-split provides warm air on a cool Fall day to the space even with the doors open for the open house it stayed very comfortable. The conditioned crawl space prevents indoor air quality issues and the dehumidifier adds an extra layer of protection. Clean lines and open shelving in the kitchen area makes the house feel crisp. The most common phrase I heard was today was “it does not feel small at all” and “cute.” What a wonderful home within a few minutes walking distance to the heart of downtown Harrisonburg. If you want a tour let me know, I am sure this home will not stay on the market very long.
I owe a special thanks to my wonderful client for letting me be part of this incredible project!
Goose Creek Apartments in Fishersville, Va is a community with scenic views of the Blue Ridge Mountains in every direction. Adjacent to the Murphy Deming College Health Sciences and a 1/2 mile from August Health, this community has everything. Apartments have stainless steel appliances, granite countertops, electric fireplaces, spacious closets, and vaulted ceilings in several units. The community has a large swimming pool, open fire pit seating area, walking trail, multi-purpose sports field, club room, private theater, business center, fitness room, and game room.
The Blue Ridge Area Food Bank project has finished. Sure there are a few minor punch list items, but the job is done and the facility is back up and running strong. We started with a goal to add warehouse space, vegetable storage space, and to provide adequate office space.
The facility now has a clean room that allows processing bulk foods into manageable sizes. The cooler allows for multiple tractor trailers full of fresh vegetables. The warehouse space that had been used for office space prior to the renovation has been converted back into warehouse space.
Work continues to progress on the Chesapeake Western Depot. The brick restoration has started and the roof is being replaced. Work on the office portion of the building will continue once we have permit for that phase of the project.
The building was in rough shape due to a fire in 1982. Years of water damage have been eating away at the components of the building. Bringing life back to this 1913 structure is a satisfying project in itself. Getting to design our future office along the way is the cherry on top.
