We had the pleasure of stopping by our Blue Ridge Mountain Home project and were thrilled to see the final stages of construction wrapping up. It is a special experience to walk through and experience this new home after carefully crafting the design with our clients. To catch up on the earlier stages of this project and learn more about the floor plan, visit the entries here and here.
As this project hits the final stretch, we are excited for our clients to live the life they imagined in this space. Between the open and flexible floor plan combined with the integrated building science system, we are proud to see this durable design come to life. Partnering with Herr and Company to build the project gives us confidence that the client will love the results.
We love the natural light flooding into the open kitchen and living room that gives way to a breathtaking view of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The skylights above the family room will maximize natural light within the family room and can also be found in the second-floor master suite.
The rear porch of this Blue Ridge Mountain Home gives plenty of room for entertainment and a covered porch in case weather rolls in.
The welcoming large front door is perfectly situated to welcome the homeowners in with storage, drop zones, and a mountain view.The greenhouse on the back of the garage will absorb plenty of sunlight and sits in front of a magnificent view.The breezeway provides a covered route from the detached garage to the home.
These photos are from our Meadow Branch project in Winchester, Virginia where “green design” meant focusing on tree-saving measures. At first glance, these aerial photos capture the beginning phases of construction, but the real story is these beautiful oak trees and the surrounding trees around the property boundary. Preserving these trees and incorporating the centuries-old landmarks into the center of the site was critical to this design.
The above photo shows the trees remaining at the center of the site.
These photos show Phase II of the Meadow Branch project progress and you can catch a glimpse of our design for Phase I completed in the background. If you look closely, you can see the orange fence line outside the boundaries of the drip line. This extra care to preserve the historic trees along with the technical expertise of the arborist involved will give the trees the best chance of survival. We always enjoy seeing aerial photos of our projects taking shape, thank you KBS Builders for these photographs!
Phase II of Meadow Branch Apartments with Phase I completed in the background.
As this project continues to take shape, we are looking forward to seeing these trees become a central part of the design!
We are grateful for the string of modern home designs we have been trusted to work on over the years and now the modern house on the mountain is taking shape. Surrounded by a stunning backdrop of the Blue Ridge Mountains, this modern home takes advantage of the magnificent views and is designed for family living. In addition to the modern aesthetic, the homeowner plans to build a few custom details (not in place yet, but we are excited to share these later.) Some of the other modern homes we designed can be found here, here, here, and here.
Charles recently visited the site on a foggy day as the foundation went in. It was great to see the closed-cell foam vapor barrier installed below the basement slab. This will keep the basement efficient and comfortable once construction is finished.
The framing is well underway and the form of the house is starting to take shape. This home along with the next-door home we designed, has spectacular views of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
The design of the home frames the views while providing distinct spaces for the life these clients want to live in this place. Many of the design elements are centered around spending time together as a family, enjoying their hobbies, and appreciating the surrounding landscape.
The clients have specific uses planned for this detached garage that will enable them to thrive in this space.
Amongst the many activities that will take place in this room, the clients will be able to soak in these beautiful vistas.
Of course, this room feels like you are floating in the trees, can you imagine sitting here and reading as the sun sets?
The vaulted ceilings with exposed beams offer warmth and bounce the light deep into the space.
As the house continues to take shape, we love how it fits on the site and captures the views.
Our first house in Elk Rock Meadow has made some great progress since our post about the framing being in progress HERE. The Blue Ridge Mountain Home update shows that the cabinets are set, insulation fills the walls, and the roughed-in HVAC system is installed. These photos from a few weeks ago show an important stage of construction. First, you can see that the house wrap is installed allowing vapor to move through the walls. This particular house wrap has a very high permeability rating which is very important in our climate to maintain durability over a long time. With our multiple vapor drive seasons in this mixed humid climate, we want walls to be able to dry both to the inside and outside. We spend a lot of time thinking through this building science challenge.
This is also the perfect time to check out how the ductwork is installed and just as important, protected. You can see that there is mastic at all joints allowing the air these clients are paying to heat or cool to get to the room it is designed to go to make it more efficient. I was also pleased to find the ductwork sealed to prevent drywall dust from entering the ductwork. This extra step is critical for a healthy and durable HVAC system when the system is turned on post construction.
We were also able to see the insulation installation. This is just as critical as the house wrap in a total building science system. A complete installation fills and fits all gaps and cracks to prevent air leakage.
Finally, it was a great chance to see the cabinet installation in progress. The fit and finish of the cabinetry show the quality and care that Herr and Company put into their projects. Of course. the other items listed above also highlight the quality of construction being provided to these clients.
Finding just the right site to build your dream house is a chore for sure. This building site for a cabin on the mountain would check a lot of boxes for a lot of people. We are truly lucky to have the opportunity to help with a project like this one.
As we started working through the design goals we learned a lot about what our client wanted to have included in their custom cabin design. The open floorplan will allow for the family to gather and the views are framed by the windows looking out over the decks.
The wrap-around porch and decks create multiple spaces for outdoor gathering and the views are incredible. However, this home had a challenge of high winds that impacted the structural design. The location on top of the mountain has very similar challenges to coastal winds and the decks capture that wind uplift.
We also had a goal of adding solar panels to the roof, so the orientation to capture the views and the roof form to allow for solar was integral and took careful planning.
We worked hard to tie all the pieces and parts together from inside to outside to deliver just the right feel for this project.
However, the main goal of this cabin on the mountain and all the critical details came back to being able to create a place to just relax and enjoy creation from a comfortable and accessible home.
Over our 35 years of experience at the Gaines Group, our team has emerged as a leader in multi-family residential design. We have proudly completed projects throughout Virginia ranging from smaller, single-building urban solutions to large 14 building residential communities.
Our depth of experience allows us to quickly identify economic and feasible solutions to a specific site while considering both zoning and parking requirements, fire safety, and accessible design requirements. We work to ensure the site layout and grading allows us to maximize the number of dwelling units without sacrificing valuable amenity space.
Each project solution involves working closely with our developer’s goals and market information specific to the project location. Whether we are working with limited square footage or large luxury units, efficiency is key in multi-family design. Efficiency becomes paramount when designing units that need to meet accessible design requirements and clearances.
Most of our projects take advantage of green building programs to qualify for specific financing credits. We are well-versed in helping clients find the sustainable solutions that are most valuable to a project. Many of our completed projects have received the Earthcraft multifamily certification without a significant increase in budget.
Fostering a sense of community in every multi-family project we take on is central to our mission. We strive to make a difference in our communities through design, and know that creating spaces where residents love living, allows them to stay and invest in their communities. Our amenity spaces are designed to “wow” future residents while providing design that promotes community growth. We are proud that our projects have a track record of leasing up quickly!
