Light, delicate, and open; this modern house brings in warmth and comfort while capturing views across the valley.
Modern architecture is sometimes thought of as being cold due to its use of concrete and minimalization of details. Thus, the desire to create a modern house aesthetic yet warm environment challenged our team to focus on every detail.
Similar to how we approach all of our projects, we worked hard to figure out how our clients wanted to live in this home. Every detail was intentional as we adjusted and moved spaces around to get them “just right” for our clients. The design was influenced by understanding the client’s daily routines, the need to maximize views, and strategic furniture placement. We wanted the house to last a lifetime, so we incorporated aging-in-place strategies and building science knowledge. The details of our team’s carefully planned designs are culminating in a striking home. It has been a privilege to work on this modern architectural project and we are eager to see it finished. Follow along for progress photos of this modern house and see how details make all the difference!
Almost at the end of a dead end road overlooking the South Fork River a beautiful historic farmhouse was deteriorating. The structure had seem many renovations over the years for what I could imagine was a growing family that enjoyed the beautiful setting. A storage room was added, a kitchen was “fit” into a space, some outdoor decks to enjoy the views – but there was never a holistic plan to preserve the beauty and make the home efficient and comfortable. As many of these historic farmhouses do over time, it lost its luster and the owners just could not maintain it anymore. Our clients however, fell in love with the beauty and purchased it with a goal of bringing it back to life and restoring the former beauty. I am pleased to say that this historic farmhouse renovation in Luray is well underway.
Our clients have worked hard to balance the costs of renovation while thinking through the building science impacts of an old house. You cannot just “add insulation” for instance without thinking through the impacts of such a decision. Sealing up a house that is used to being able to dry out can be very hazardous to the existing old and very dry structural members. You have to protect the old bones while working to make the home comfortable and durable for many years to come. You also run into those past decisions that are now a challenge to handle, like the wet crawl space caused by a new deck and poor grading or a buried cistern that is now under part of the house that was added without thoughts to how that impacts everything.
We were able to design a functional addition that will blend well with the historic structure, but also consult with the builder, home owners, and insulation contractor on how to deliver the goal of preserving the house on a budget. There is not one right answer that will solve all the issues and not all right answers are right for every home. It takes a team to get it just right and we are thrilled to be part of the team working on this historic farmhouse renovation.
The Blue Ridge Mountain Home, which backs up to the parkway, is now framed, and the roof trusses were being installed when we last visited. This single-level home has a detached garage, bonus room over the garage, and an open floor plan, making sure there is plenty of space for our clients to stretch out. Aside from the Blue Ridge Mountain home we have, we have a few other projects in the works, check out our blogs or Facebook to keep an eye out for updates!
The crawl space in this home features a concrete slab to keep the space easy to maintain, dry, and clean. This space will be conditioned and sealed to keep theHVAC systems working efficiently. Sealing a crawl space is an effective way to manage your thermal envelope, keep the critters out, and to control your indoor environmental quality.
The bonus room over the garage adds to the flexibility of the floorplan and captures the additional space needed to make the house just right. As you can see from the photos, the views are breathtaking on top of Afton mountain, and the house is situated perfectly to take advantage of the breathtaking views.
The Hillcrest House is moving into the finishing stages, with the siding started, solar PV installed, and drywall being sanded. This infill home has incredible views and multiple options for hanging out inside and out. The rear double deck with a screened porch will offer many opportunities for incredible sunrise views, and the high-efficiency insulation will keep our clients comfortable throughout the year.
This 3 bedroom 2 1/2 bath home sits on a narrow lot and maximizes function with an efficient layout. The rooms all have large windows to invite in natural light, and the efficient heating and cooling system will contribute to low energy bills.
As Herr and Company finish the project and Green Hill Solar finishes the solar PV installation, we hope to give you another update to show off the beautiful interiors. Get a sneak peek at what the early stages of this gorgeous home looked like!
Kelton Station is located in a very populated area, making it within walking and biking distance to a lot of shops, restaurants, and even a grocery store. Since there is so much potential for bicycle uses, we added two enclosed bike houses to store the bikes on-site, unique features like these are what sets the Kelton Station apart from other Earthcraft certified multi-family buildings and head and shoulders above those that are not certified.
When working on multi-family projects our goal is to create unique places for future residents while also delivering an efficient project for our client. In this project, we wanted to focus on outdoor living and community space to create welcoming and comfortable homes. We designed porches that are oversized and screened them in to provide comfortable spaces to enjoy the fresh air while still being protected from insects. The clubhouse has a large “front porch” with lots of community seating, and a large enclosed screen porch in the back for gatherings overlooking the pool. There are large gathering spaces around fire pits, and a large outdoor gathering space with grills called the pavilion all giving residents plenty of places to gather. We were also able to preserve existing trees on the site keeping a large area of the site undisturbed as green space.
These homes are comfortably sized without having wasted space. The gathering spaces are roomy and the units each have a laundry room, walk-in closets, and large bedrooms. The full cut-off lighting used in the design was strategically selected to reduce light pollution. We also used local materials where possible, and utilized materials with low or no VOCs throughout the project. The high-efficiency and energy star-rated equipment and appliances, along with WaterSense plumbing fixtures will keep utility bills modest making the units more affordable.
Charter Colony Dairy Queen may be the most unique DQ in the commonwealth. This family-owned business strives to offer their guests comfort while they are enjoying comfort food. It is a must-visit when you are in Midlothian not only for some excellent soft-serve but also to sit by the fireplace, hang out on the patio, or just enjoy the two-story-tall dining room overlooked by our country’s founding fathers. This particular location is inspired by pop art and bright color schemes, and features gorgeous light fixtures making this ice cream shop even more unique.
When it comes to chain design you might think I have seen one so I have seen them all but the small details instilled within the Charter Colony location set it apart from the rest. The Warhol-inspired theme of the restaurant creates a fun, lighthearted atmosphere for the whole family to enjoy. Aside from just being visually pleasing, this location is also a great place to hang out with friends and family! This location also offers the opportunity to bring Dairy Queen to your home with the takeaway fridge!
If you are in the Midlothian area take the time to treat yourself to some ice cream and chicken tenders at this one-of-a-kind Dairy Queen location!
