by Charles Hendricks | Nov 2, 2024 | architecture, team
Now hiring: Office Manager / Bookkeeper
Gaines Group Architects is growing again. We believe strongly in being in service to our community through diverse clients and projects. Our current need is for someone to help us keep everything on track and organized while we are telling our story. Our Harrisonburg, VA office needs help with bookkeeping, organization, client relations, marketing, photography, and general day-to-day leadership. You don’t have to check all of these boxes to be the right fit for our team. If you are a self-motivated, organized, and enthusiastic team player that is interested in making a positive difference in your community, please contact us today.
If your skills don’t check all the boxes, but you are interested in discussing the position, please submit a resume. Each time we have filled this position we have found an amazing team member and the position adjusted to their skill set.
Office:
- Greet visitors and callers in a pleasant and professional manner.
- Manage mail and deliveries to and from the office.
- Provide support and arrange conference rooms with meals and supplies for meetings and events.
- Maintain office equipment.
- Manage phone systems.
- Manage and order office supplies.
- Organize meetings and events such as the monthly Art Openings.
- Communicate information to office staff company-wide.
Administrative:
- Provide administrative support to Principals and architectural staff.
- Provide day-to-day leadership to ensure a high-performance, customer service-oriented work environment.
- Assist with preparation and dissemination of marketing materials.
- Organize and maintain professional library including codebooks and product library.
- Maintain professional licensing records and assist with obtaining reciprocal licensing.
- Monitor continuing education requirements and schedule seminars and classes.
- Organize and maintain filing systems and company archives.
- Manage office calendars.
- Make travel arrangements.
Marketing / Graphic Design:
- Schedule and develop social media post / content creation.
- Schedule and develop blog post.
- Track marketing progress and report monthly statistics.
Required Qualifications:
- Reliable, self-motivated, independent, adaptable, and versatile with an enthusiastic collaborative spirit.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook), and Acrobat.
- Excellent critical thinking skills with exacting attention to detail.
- An ability to manage multiple priorities and diverse responsibilities.
- Strong verbal, written, and visual communications skills.
- Strong interpersonal skills.
- Experience with QuickBooks.
- Experience managing databases.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Administrative experience in an architectural office.
- Knowledge of construction documents.
- Familiarity with AutoCAD.
- Familiarity of project management software.
- Proficiency with Adobe Creative Suite programs including Photoshop and Illustrator.
- Web design and website management experience.
- Experience in photography.
With 37 years of experience in Virginia, this award-winning architecture firm works hard to deliver excellent service at an affordable price. With offices in Charlottesville and Harrisonburg, Gaines Group Architects can serve design needs anywhere in Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, or North Carolina. Constantly looking for the best answer, we work tirelessly to stay on top of the latest trends and best practices in the construction industry.
Job Type: Full-time
Salary:
- $20 – $24 per hour commensurate with experience
Benefits:
- Flexible schedule
- Health Insurance (including eye and dental)
- Paid time off
- Sick leave
- Professional development assistance
Schedule:
Experience:
- QuickBooks: 1 year (Preferred)
- Microsoft Office: 5 years (Preferred)
- Marketing: 1 year (Preferred)
- Work Location: Harrisonburg, VA
by cbhendricks | Sep 26, 2024 | architecture, team
Now Hiring: Architectural Designer
Location: In-Person, Harrisonburg and Charlottesville
About the Job:
We are seeking community-oriented team members to join our growing team. Whether you are preparing to graduate, have 5+ years of experience, or fall somewhere in-between, and you would enjoy a firm dedicated to design that builds stronger communities, please reach out to us. We have positions open in both our Harrisonburg and Charlottesville offices.
The Architectural Designer position will support the development of all types and styles of projects with a focus on healthy, energy-efficient, and durable design solutions. You will get experience in all phases of design, as well as client relationship building. Teamwork is central to our approach to every project, and our office strives to foster a collaborative environment. We are looking for someone dedicated to community service who loves all types and styles of architecture.
We also value professional development and growth and will help you along the way to learn and grow as a designer. A strong applicant will have a desire to understand building science and constructability of all project types. While technical skills are important, we are more interested in finding the right addition to our team than in a particular skill set.
Required Qualifications:
- Architectural or Interior Design degree from an accredited university
- Familiarity with AutoCAD, Revit, Adobe, and SketchUp
- Reliable, self-motivated, independent, adaptable, and versatile with an enthusiastic collaborative spirit.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook), and Adobe Acrobat.
- Excellent critical thinking skills with exacting attention to detail
- An ability to manage multiple priorities and diverse responsibilities
- Strong verbal, written, and visual communication skills
- Strong interpersonal skills
Preferred Qualifications:
- Knowledge of construction documents and the design and construction processes.
Job Type:
Full-time: Monday – Friday
- Salary: Based on experience
- Range: $54,000 – $62,000
Benefits:
- Flexible schedule
- Health Insurance (including eye and dental)
- Paid time off
- Sick leave
- Professional development assistance
About Gaines Group Architects:
With 36 years of experience in Virginia, this award winning architecture firm works hard to deliver excellent service at an affordable price. With offices in Charlottesville and Harrisonburg, Gaines Group Architects can serve design needs anywhere in Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, or North Carolina. Constantly looking for the best answer, we work tirelessly to stay on top of the latest trends and best practices in the construction industry.
by Charles Hendricks | Jun 20, 2024 | architecture, community, team
Gaines Group Architects has a new home in Charlottesville at 910 East High St. We hope you will Celebrate with us in Charlottesville for a Chamber of Commerce Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting on Wednesday, July 10th from 9am – 11am. Stop by on your way to work and grab a bagel and some coffee, stick around until 10am for a ribbon cutting, then hang out for a bit to let us hear all the incredible things you are doing.
After spending a few years on Pantops Mountain, it was time for us to get back to our roots in downtown Charlottesville. Our former offices have been located on Water St. and Ridge St., just a few steps from the downtown walking mall, and now, as they say, “Guess who’s back, back again”! We are excited to be able to walk to downtown local restaurants, so reach out to us if you ever want to grab lunch.
This bright blue house is the first time in a few decades our office has been in a space we didn’t design, so stay tuned, we are scheming for a very cool future! Please feel free to stop in and visit with our team, hear what they are working on, and see our new space. We look forward to connecting or reconnecting with you soon.
Parking:
– Limited parking behind building and on nearby streets.
– Short walk from Market Street Garage. The first hour at the Market Street Garage parking is free.
by cbhendricks | Jun 3, 2024 | family, team
Written by Raymond E. Gaines.
Tribute to Roger N. Bryant
1958-2024
Roger Bryant, who spent over half his life with The Gaines Group, passed away peacefully on May 25, 2024. Roger’s life embodied creativity, adventure, family, and faith, but not in that order.
Roger was a man of deep faith. When I first met and hired him, the list of hobbies on his employment application included Gospel singing with his family as item number one. The depth of his faith became apparent to me as I got to know him over the 33½ years that we worked together.
Roger was a family man, even though he remained single his entire life. He often spoke of his love of family when he would talk about his nieces and nephews and his relationships with his parents, grandparents, siblings, and aunts and uncles. Roger was always there for them as they navigated the good times as well as the illnesses and tragedies of life. He participated in at least three family reunions annually, and typically organized the Labor Day gathering at the family home. He also spoke fondly of the times he spent on the Cowpasture River and at Douthat State Park each year with his family.
Roger was a world traveler. When I first met him, he had just returned from Europe. He spoke of multiple trips to Europe and “the islands”, often traveling to sing with the family. He visited The UK, Germany, and Russia over the years that we worked together, and told many amusing stories arising from these trips. When he retired, he was following his brother-in-law, Bob, on his quest to run marathons in all fifty states, watching the races with his sister, Belva. I do not know if he ever completed that particular quest.
Finally, Roger was a talented designer and mentor. His hands-on knowledge of building materials and his ability to use them in aesthetically and stylistically pleasing ways is a talent that few possess. Roger was comfortable with any style, particularly with Virginia Vernacular. His body of work also includes Georgian, French Provincial, Prairie, Contemporary (whatever that is) and a touch of Art Deco. He would always share that with our younger staff. You have most likely touched Roger’s work from his years as an industrial designer prior to 1989.
Roger’s design talent was not limited to just the built world but he was a genius at floral arranging. He did the flowers for multiple weddings over the years, and would personally arrange sympathy flowers when they were called for.
He was a loyal friend and colleague from the day he started work in January 1989 until his retirement at the end of June 2022. He watched my three daughters grow up, and mentored one of them as an interior designer. He provided a living example to them, and all of us, of how to be a Christian in today’s world.
Rest in peace my friend.
by cbhendricks | Apr 18, 2024 | team, Uncategorized
By Architect, Adrienne Stronge.
Gaines Group Architects is very excited to be moving back to downtown Charlottesville! The firm has long roots in the downtown area. Ray started his career across the street from our new office while doing his professional externship with Sandy H. Lambert, III during his education at VA Tech. He then worked just off of the downtown mall during his time with Tom Wyant.
The first official Gaines Group office (then known as Raymond E. Gaines, Architect) was started off of West Main Street from 1989-1993. As the group expanded, they moved to East Market Street into a building that we designed – a place where current partners, Charles, Paul, and Adrienne started their careers with the firm. In 2011, the opportunity to move into a roof terrace space at Luxor office park (which the Gaines Group designed) was too good to pass up. The firm has been located on Pantops ever since.
Recently, we realized our space there didn’t match our current needs, so we decided to explore places closer to where we began. The opportunity arose to share some office space with a local civil engineering firm, Shimp Engineering, and his survey team, Foresight. We’ve worked closely with Justin’s team on many of our previous projects. This move puts us within walking distance of the downtown mall, and we’ve all been excited to explore the surrounding area as we move in.
The space we’re moving into is a house that was built in 1920, affectionately known by us as “The Blue House”. We are across from the old Martha Jefferson Hospital right at the corner of High and 9 ½ Street. We are still doing finishing touches, and some of us have more to unpack than others, but we would love to have visitors if anyone would like to stop by. We hope to more formally host guests in the future once we have finished our move.
by cbhendricks | Sep 20, 2023 | community, Fun, team
This year our team split into two groups to compete for the lowest combined group score and a group lunch out. Team one, Par Vacation, was led by Interior Designer Jarod, with the dynamic marketing duo Charles and Asha. Team Two was led by Designer Mariya, Architect Deborah and Designer Aimee. Highlights include two hole-in-one’s by Mariya who backed up her smack talk, one hole-in-one by Asha which earned her a free dozen donuts from Krispy Kreme, an embarassing amount of 7-strokes on a hole, and two balls fished out from the water. In the end, though it was close, Team Par Vacation pulled out the win by 5 strokes.
