TESTIMONIALS

The Gaines Group, PLC has done a tremendous job designing our home. They are knowledgeable, easy to work with, and responsible. I’d highly recommend them to others.

The Gaines Group has been a valuable resource both personally and in a business setting. My wife and I hired The Gaines Group for a design for finishing our basement. They did a fantastic job of compiling our ideas, recommending proper infrastructure details to reduce energy consumption and increase comfort both in the basement and in our overall home. Charles’ attention to detail and to planning is second to none. In the business setting, they are a fair company to work with who respect the expertise of suppliers and give powerful referrals. Overall, a pleasure to work with.

We hired The Gaines Group, PLC to design our basement for living space. They are very knowledgeable about energy savings and extremely generous with their knowledge. Everyone I know speaks highly of them. In our working relationship with our basement, we found them to be honest about cost and forthright about saving us money.

In January 2013, I contacted Charles with the Gaines Group to get an estimate on “blue prints.” My first phone conversation with Charles was informative and very pleasant. I knew right away that Charles would be our architect. My husband and I have been working with Charles for several months and the process has been so easy. Charles is an excellent communicator and has found solutions to all of our needs and wants. He is timely with his responses, makes suggestions, supportive, knowledgeable, and extremely professional. Charles guided us through the entire process and helped us stay within our budget. Charles is definitely an expert in his field. It has been a joy to work with Charles and the entire staff at Gaines Group.

We used The Gaines Group, PLC for a consultation on our new build. The architect we worked with provided a lot of valuable advice that we implemented regarding how to save money, increase energy-efficiency, and change our layout to better work for our family.

The Gaines Group worked tirelessly to help us design our house. They found answers to all of our questions and helped us realize the value of hiring such an experienced group of professionals. We could have never done this project without them. Their knowledge is incredible and their services are the definition of value added. I would hire them again and again.

I recommend The Gaines Group, PLC to anyone that is interested in good design. They are committed to that, believing that “design matters”. They listen to the needs of his clients, and designs the best, most energy efficient solution for their project. The Gaines Group strives to be knowledgeable in all areas of their chosen profession, to better serve their clients.

As I was planning our new home, I was finding a lot of options to weigh concerning green building practices. I consulted with The Gaines Group, PLC to learn more about those options and begin to narrow down all the options. I found them to be very accessible, well informed and objective. They gave me clear, easy to understand information that considered different construction methodology, value vs. cost, environmental impact, indoor air quality, moisture and termite barriers, etc. They were well versed on a myriad of types of insulation, hot water heating, ventilation, air flow and I’m sure other topics if I’d had questions on those. I’m really pleased to be able to consult with a local professional firm that has such breadth of knowledge and experience on green practices.

The Gaines Group, PLC was hired to be our construction team’s LEED Consultant. As a LEED AP, Charles Hendricks is very knowledgeable in every aspect of helping us through the maze of the LEED certification process…especially important as we are reaching for platinum certification. As an Architect, he is very much on top of the latest trends for “green” building and how best to incorporate efficiency into a superb design.

The Gaines Group, PLC is a stellar example of a collaborative architectural firm. They guided us through the planning process in designing a unique zero energy, solar-powered residence. Always willing to listen and consider creative approaches, The Gaines Groups’ support was terrific from start to finish. We are delighted with the outcome and love our new home.

The Gaines Group’s approach is “cutting edge” with innovative design. I would highly recommend a consultation to learn more about what their firm has to offer.

We were looking to put an addition on the side of our house that would provide us a flexible space that today could be a play space for our children but one day possibly be an inlaw suite with kitchen and bathroom. We even wondered if this room could be a garage someday for someone else. Charles had the vision and plan figured out for us. He guided our conversations with two builders as well. His ideas helped not only plan a functional space but also a creatively repurposeful space. He was a joy to work with and understanding of our first time building questions.

Charles did a fantastic job in providing me fresh ideas on how to improve the energy efficiency of our home. The energy audit he preformed brought to light some simple fixes that will save us significant money on our energy bill each month. I'd recommend his services to family, friends and co-workers!

Charles Hendricks and his team are awesome! They clearly know what they are doing and have a passion for this community and the environment in general. If you want to work with a team who is going to do right by you and give you the best service possible, work with The Gaines Group.

Charles's expertise as an architect is exceptional. He helped our company identify areas to improve our energy efficiency throughout our building. His recommendations were well thought out and mindful of the challenges of small business.

USCBC's "best small architectural firm" states it well! In particular, Charles Hendricks goes WAY beyond expectations by ensuring quality processes and products are ready for rolling projects out to the public. He has been a phenomenal partner with Eastern Mennonite School!

Charles did an energy audit for us as we prepared for a solar installation. He wisely pointed out that the first and most important step is to save energy. After the inspection we went through his extensive checklist of things to improve. Being realistic, Charles prioritized them by a combination of ease and effectiveness, acknowledging that I might get tired of doing projects so get the good stuff done first. He explained things clearly and inspired me to get to work!

We had some water exposure concerns on a 7,000 sq. ft. commercial cinder block building. Charles came out to inspect the same and made very effective suggestions on the causes and various remedies to overcome the problems. He was very professional and prompt. All of this was done even without charging any fee for his expertise!!

After performing some basic house design on computer software, the staff of Gaines Group worked closely with us to design a zero energy, solar-powered, insulated concrete house. They were highly responsive during the building process by visiting the site and giving us suggestions. We had a great experience with this firm and would highly recommend hiring them to design your new house plan.

A great professional with expertise in architectural design. I especially appreciate how Charles has been working with us to build an appropriate, retirement home that incorporates energy efficiency, right-sizing for our needs, aging-in-place design, and beautiful architectural aesthetics.

The Gaines Group Architects are creative out-of-the-box thinkers who crafted excellent designs for our whole house remodel project. Their expertise and unique ability to solve problems with excellent design sensibility was refreshing. Charles and his team were such a delight to work with. I highly recommend them and will use them again!

I do not hesitate to refer Charles Hendricks to anyone looking for someone with the highest integrity. With a true commitment to serve and a desire to match his clients' vision with the best in class resources. I look forward to working with Charles on our first floor renovation project.

I know Charles of the Gaines Group from our work together in the Harrisonburg Rockingham Chamber of Commerce Aging in Place Roundtable as well as having worked with him on a project. Charles is professional as easy to talk to. He is always overflowing with useful knowledge and treats people with respect. We are pleased to have the Gaines Group as a resource for this community.

I have worked with the Gaines Group on several projects. Their attention to detail is unsurpassed while still bringing in the project under budget.

Charles is very knowledgeable and up to date on "green" building design and application. Was always able to provide drawings of changes made by the owner when we needed them and came to weekly on site meetings when he could. During a "pre-design" stage meeting with a client (different project), Charles listened to the clients wish list and asked good questions to help better understand what the client's overall goal for their home.

As an Interior Designer, I had the pleasure of working one on one with Charles Hendricks. He was a source of knowledge for me and was always offering valuable experience. Charles is very knowledgable about building science and energy efficiency. He is budget conscious and will let you know where you are every step of the way. Charles is an asset to any building project. I highly recommend him and would consult with him on the building of my own home.

Charles came to my 100-year-old house to perform an energy audit. His knowledge and expertise are off the charts, and he was incredibly generous in providing a thorough inspection and list of suggested improvements to work on around the house. Highly recommend!!!

We are delighted with the deck that Charles designed for us. Our mountain home was designed with outstanding mountain views from an upstairs dining room, an upstairs den, and a downstairs family room; however, it needed a deck. It was critical for us to preserve the mountain views from all three rooms when designing a deck. In his first visit, Charles immediately understood our concerns and quickly sketched out a preliminary design. Charles worked with us and our builder on a number of occasions to arrive at final designs and materials that fit our needs. As the picture indicates, there are no structural posts blocking the view from our downstairs family room. The result is perfect for our family. I would highly recommend Charles.

Charles and the team at The Gaines Group just helped us go through a very difficult process getting County (Richmond area) approval. The project is in a historic district and we had many hoops to jump through. Charles was an outstanding advocate for us to help us work WITH the County and keep the process moving forward. This was our second project with The Gaines Group, and we will continue to use their services.

We attended a most enlightening and thorough presentation given by Charles entitled "Aging in Place." It was sponsored by the Valley Program for Aging and was held at the Harrisonburg office of Home Instead. Judging from the line of folks wishing to speak with him further, following the presentation, attendees found him to be extremely knowledgeable and approachable! There is apparently a great need for services and information related to adapting a home for age and disabilities. We followed up the presentation with a call to Charles' office at the Gaines Group in order to schedule a home consult. Charles was able to visit within just a few days and arrived on time and was most professional. He offered advice ranging from simple free rearranging transformations to more costly and extensive projects. We felt no pressure to choose one over another as his sincere intent was to meet our needs. Charles was able to offer wise alternatives contrary to what my husband thought he needed, while still making him feel heard and valued. That was a vital and intuitive tactic on Charles' part! Charles linked us up with other home maintenance professionals whom he trusted, and they were quick to provide the service, stating that they wanted to follow through because they had respect for Charles. He offered other ideas for service providers, as well, and followed up with information on contacts that he made on our behalf. Charles was a veritable wealth of information and an all-around great person! We are most grateful.

We loved working with Charles and Maggie at the Gaines Group. They helped us breathe new life into our living room space and ensure that it met our family goals of gathering and spending together in a cozy, casual setting.

Gaines Group was a huge help to my husband and me when we were stuck trying to understand city building codes and setback issues. Not only was Charles able to explain what it all meant and how we could be in compliance, but he also gave specific, actionable advice and options for how we could move forward with a renovation. He was very professional, available and speedy in all communications. Charles' experience and knowledge saved us time, money and headaches!

Charles is very knowledgeable in green building science and ways to reduce energy bills. He performed an energy audit on my new construction home. I would highly recommend him if you have interest in these areas, especially if you would like a consultation on construction materials/techniques to improve insulation and air sealing on a remodel or new home. I worked hard to make sure the insulation/air sealing details were correct while building my home yet there were still a few things that he was able to give suggestions for improvement.

We so appreciate Charles' depth of knowledge and personability. Through talking with him we were able to clarify what we truly wanted in a newly-built home. He asked great questions and gave insightful advice. I'm confident that our new home will better reflect our lifestyle and values because of our conversations with Charles.

Upon entering the Gaines Group office I got a positive impression as I was greeted by a friendly staff! After meeting with Charles for 20 minutes I knew I had the right Architect. The expertise and concern that he showed in analyzing the remodeling issues in my older home convinced me that I would call him for any future needs I might have. Thank you Charles!

I am so glad that I chose Charles with Gaines Group Architects for my office remodel that I'm using him again for an addition. I'm kind of picky when it comes to design and he always exceeds my high standards. He has great suggestions for making things better and knows just how to talk you out of really bad ideas! :-) You can't go wrong with this outfit!