Commissioning is an important step to create a sustainable project. This process, found in many green rating systems, is the verification and documentation that a building and the systems used are designed, installed, tested, operated, and maintained to meet the project...

Harrisonburg SVBA Green Playhouse Design Competition The Shenandoah Builders Association is excited to announce the first annual SVBA Green Playhouse Design Competition. This event will provide students an opportunity to use their knowledge from math, science, CTE, elective...

Canstruction Harrisonburg April 11, 2015 SVBA Home and Garden Show Rockingham County Fair Grounds http://harrisonburg.canstruction.org/competition/ What is Canstruction? Canstruction is a unique international nonprofit organization which hosts competitions, exhibitions, and...

We get involved in some really cool and interesting design-build projects. This tilt-up concrete project is a milking facility in Rockingham County just outside of Harrisonburg. Talk about state of the art, the systems in this building are incredible. Our role was to design the...

Ask any seasoned carpenter (that does not understand building science) and they are likely to tell you “don’t build too tight, you want your house to breathe.” This is a tried and true “because that is the way we always do it idea.”   Early in...

Pervious concrete is rare in our area, but is growing in popularity. It is simply concrete that allows water to move through the material into a storage area under the pavement. The storage area is typically a gravel bed. By capturing stormwater (rain) and allowing it to seep...

This time of year we always add a blanket to our bed to stay warm at night. It is cold! In order to have a more comfortable home and improve your energy-efficiency, you should add a blanket to your home as well. The code minimum insulation allowed in new construction is R-49. As...

We take a variety of approaches for our custom home projects. On the Smithland Road Custom Home, we worked for the builder, AM Yoder and Co and had a limited number of interactions with the client during design. We are only observing on occasion during construction as our...

Erosion is the removal of soil and rock by water from one location to another. Erosion is also when wind moves soil from one location to another. Erosion is a natural process, although human activity can have an increased impact on the rate at which is occurs. Excessive erosion...

The Gaines Group, PLC of Harrisonburg, VA Receives “Best Of Houzz 2015 Award”  Over 25 Million Monthly Unique Users Rated Top-Rated Home Building, Remodeling and Design Professionals in the United States and Around the World Harrisonburg, Virginia, January 25, 2015 –...