Charles Hendricks creates place through an understanding of climate, culture and context
By Mark Robins, Senior Editor
When architect Charles Hendricks, AIA, CSI, CDT, LEED AP BD+C, was in the seventh grade, he took a communications class where he learned photography, drafting and printing. It was then when he knew what he wanted to do in life. He had just not figured out what it was called. “The ability to take a problem and offer a design, to frame an emotion and capture it on film, brought me to life,” he says. “I absolutely loved getting a design problem and creating efficient, functional and beautiful solutions. Over the next couple of years in high school I took every design-related class I could fit into my schedule. I worked through an enrichment program with architectural firms and started learning the emerging technology called CAD.”
Initial inspirations
Hendricks’ initial inspiration was to gratify his urge to design and create space; a creative outlet to fulfill his own needs. His urge led him to enroll in the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Va., where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Architecture. He later received a Masters of Architecture from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tenn.
“In college I took a class offered by the dean of architecture at the time, William McDonough,” he says. “I learned of the power of design to influence positive change in places all around the world. This had a profound impact on my approach to design; I knew I wanted more. I then attended a lecture by Samuel Mockbee where he talked about leaving a successful design firm to teach college students how to build community while living in the poorest part of rural Alabama. At this point, I knew where I wanted to take my career, and I found my passion for designing ecologically sensitive solutions that create place through an understanding of climate, culture and context.”
His initial architectural inspirations weren’t limited to the classroom. While still at college, he worked as a cook, which he says provided him the experience to watch how people move, act and work in the restaurant industry. “I learned a lot about efficiency of space, the art of designing a plate of food, and how to interact with people in a fast-pace, high-stress scenario. It certainly enhanced my abilities as an architect, although not directly with my design abilities.”
One-career company
After getting his Masters degree, Hendricks went to work for The Gaines Group in Charlottesville, the only firm he has ever worked for. The Gaines Group specializes in light commercial, senior care facilities, multifamily projects and custom homes. He became the third partner in 2008 and expanded the firm to Harrisonburg, Va. “In a small firm you have to wear multiple hats to keep the lights on. I am the director of sustainability, run our branch office and serve as the director of marketing for both offices,” he says.
When he started, one of the first projects he worked on was for the family-run business Better Living Mill Shop. It was looking to expand its operations to Fluvanna County, Va., and needed to duplicate its existing facility located in Charlottesville.
“What we ended up with was an incredibly efficient way to create 72,000-plus square feet of weather-protected storage and display space that allowed a better flow of materials and organization,” he says. “We decided to use a prefabricated metal building in order to minimize columns and maximize open space within the structure while giving them a formal showroom to show off their products. The project went so well, we were invited back to do Phase II of the project-the design for the first LEED certified industrial building in central Virginia.”
Metal’s motivation and staying green Hendricks is always looking for durable and efficient solutions for his clients. He likes working with metal because he sees it as an obvious solution in so many applications allowing for efficient space, transparency, variety of forms, energy efficiency, flexibility and durability.
“I love the movement that you can achieve with corrugated panels, the shadow lines and color patterns you can create with wall panels, the energy efficiency you can achieve using a transpired solar collector,” he says. “Almost all of my custom home clients use metal roofing for the added durability and beautiful aesthetic. The coolness factor of metal panels and corrugated metal has become very popular in our recent design solutions. The textures, colors and patterns are endless and give so much flexibility in design; it is hard to find a project that has not incorporated metal features somewhere.” It is no accident his firm was named best green designers in Virginia by the Virginia Sustainable Buillding network in 2008. He feels an ethical obligation to design solutions for his clients that are energy efficient, durable and healthy, and an obligation to the next generation to help minimize our impacts today on our limited resources.
“We have so many gifts in this country that sometimes we tend to forget that we have to take care of those gifts,” he says. “If I give you an option to design a building that will waste money monthly, make your employees sick and will not last, would you want it? That is all true green solutions are focused on, providing the best possible solution available with the information we have available to us today. The LEED rating system is a good tool to use to achieve these goals. It gives us a common measuring stick. However, it is only a tool and you have to think about your choices and still evaluate the options. There is no magic solution that is right in every case. We have to design our solutions correctly taking into account all the impacts those decisions will make in the future.”
An incredible profession
Hendricks believes there is nothing else in the world he would rather do than be an architect. He sometimes feels guilty that he gets to earn money for doing what he loves most every day.
What advice would he give future architects? “Architecture is an incredible profession,” he says. “You have the ability to influence, guide and enhance the lives of others and you should take that opportunity. We are in need of bright minds that can bring innovative solutions to every aspect of life and this profession should be leading the charge. This used to be an industry focused on the few with the ability to spend large sums of money on design solutions. This is evolving into an industry that provides incredible solutions for people and places that are in need of good design. I like to tell people in my presentations that
‘everyone deserves good design.’ We find ourselves in a state of need for that on all levels.”
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Arch Connect
What’s on your iPod while you work?
Pandora. Depending on my mood I have a Kid Rock station, a Prince station and a gospel bluegrass
station.
What do you do on weekends?
My nights and weekends are totally dedicated to my girls and my wife Randa. We like to garden,
swim, spend time with our families and go to church.
What is your favorite book?
Again, I spend a lot of time with my girls, so at this point I would say, “The Lorax,” “Roberto, the Insect Architect” and “‘Stand Back,’ said the Elephant, ‘I’m Going to Sneeze!'”
What’s your favorite app on your phone or iPad?
Words with Friends. I have three games going with my Mom.
Where is your favorite place to vacation?
Charleston S.C. I love walking the streets looking at the architecture and hearing the history.
What historical figure would you most like to have dinner with and why?
My favorite architect is Samuel Mockbee, and while he has passed, I am not sure he qualifies as historical. I would love to hear the story of how he decided to move from an active architectural practice to teaching college students in the poorest community in rural Alabama how to build community. I heard him lecture once at the University of Virginia, and he changed my approach to architecture and helped form my idea of what kind of architect I wanted to become.
