For forty years brwarchitects has told the stories of our clients and communities through architecture.
We approach every project with compassion and collaboration, from resident-led affordable housing to commercial, ecclesiastical, and residential design.
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brw welcomes vy do
Vy grew up in Vietnam and immigrated to Virginia where she studied high school and discovered her love for architecture. She moved to Charlottesville to pursue her dreams in design and attended the University of Virginia.
Vy has been fascinated with residential design and eager to learn about commercial projects as well as religious. She believes that architectural beauty comes from its intricately crafted process, from its first design phase to the completed product. On her days off, Vy enjoys traveling, spending time with her two bunnies and occasionally baking, making tiramisu to share with families and friends.
southwood redevelopment receives $2.25 million
Governor Ralph Northam announced on Tuesday that the Southwood community will be receiving $2.25 million in funding as part of the Vibrant Community Initiative, which seeks to expand affordable housing opportunities in the Commonwealth. In 2007, Habitat purchased the Southwood Mobile Home Park with the goal to redevelop it as a mixed-income, sustainable neighborhood without resident displacement. Since that time, Habitat has worked closely with residents to stabilize the current infrastructure of the park, expand upon community building efforts, and design a blueprint for phase one of redevelopment.
“This is incredibly exciting news,” said Dan Rosensweig, Habitat President and CEO. “It’s the initial chunk of funding necessary as we develop the resource bank to build the first model village.”
This year, residents contributed over 900 hours toward a phase one rezoning application. Thirty seven Southwood families have expressed interest in being part of the first phase of redevelopment, and this number is expected to grow as the project moves forward.
the effects of a simple roof
Even a seemingly straightforward commercial project can produce an unexpected moment of delight in its design. The construction of a new office for Froehlinger & Robertson needed to perform well for the staff by providing a comfortable place to work and an efficient arrangement of space. The building is also in a prominent position on Route 250, and so we identified an opportunity to design a noticeable and professional presence, and to capture the beautiful views of the Blue Ridge.
In an early session with our clients, a simple piece of folded chipboard opened up our vision for the resulting design of the roof.
The main feature of the building is the sloping room pointing toward the mountains. This roof, as simple as it looks, serves many purposes. It allows the windows to take advantage of the north light, and creates several interesting spaces inside the building. The slope directs drainage to the back of the building, but it also partly shields the view of the parking from the road. And finally, it acts as a visual landmark, a lantern along Route 250 to mark the presence of F&R in the community.