Shank & Gray Architects

The firm was created by Richard Shank in 1972. Robert Gray joined Mr. Shank in 1973 and a professional partnership was created in 1977. The firm has been in practice from offices in Downtown Charlottesville since 1978. We choose to operate with a small, experienced staff and give direct personal supervision to all aspects of our work.

Our primary goal is to provide rational and responsive solutions to our client's design needs. Toward that end, we have consistently produced clean, direct, understated, and deceptively simple buildings which are easy to occupy and maintain.

The design dialogue between owner and architect follows its own path. We do not employ a rigid methodology. We have found, however, that offering a carefully studied series of choices often facilitates the effort to find a solution which is tailored to the client's needs. We use a combination of tools which include computer-aided techniques combined with traditional hand renderings and models. These capabilities are in-house and are available for all of our work.

Beyond good thoughtful design, we bring the very real value of carefully compiled, comprehensive working drawings prepared by experienced personnel. It is here, in the technical documents, that the real value of the architectural services resides. Both cost control and quality are inextricably linked to the construction documents.

The firm has completed an impressive range of work. We have successfully designed a number of restaurants and light industrial buildings, which display an obsession with function and process. We have extensive experience in single and multi-family housing, at a variety of scales. In addition, Shank & Gray has done several institutional and municipal buildings and have been instrumental in creating one of the largest secure computer facilities in the region. We have also enjoyed the design and construction of the only new monastery in Central Virginia. We embrace the challenge of process, function, and place that lives within each new building project.