July 1, 2009
Susanne Croft, incentives specialist for the city of Spokane, will speak at Marketing Associates of Spokane's 11:30 a.m., July 9 lunch at the Red Lion Inn at the Park.
She will talk about the city's Green Incentives and award programs. Lunch is $20 for members and $30 for others.
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Officials from the state Office of Minority and Women's Business Enterprises will discuss how to become certified by the state and how to become certified as a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise by the federal government.
With large amounts of federal stimulus funding — much of it for highways — coming to the Northwest, certification can help prime consultants and sub-contractors get contracts.
The University of Washington's Capital Projects Office and AIA Seattle Diversity Roundtable are holding the event.
For more information, see aiaseattle.org/node/2988 or contact Doug Jennings at (206) 221-4219 or djenning@u.washington.edu.
Founded in 1996 in Bellevue by architectural designer Raffaele Exiana and project manager Ron Williams, the company's focus is design and interiors for commercial, residential and wine industry projects.
“We love the creativity and energy of Walla Walla, and the long tradition of beautiful historic architecture, ” Exiana said in a prepared statement.
Recent work includes restoration of the 1895 Whiteside Building in downtown Walla Walla; new tasting rooms in Woodinville and Walla Walla for Dusted Valley Vintners; and interpretive centers at the Wildhorse Resort and Casino in Mission, Ore.
Projects in development include a number of wineries and housing in both Eastern and Western Washington.
The port, which operates the largest public marina on the West Coast, started the project in September of 2008. This is the first stage in the port's multi-phase recapitalization program. The port has rebuilt many floats in both the north and south marinas.
The port invested $5.6 million to upgrade 163 open moorage slips and install a new accessible gangway. The port also removed creosote pilings to help restore water quality, and upgraded mechanical and electrical utilities.
Moffatt & Nichol designed the project. American Construction Co. was the contractor.
The next phase will continue work in the south marina by replacing roof systems and making flotation and electrical upgrades, as designed by Moffatt & Nichol. The port also will add supplemental flotation to the docks in the southwest corner of the marina, with the work going out for bid in July. The roof and flotation work is to start in the fall of 2010.
EDAW has an office in Seattle.
Brown will receive the ASLA Medal, the highest honor that ASLA bestows on a landscape architect. He joined EDAW in 1972, took the reins in 1992, and molded the firm into an international force, ASLA officials say.
EDAW AECOM will receive the Landscape Architecture Firm Award. EDAW AECOM designed the master plan for the 2012 Olympic Games in London.
Winterbottom, associate professor in the department of landscape architecture and adjunct professor at the UW's College of Built Environments, won the Community Service Award. He brings the benefits of landscape architecture to poor, marginalized, and underserved populations, according to ASLA officials.
Winterbottom teaches students how to use low-tech, sustainable materials, and helps them design and build projects under his guidance. Their work has benefited people in prisons, poor communities in Mexico and Guatemala, cancer centers and other underserved groups.
The acquired firm is doing business as HDR e2M. The firm employs more than 365 environmental professionals and engineers in 14 international offices, including one in Lynnwood.
More than 90 percent of its clients are federal government agencies.
This will help HDR expand its federal program, according to HDR President George A. Little.
HDR has more than 7,900 employees in 179 locations, including offices in Pasco, the Puget Sound region and Spokane.
June 24, 2009
Walnut Village, designed by the Portland office of Ankrom Moisan Architects, won gold in the Best Small Continuing Care Retirement Community On the Boards category at the 2009 National Association of Home Builders Best of 50+ Housing Awards. The awards honor excellence in design, development and marketing of housing.
Developed by Front Porch of Burbank, Calif., the 7.7-acre project in Anaheim, Calif., uses a village concept. Buildings are grouped around three distinct village centers. The three-story main building has 149 independent living units and 14 assisted-living units.
Ankrom Moisan was responsible for interior and exterior architecture as well as interior design for the units.
Ima + Design of Irvine, Calif., was the landscape architect. DPR Construction, headquartered in San Jose, Calif., was the general contractor.
The center has a covered waiting area, benches, windscreens, lighting, and monitored security. VIA officials say the goal is to create a sense of place that serves surrounding commercial development now and in the future. The center eventually will be part of a pedestrian-oriented mixed-use community.
VIA worked with artist Julie Berger to create 220 panels of glass that make up the canopy. The panel graphics are derived through fractal analysis of photographs of the nearby tree canopy.
The center will accommodate more than 4,000 passengers per day. The park-and-ride has 340 stalls and five charging stations for electric vehicles.
Lisa Richmond, executive director of the Seattle chapter of the American Institute of Architects, said architecture is about more than buildings because it helps people define their cities and regions. She added that is done by leaders, such as Suyama, who see the big picture.
Suyama, of Suyama Peterson Deguchi, founded his Seattle-based practice in 1971. He is known for designs that draw from the traditions of Japanese and Northwest contemporary architecture.
Colleagues say he strives to dissolve the division between architecture and art.
Suyama has served on various groups, including Henry Art Gallery, On the Boards, Seattle Arts Commission, Downtown Seattle Transit Project Arts Committee, and the Pike Place Market Commission.
In addition to “major” design debuts, sculptures by Frank Gehry and others will be on sale. There will be tours of the Pierre Koenig-designed Stahl House. Pulitzer Prize winner Robin Layton will be on hand to debut her art furnishings.
Even Coolhaus, “a crazy, tweeter-followed ice cream truck,” will be there serving “high concept ice cream sandwiches,” including Mintimalism, Oatmeal Cinnamoneo and IM Peinut Butter.
CA Boom (caboomshow.com) runs through Sunday in the former Robinsons department store at Wilshire and Santa Monica boulevards in Beverly Hills. Admission is $20 per day in advance or $25 at the door.
Ellison is the 27th recipient of the award and was selected out of 500 members for this year's honor. He is involved with ITE's National Committee on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, and is active in his community.
ITE, a worldwide organization, supports research on transportation planning, develops public awareness programs, and promotes the exchange of professional information.
Fulton's professional work focuses primarily on managing water and sewer capital and planning projects. She recently managed the planning and construction of a city-wide vacuum sewer system for Carnation.
June 17, 2009
The Portland and Seattle offices of Murase Studio are designing a landscape sculpture installation at the University of Central Florida's new Performing Arts Complex.
Scott Murase, a landscape designer and public artist, said the commission is envisioned to create a signature identity for the complex, which aims to enhance the Orlando university's performing arts classes and programs and respond to the community's cultural arts needs.
Ancient carvings believed to be the work of the Timuca Indians inspired the art installation. Hand-carved cypress sculptures will create a focal point for the university. A meandering earth mound draws reference to the nearby St. Johns River and forms a series of outdoor seating areas that will provide the community a gathering spot.
The installation will connect students, faculty, visitors, and departmental programs through a convergence of disciplines, interaction, and performance settings, according Murase.
The trade association's program is open to architects, engineers and contractors; entrants may be individuals or teams. Eligible structures must be in the United States, Canada or Mexico, and have been completed between Jan. 1, 2006 and Sept. 30, 2009. The submission deadline is Oct. 16.
Judging criteria are aesthetics, innovation, engineering achievement, functional excellence and economy of construction. Categories are residential buildings, commercial buildings, educational and health care facilities, public buildings, cultural and entertainment facilities, transportation facilities, and bridges.
Full details are at crsi.org.
The partnership combines AA's planning experience and knowledge of the campus with ZGF's experience in the design of research facilities for academic institutions. Also on the team are lab consultant Jacobs Consulting and Affiliated Engineers Inc.
The development will house 120 new faculty researchers, 480 research assistants and support staff. Phase II construction is scheduled to begin next spring and be completed in the summer of 2012. The entire district is to be completed in 2015.
Twenty-four design groups submitted proposals for the project that is part of the largest expansion of the university's Twin Cities campus since the 1960s.
Rebuilding Together Seattle provides donated repair services at no cost to low-income homeowners, particularly those who are elderly, disabled or families with children. Lowe's donated the supplies.
Team DLR improved the home of a retired couple. Volunteers replaced a concrete stairway with a wooden one, repaired a hole in the patio wall, added new windows and doors, painted the back and front patios, cleaned gutters and downspouts and did landscaping work.
Today, professionals from four generations are collaborating on the job. It's challenging for employers to successfully blend these groups, according to Liotta, who will discuss her trademarked approach that she says helps companies attract, engage and invigorate members of different generations.
The lunch meeting costs from $40 to $55. Register at smpsseattle.org.
June 10, 2009
Providence Medical Group's North Portland Clinic won a top design award from the American Institute of Architects Academy of Architecture for Health. The Portland office of Mahlum led design of the clinic, which was the only winner in the category for structures built for less than $25 million.
The 19,500-square-foot clinic revitalizes a brownfield site and is adjacent to a transit corridor.
Construction cost was $2.7 million. Lorentz Brunn Construction was the general contractor.
The clinic has 15 exam rooms, offices, laboratory, X-ray facility and a classroom. Floor-to-ceiling windows allow passersby to view three 20-by-20-foot murals by Caleb Freese.
The two-year, $20 million renovation of the 30-story Four Seasons Hotel Vancouver has been completed.
Officials of the 372-room property say that the design team at Forchielli Glynn LLC of Los Angeles sought to capture the essence of British Columbia's natural environment, and provide “new energy and harmony” to the building's contemporary architectural style. Forchielli Glynn led the second phase, which included remodeling guestrooms, the lobby and meeting rooms.
Engstrom Design Group of San Francisco designed the first phase, which included building the Yew Restaurant and Bar. General contractors were Ledcor for the restaurant and bar, Aberdane for the meeting rooms, and Prostar for the guestrooms.
Kreisman, program director of Historic Seattle, and Glenn Mason are co-curators of The Arts and Crafts Movement in the Pacific Northwest exhibition currently at MOHAI. The exhibition is based on three years of research by Kreisman and Mason for their book of the same name.
Tickets are $7 for general public and $5 for MOHAI members, and are available at brownpapertickets.com or at the door.
The parks committee, which Tom Rasmussen leads, will review landmark designations and approve appointments to the Landmarks Preservation Board.
Previously, the Planning, Land Use and Neighborhoods Committee oversaw these issues. That committee is facing a variety of complex issues, including rewriting the multi-family code and reviewing regulation changes for the Qwest Field north lot. To handle the work load, the committee is holding extra sessions this month and moving some preservation issues to the parks committee.
