Design Detailings: YGH honored for recreation center

Yost Grube Hall designed BSU's Recreation Center.

Yost Grube Hall Architecture received Athletic Business Magazine's national Facility of Merit Award for the Boise State University Student Recreation Center.

YGH served as the design architect for the center, with Design West Architects of Boise acting as the project architect. The $12 million, 90,000-square-foot facility has a three-court gym, an 11-lap-per-mile walking/jogging track, climbing wall, outdoor equipment rental center, group exercise rooms, racquetball courts and strength-training rooms. The center has 201,000 visitors annually and is open to students, faculty, staff and alumni, and their families.

The design jury stated that the BSU center is, "a fine example of maximizing the effects of simple materials and expanding spaces with artful use of glazing to create a project that is both inviting and appropriate to the campus."

Earlier this summer, the center also received an Outstanding Sports Facility Award by the National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association. Oregon State University's Dixon Recreation Center, also designed by YGH, received this award in 2005 as well.

Feb. 1 seminar on risk and profitability

The College of Architecture and Urban Planning Continuing Professional Education Program at the University of Washington hosts "Opportunity, Risk and Profitability When a Firm Grows" on Feb. 1. It will be at 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Tahoma Room of the Mountaineers Building, 300 Third Ave. W.

The seminar addresses issues that surround firm growth and where a firm is going, whom it will serve and how it will serve them, how it will be staffed, how it will prepare for the next generation and whether it will make sense financially.

Topics will also include developing a financial plan and parlaying goals into strategies and actions.

The presenter, Hugh Hochberg, has conducted seminars for the American Institute of Architects, the American Consulting Engineers Council, the Society for Marketing Professional Services, and the Professional Services Management Association.

Cost is $300. For more information, contact Lyn Firkins at (206) 685-8222 or jasper@u.washington.edu.

Billings index predicts construction growth in ‘06

The Architecture Billings Index, an economic indicator of nonresidential construction activity, showed growth for the 11th consecutive month in November, according to The American Institute of Architects. Because of the approximately six-month lag time between billings for architectural services and construction activity, nonresidential construction activity is expected to be a strong economic sector in much of 2006.

"It is especially noteworthy that if architecture firms report even modest billings gains in December, 2005 will be the first year since 2000 that gains were reported every month of the year," said AIA Chief Economist Kermit Baker. "We are expecting improved business conditions for construction firms that specialize in commercial/industrial, as well as institutional projects."

The index predicts continued improvement in business conditions for U.S. architecture firms in the Northeast and Midwest, and firms in the South and West will have moderate growth levels.

For more information, go to http://www.aia.org.

Design Detailings: AIA sets new green goals

The national board of the American Institute of Architects has made sustainable design and resource conservation a new part of its mission. The board recently voted to set a goal of reducing by at least 50 percent the amount of fossil fuels used to construct and operate buildings by 2010.

The AIA will collaborate with other national and international organizations, scientific researchers and the public health community.

As part of the initiative, AIA will also promote sustainability in the educational curriculum for architects and architecture students. AIA also said it supports the development and use of rating systems and standards, such as LEED.

Tigard plan wins award

Parametrix's work with the city of Tigard, Ore., to develop a plan to improve the downtown helped the city win the 2005 Good Governance Award from the League of Oregon Cities.

The plan laid out how the city can convert its downtown into a higher-density, mixed-use urban village, with employment and housing served by transit.

City officials want to create compact areas of retail, cultural and recreational activities in a pedestrian-friendly environment. Parametrix examined the mix of land uses that would be needed and also trained a task force on how to get public input on the plan.

Art sought for Fire Station 10

The Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs is looking for two artists to create and install site-specific artwork in Fire Station 10, which will be built in the International District adjacent to Pioneer Square.

One artist will create an exterior artwork in a planting area along the Fifth Avenue South façade of the fire station, and one artist will create a three-dimensional exterior piece at the corner of South Washington Street and Fourth Avenue South.

Selected artists will work with lead design team artist Gloria Bornstein. For more information, contact arts.culture@seattle.gov or (206) 684-7171. The fire station is designed by Weinstein A|U.

Jonassen work on display

On Jan. 5 to 7, the Gallery at NBBJ will host a show of the art of Marilyn Jonassen. Her work is in private and institutional collections, and is described by the artist as "emotional expressionism." She works in oil on canvas and encaustic on board.

Jonassen is on the art committee of the Swedish Medical Center, and has advised on its collection.

Gallery hours begin with Pioneer Square's First Thursday Art Walk.

Design Detailings: Predock wins AIA Gold Medal

Predock

The Board of Directors of The American Institute of Architects recently announced that Tacoma Art Museum designer Antoine Predock won the 2006 AIA Gold Medal. Predock's firm is based in Albuquerque, N.M.

Thomas S. Howorth, chairman of the AIA Committee on Design Gold Medal Committee, said Predock's buildings have been "universally embraced."

"Antoine Predock designs buildings that grow out of their unique landscapes, creating, at the same time, symbols that are fearlessly expressive and sincere, simultaneously complex and guileless," Howorth said.

In addition to the Tacoma Art Museum, Predock designed the $285 million ballpark for the San Diego Padres, which approaches the concept of a stadium as a "garden" rather than a sports complex, and the new National Palace Museum in Taiwan.

Other commissions include the U.S. Federal Courthouse in El Paso, Texas, and the Spencer Theater for the Performing Arts in Alto, N.M.

Predock designed TAM with executive architect Olson Sundberg Kundig Allen Architects of Seattle.

The board gave the Architecture Firm Award to Moore Ruble Yudell Architects & Planners of Santa Monica, Calif.

Otak takes two awards

The American Society of Landscape Architects and the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officers recently honored two projects by Otak.

WASLA recognized Otak's work on the Shoreline Interurban Trail. Otak produced a preliminary design report for trail alignment and developed final design documents for its north and south ends. The trail, which provides a continuous network from Seattle to Everett, is an enhancement to the city of Shoreline's urban framework, according to Otak.

NAHRO honored Otak's Plum Meadows with Awards of Excellence in two categories: project design and community revitalization. Otak provided architecture, site design, planning, landscape architecture and civil engineering services for a multi-family development led by the Vancouver Housing Authority.

Anne Whitacre is CSI Fellow

Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Partnership announced Anne Whitacre has been named a Fellow by the Construction Specifications Institute. Fellowship is a top honor granted by CSI.

She is the specifications writer for ZGF's Seattle office and one of eight people in the Seattle metropolitan area ever to receive this honor. Whitacre is one of 10 nationally to advance to Fellowship in April at the CSI Show & Convention in Las Vegas.

Whitacre has been a member of CSI for 27 years and was president of the Puget Sound chapter in 1988 and 1989. She has been a full-time specifier since 1978. She has published articles and is a frequent lecturer throughout the region.

Morss Medical puts tips online

Morss Medical Architecture has developed a Web-based resource called Planning Tips. Every other month, a new tip is added to the site. The tips are common sense guidelines for developing or designing medical facilities.

Current tips cover such topics as natural light and its importance in developing a patient-friendly facility and way finding.

Bainbridge Island-based Morss Medical Architecture specializes in medical architecture. Its Web site is http://www.morssarch.com.

Design Detailings: Green Futures Charrette Feb. 3-4

Local designers are invited to form teams to work on open space concepts for downtown Seattle in preparation for the Green Futures Charrette on Feb. 3 and 4. The charrette is part of "Open Space Seattle 2100," an effort to develop a 100-year plan for open space in the city.

The open space is needed to accommodate growing density and promote quality of life, according to sponsors of the initiative.

"Open Space Seattle 2100" is a six-month program that will include lectures and discussions, such as "The City Project: New Open Spaces for Social Justice in Los Angeles" on Jan. 24 and "Green Urban Infrastructure for the 21st Century" on Feb. 2.

The time and place of the Jan. 24 discussion has not been determined. The Feb. 2 lecture will be at 7 p.m. at University of Washington's Architecture Hall 147. The University of Washington College of Architecture and Urban Planning is a lead sponsor of the program.

The process will result in a report to be released by early summer. For more information go to http://www.open2100.org, or call (206) 543-9240.

Get certified as a green business

On Thursday, Dec. 15, Cleanerproduction.com will sponsor a seminar about sustainable economic development called "Design and Performance of Green Business Certification Programs."

It will be held from 2 to 5 p.m. in the 15th floor Denali Room of the EPA's Region IX headquarters at 1200 Sixth Ave.

The seminar will address how green business certification programs work around the country and whether they could become widespread in the Pacific Northwest. The guest speaker will be Sarah Diefendorf, director of the EPA's Region IX Environmental Finance Center. The moderator will be Burton Hamner, producer of Cleanerproduction.com.

There is no charge. RSVP to seminar@cleanerproduction.com by Dec. 7, or call (206) 526-5308.

Marsh named Parametrix trustee

John Marsh of the Portland office of Parametrix was recently appointed the fourth trustee of the Parametrix Employee Stock Ownership Plan. Marsh was elected by the board of directors and recommended by a selection committee that included the ESOP trustees and representatives of the Board of Directors and Employee Ownership Committee.

He is the director of the firm's Endangered Species Act program and has 27 years experience working with federal, state, tribal and local governments.

Murphy passes LEED exam

ALSC Architects of Spokane announced that Ken Murphy recently passed the 2.1 version of the LEED exam. Murphy has been with ALSC Architects since 1993 and is an associate. Current projects include the North Spokane

YMCA, Ridgeview Elementary for Spokane Public Schools and the expansion and renovation of Senior Hall at Eastern Washington University.

Design Detailings: Panel looks at how to define your mission

Swenson Say Faget principal Ellen Southard will lead a panel discussion about defining a firm's mission at 3 p.m. Friday, Dec. 9.

The session will include case study presentations. The panel includes Heather Johnston, founding partner of Place Architects; Don Lloyd, director of business development with Rushforth Construction Co.; and Dan Caine, principal and lead strategist of Incite, a branding consulting firm.

The event will be held at AIA Seattle, 1911 First Ave. For information, call AIA at (206) 448-4938, or go to http://www.aiaseattle.org.

Blackmer picked for accrediting board

Blackmer

Bruce E. Blackmer, president and CEO of Northwest Architectural Co., has been appointed to serve as an AIA representative to the National Architectural Accrediting Board's board of directors.

The NAAB evaluates U.S. schools of architecture for accreditation. He will be one of three AIA representatives on the NAAB board who deals with accreditation. He was appointed to a three-year term.

SEAW will host seismic seminar

The Structural Engineers Association of Washington will host a full-day seismic design seminar on Saturday.

The seminar is designed to help engineers transition to the 2003 International Building Code from the 1997 Uniform Building Code. It will be held at the University of Washington's Kane Hall, Room 130. Registration will begin at 8 a.m. The seminar runs from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Cost is $130 for members, and $160 for non-members. For registration information, go to http://www.seaw.org, write seaw@seaw.org or call (206) 682-6026.

DIFFA holds AIDS fundraiser Thursday

On Thursday, Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS continues its fight against AIDS with a fundraising event from 6 to 8 p.m. in the lobby of W Seattle.

The local chapter of DIFFA will present grant awards worth $30,000 to six local HIV/AIDS organizations: Bailey-Boushay House, Lifelong AIDS Alliance, Rise ‘n' Shine, Rosehedge AIDS Housing, Seattle African-American Comfort Program and the Seattle/King County Humane Society's "Pet Project" AIDS Outreach Program.

For a suggested $20 minimum donation, guests will receive two cocktails and appetizers, with the proceeds to benefit DIFFA. Tickets can be purchased at the hotel on the night of the event. W Seattle is at 1112 Fourth Ave. For reservations, call (206) 763-8885.

Design Detailings: Integrus wins award for school

Photo courtesy Integrus Architechture White River High School in Buckley is organized into eight clusters.

Integrus Architecture recently received the 2005 James D. MacConnell Award for school design for the 230,000-square-foot White River High School in Buckley. The MacConnell Award is presented by the Council of Educational Facility Planners International.

The school is organized into eight clusters, five of which are specialized for career paths. Judges said the open, light-filled spaces promote learning and encourage collaborative efforts between students and staff.

"The judges complimented the planning process we used throughout the four years of building this special high school and the students they interacted with when they visited our campus," said White River Superintendent Jay Hambly.

Bill Goodwin is honored by APWA

Bill Goodwin, a consulting services manager at the Transpo Group, recently received the James Robertson Award at the American Public Works Association fall conference in Yakima.

Goodwin received the award for outstanding service in the field of public works. He is past APWA chapter president. As the award winner, Goodwin now becomes the Washington state chapter nominee for the national Swearingen Award for public service.

Headquartered in Kirkland, the Transpo Group provides traffic engineering and transportation planning services.

Anderson to re-fit Tacoma fireboat

Art Anderson Associates has a contract with the city of Tacoma to provide naval architecture and engineering services for the renovation and re-fit of Tacoma Fire Department's 30-knot fireboat The Commencement.

The contract is funded under the Department of Homeland Security's Assistance to Firefighters grant program.

The Commencement is one of two rapid response fireboats operated by the fire department, providing fire suppression, search and rescue, evacuation, hazardous materials response and emergency medical service for the city and the Port of Tacoma. It was built in 1982.

Art Anderson will provide engineering and design services for the vessel's propulsion, pumping, hydraulic, electrical, and command and control systems, and will work with BMT Nigel Gee and Associates.

After the re-fit and renovation, The Commencement will be a versatile, Class-A fireboat with an expected service life of an additional 20 years, according to Art Anderson Associates.

Design Detailings: Northwest AIA awards Dec. 5

The Northwest Chapter of the American Institute of Architects will hold its annual NWAIA Design Awards at 7 p.m. Dec. 5.

Entries are from NWAIA members who are based in Island, San Juan, Skagit and Whatcom counties.

Judges include Seattle architects George Suyama of Suyama Peterson Deguchi, Jim Brown of LMN Architects and landscape architect Shannon Nichol of Gustafson Guthrie Nichol.

The event will be held in McIntyre Hall on the Skagit Valley College Campus, 2501 E. College Way, Mount Vernon. Cost is $15 and tickets can be purchased by going online to http://www.mcintyrehall.org, or by calling (360) 416-7727 or (866) 624-6897. Go to http://www.nwaia.org between Nov. 22 and Dec. 4 to vote for the People's Choice Award.

Walker Macy to design California river walk

The Portland-based landscape architecture, urban design and planning firm Walker Macy has been selected to plan, design and permit an extension of the West Sacramento River Walk in West Sacramento, Calif.

The river walk will be developed in industrial and mixed-use neighborhoods, and will resemble the firm's South Waterfront Greenway in Portland.

Walker Macy will create waterfront neighborhoods and districts, and make places for events along the Sacramento River.

Green design part of Third Thursday event

The Seattle Design Center's "Third Thursday" seminar on Nov. 17 will include sessions on different topics: "Offering Green Design to Your Clients," "Living With Leather" and "Furniture Reproduction Revealed."

The all-day free event runs 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The design center is at 5701 Sixth Ave. S. For information, call (800) 497-7997 or go to http://www.seattledesigncenter.com.

Design Detailings: NWAIA design awards Dec. 5

The AIA Northwest chapter will present the Northwest Washington AIA design awards Dec. 5. The event will be held on the Skagit Valley College campus in Mount Vernon. More than 40 projects are featured each year.

Jurors this year include Seattle architects George Suyama of Suyama Peterson Deguchi, Jim Brown of LMN Architects and landscape architect Shannon Nichol of Gustafson Guthrie Nichol.

Doors open at 7 p.m. To buy the $15 tickets call (360) 416-7727 or (866) 624-6897.

Vote online for top projects between Nov. 22 and Dec. 4 at http://www.nwaia.org.

Walgreens hires Kleinfelder

The Deerfield, Ill.-based drugstore chain Walgreen Co. picked San Diego, Calif.-based company Kleinfelder to be the single provider of construction materials testing and quality control inspection services for the western United States.

Engineer Derek Ulehla of Kleinfelder's Denver office will lead the program, which will cover 17 western states. Three other firms will cover the central, southeast and northeast regions of the country.

Walgreens is opening about 450 stores a year, and aims to operate more than 7,000 by 2010. Kleinfelder provides engineering, technical and management services.

CDi moves in Lynnwood

The mechanical consulting firm CDi Engineers switched its Lynnwood office to 4200 194th St. S.W., Suite 200. Phone, fax and e-mail contacts remain the same. The move will accommodate more staff.

The new space is registered for certification under the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED standard for commercial interiors.

AIA conference on Gulf Coast

AIA will hold a conference Nov. 10-12 in New Orleans on ways to rebuild areas of Louisiana damaged by recent hurricanes.

Design and planning professionals will meet with Louisiana public officials as well as civic and business groups to set long-range goals for rebuilding after hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

Conference participants will look at ways to rebuild neighborhoods, considering infrastructure, economic development, and environmental and health issues.

"This conference is not intended to dictate solutions or impose a final plan, but rather to serve as the initial step that sets the stage and defines conceptual design principles," said Norman L. Koonce, executive vice president and chief executive officer of the AIA.

For information, contact Scott Frank at (202) 626-7467, or e-mail him at sfrank@aia.org.

Design Detailings: Charles Jencks to speak at Benaroya

International architect and author Charles Jencks will speak tonight at Benaroya Hall at 7:30 p.m.

Jencks, who lives in Scotland, did a landscape project for the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art. He has also written more than 30 books, including a 1977 volume called "The Language of Post-Modern Architecture" and most recently, "The Iconic Building," which looks at structures by Frank Gehry, Daniel Libeskind and Rem Koolhaas.

Jencks lectures in the United States, the United Kingdom, Europe and Asia. He earned degrees in architectural history at the University of London, and English literature and architecture at Harvard University.

Tonight's talk is sponsored by NBBJ, Sellen Construction Co. and Seattle law firm Reed, Longyear, Malnati, Ahrens & West. Cost is $15, $7.50 for students or those under 25. For tickets, see http://www.boxoffice.html.

CHS Engineers, McAndrews merge

Two Bellevue engineering firms have merged: CHS Engineers and The McAndrews Group. The combined company will be known as CHS Engineers.

Principals are Larry McAndrews, Scott Christensen, Rodney Langer, Evan Henke and John Nottingham. All are engineers.

Christensen helped start CHS Engineers in 1993. The company's specialty is consulting for municipalities. McAndrews founded The McAndrews Group 10 years ago to work with small cities and towns, as well as developers and architects.

The combined company will continue to provide code and building inspection services, but also offer packages for surveys, road design and construction management support.

W&H Pacific wins award for Ore. bridge

The National Steel Bridge Alliance recognized W&H Pacific of Bothell for the Bill Healy Memorial Bridge in Bend, Ore. The awards recognize innovative steel bridges built in the United States.

The Bill Healy bridge won second place in the medium span category. W&H Pacific did structural and civil engineering, landscape architecture and construction management on the project, which finished in 2003.

Design Detailings: Houston-based ABS Consulting has closed its Seattle office, but Donald Ballantyne will maintain Northwest operations from Tacoma. Ballantyne

New ownership at Wattenbarger

Seattle firms win design awards

Several Seattle firms won Northwest Design Awards recently in a Seattle Design Center competition.

Dawson Design Associates won for hospitality design. BCDG Interiors won for bathroom and bedroom designs, and tied with Boxwood for contemporary design.

Two Bainbridge Island firms, Zimmerman Architecture and Ardeo Design, won for retail design and a yacht remodel, respectively. Hensel Design Studios won in seven categories, ranging from a remodel to house design.

Fire code board has openings

Mayor Greg Nickels is seeking candidates to fill vacancies on the Seattle Fire Code Advisory Board.

The 15-member board advises the mayor, city council, fire chief and fire marshal on fire prevention issues in Seattle.

The city needs representatives from marine, fire insurance, fire protection and retail industries, as well as two members of the public.

The mayor makes appointments, which are subject to city council confirmation. Board members serve without compensation.

To be considered, send a letter of interest and resume by Oct. 15: Diane Hansen, Seattle Fire Department, 220 Third Ave. S., Seattle WA 98104. Or e-mail diane.hansen@seattle.gov.

Morss to study Aberdeen clinic

Coastal Internal Medicine of Aberdeen hired Bainbridge Island-based Morss Medical Architecture to do a feasibility study for a new building.

The 5,000-square-foot building would offer internal medicine services and house a group of providers for Aberdeen-area patients. It would open in the fourth quarter of 2006. Morss Medical has 30 years of experience in medical architecture.

South African architect at SAM

Lindy Roy, an innovative architect from Cape Town, South Africa, will speak at the Seattle Art Museum at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday. Roy is the founder of New York-based ROY, known for its research-driven, conceptually based architecture.

Her recent projects include the heli-ski Wind River Lodge in Alaska and a hotel and spa in the Kavango Delta, Botswana. Tickets are $12 and can be purchased through http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/2270, or at Peter Miller Books, 1930 First Ave.

Geologist gives talk on wetlands

Geologist David Weatherby will give a talk Nov. 2 on a method he created to analyze the impact of transportation projects on wetlands.

Oregon Department of Transportation would have to fill wetlands to build the West Eugene Parkway transportation project. Weatherby came up with a way to assess whether the parkway would change the hydrologic system or impact wetlands outside the project's footprint.

His talk will be at Meier & Frank, 621 S.W. Fifth Ave. in Portland at 11:30 a.m. Call (360) 896-0166 for more information.

ABS Consulting closes Seattle office

Houston-based ABS Consulting has closed its Seattle office, but Donald Ballantyne will maintain Northwest operations from Tacoma. Ballantyne can be reached at (206) 226-7496, or through his work address, 1915 63rd St. N.E. ABS does engineering and risk assessment.

New ownership at Wattenbarger

Ross A. Jones is the new owner of Wattenbarger Architects in Bellevue, and will oversee operations, management and growth. He is now president and chief executive officer.

Steve Wattenbarger is chairman, and will do more business development work and continue as principal on some projects.

Wattenbarger founded the firm in 1987. Jones joined in 1994, after the company shifted its focus to housing for seniors.

Wash. resident re-elected to IECA

Becky Gauthier of Lakebay has been re-elected to the board of directors for the International Erosion Control Association. This Steamboat Springs, Colo.-based nonprofit helps members solve erosion and sediment problems.

Gauthier's second term will begin in February 2006. She has worked in the erosion control industry since 1990 and is the technical representative for Fiber Marketing International.

Design Detailings: Tom Kundig lecture Oct. 28

Tom Kundig, a principal with Seattle-firm Olson Sundberg Kundig Allen Architects, will give a free public talk Oct. 28 about his work from 1995 through today.

Organizers say Kundig's poetic and intuitive style helped him win a 2005 National Design Award in Architecture from the The Smithsonian's Cooper-Hewitt Design Museum.

Kundig's slide lecture will start at 7 p.m. at the University of Washington's Kane Hall. For information, call (206) 685-2296.

AHBL, Martens-Chan have merged

AHBL and Martens-Chan have merged. Their new Seattle address is Park Place Building, 1200 Sixth Ave., Suite 1620. Telephone is (206) 267-2425. Martens-Chan is a Seattle company that does structural engineering for medical centers and architecture firms. AHBL does landscape architecture, and civil and structural engineering. It also has a Tacoma office.

SMPS offers workshop on Oct. 25

The Society for Marketing Professional Services' will hold a workshop Oct. 25 about business development strategies, networking tools, lead development and cold calling.

The interactive workshop will cover the differences between marketing and business development in professional service firms, how to prepare for client introductions and how to build relationships.

The program is for technical staff, principals, project managers, sales and marketing personnel. Presenters will be Karleen Belmont, president of KB Consultants, and David Mastroieni, principal of DDM Consulting. They each have more than 20 years of experience in marketing and business development.

The workshop will run from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Washington Athletic Club, 1325 Sixth Ave. Cost is $125 for SMPS members and $200 for non-members. Online registration is available at http://www.smpsseattle.org/calendar/102505.html.

Architectural award entries due

AIA Southwest Washington is seeking entries through Oct. 27 for a juried competition. All projects are eligible, including interior architecture, urban planning and renovations. Winners will be announced at an event Nov. 9 at Pioneer Park Pavilion in Puyallup.

Cost to attend the event is $25 for AIA members, or $35 for others. Jurors include the principals of Clint Pehrson Architects and Robert Harrison Architects of Seattle.