How you can have ‘executive presence'

Myers

SMPS Seattle will hold a breakfast meeting June 27 on “The Power of Executive Presence” at 7:30 a.m. at Washington Athletic Club in Seattle.

SMPS said “executive presence” can be crucial to your career, but studies have shown only 45 percent of women believe it is important to getting promotions.

The presenter is Margo Myers, an executive and career coach who was a TV news anchor in Seattle for more than 20 years.

Participants will get tips on commanding a room, and reading what other people mean.

Tickets are $45 for members, $55 for member firms, and $65 for non-members before June 20, and $10 more after that. Register at http://tiny.cc/ip1jly/.

Seattle SDA gets new directors

Tom Marseille of WSP USA installed the new 2017-2018 board of directors of the Seattle chapter of the Society for Design Administration.

The board is past president/director Carrie Thompson of Studio Meng Strazzara, president-elect Carol Wanda Spradlin of WSP USA, president Judy Beebe of WSP USA, treasurer Kurt Wong of Studio Meng Strazzara, vice president Crystal Ray of Pennell Consulting, secretary Jim Gregson of Parker Smith & Feek, and directors Gretchen Renz of Bernardo|Wills Architects, Laiisha Thomas of MG2 and EB Meyer of Weinstein A+U.

Gray Media offers new design awards

Gray Media is launching its first regional awards program to celebrate design by people in Washington, Oregon and British Columbia.

The Gray Awards will focus on 10 categories, including interiors, architecture, fashion and design.

Submissions are due Aug. 1. For more information, go to https://www.grayawards.com/.

The judges are international design professionals, including Philippe Starck, Karim Rashid and Deborah Berke.

Winners will be recognized Nov. 29 at Seattle's new SLS Hotel, designed by Starck and ZGF Architects.

Landau moves office to Tumwater

Landau Associates moved its Olympia office to 955 Malin Lane S.W, Suite B, near Olympia Regional Airport in Tumwater.

The office serves industrial and municipal clients in southwest Washington and south Puget Sound.

The firm said the move gives it more space for the Olympia staff, which is now nine people. The new location also has a larger soils lab at ground level, making it easier to carry soil and equipment inside.

Calvin McCaughan is the office manager and geotechnical services director. Telephone and email contacts for the office remain the same.

The Edmonds-based environmental consulting firm has six offices.

SAF Queen Anne tour set for July 1

Seattle Architecture Foundation is offering a tour of Queen Anne titled “Evolution of an Urban Neighborhood” from 10 a.m. to noon July 1.

The tour includes landmark houses, renovated buildings, viewpoints and hidden estates.

Cost is $18, or $10 for members. Buy tickets at http://tiny.cc/1ac1ky/. Meet at West Queen Anne Elementary School, which is now condos, at 1401 Fifth Ave. W.

Mary Rezac named new dean at WSU

Rezac

On July 1, Mary Rezac will become dean of Washington State University's Voiland College of Engineering and Architecture.

She will succeed Don Bender, who became interim dean last August when Professor Candis Claiborn' returned to her faculty post at Voiland.

Rezac is the Tim Taylor professor of chemical engineering and director of major grant initiatives at the College of Engineering at Kansas State University. She was founding director of the Center for Sustainable Energy at KSU and interim associate vice president for research.

WSU President Kirk Schulz said Rezac has a stellar record as a teacher, researcher and administrator at KSU. In a press release, WSU said she expects to increase WSU's collaboration with companies.

Rezac has a bachelor's in chemical engineering from Kansas State, and a master's and doctorate in chemical engineering from the University of Texas in Austin.

Prior to joining KSU, she was in the R&D division of Phillips Petroleum Co.

SAF talk focuses on Greenwood

Seattle Architecture Foundation will present a program titled “North & South | Neighborhoods Matter” focused on Seattle's Greenwood neighborhood from 6:30 to 8 p.m. June 20 at 1010 Western Ave.

The speaker is Rob Fellows, president of the Greenwood Community Council. The event starts with a free reception from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at which light fare and beverages will be provided. Cost is $15, or $10 for members. Buy tickets at http://tiny.cc/trgrky/.

The program is part of SAF's “Design in Depth 2017|Two x Two” series.

ID scholarship at WWU honors King

Dell King, visiting professor of the Industrial Design Senior Studio at Western Washington University, donated $103,000 to establish an endowed scholarship for industrial design students.

The Dell King Industrial Design Scholarship Award will be given annually to the WWU student who wins the Industrial Designers Society of America student merit award.

In a press release, WWU Industrial Design Professor Jason Morris said the ID program has been shaped by Dell King. King joined the program in 1984, revised and updated its curriculum, and has taught the senior studio courses ever since. At the time, he was the corporate design manager at Fluke Corp. and then became the president and CEO of Teague, an industrial design company.

While holding these jobs, he has driven 180 miles every Tuesday and Thursday to teach the senior ID studio at Western for over 30 years. In 2011, the Industrial Designer's Society of America honored King with its Educator of the Year Award.

Billy Whiteshoes park completed

Photo by Derrick Eberle/Bruce Dees & Associates [enlarge]

The Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe funded the renovation.

Construction is completed on Billy Whiteshoes Memorial Park at 3071 Lower Elwha Road on the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe Reservation, just west of Port Angeles.

Bruce Dees & Associates is the landscape architect and Premier Field Development the general contractor. The $600,000 renovation of an existing field was funded by the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe, as well as a grant from the Recreation and Conservation Office. Skilled labor was donated by the community.

The ball field has drain pipes under the turf to provide a playable surface year-round. The natural grass outfield is large enough for a youth soccer field. Other improvements include a chain-link backstop, dugouts, bleachers, half-court basketball court, playground, restroom, plaza and lighted parking lot.

Batting cages and a tribal totem may be added in the future.

JW holds opening for art installation

JW Architects is holding a 7 p.m. reception in its office on Thursday, June 1, for an installation by local artist Paul Kuniholm's titled “Mo Laser: Kinetic Unicorn Pyramid Array.” The firm said in a press release that its office, which opened last year, was designed to showcase art work.

The installation will be on display through Sept. 1 and includes lasers, paper cutouts and neon colors. Valerie Calano, known as DJ Explorateur, will provide music at the opening.

The office is at 1257 S. King St.

AIA program on smarter buildings

AIA Seattle will offer a program titled “Smarter Buildings” from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 6 at 1010 Western Ave.

The topics and presenters are: Intelligent Buildings-Engineered to Leave Nothing on the Table, by Affiliated Engineers; Wood Innovations for Safer & Sustainable Buildings, by Code Unlimited; Biologically Tuned Light: The Current State of Circadian Lighting, by dark|light design; Monitoring, Measuring & Verification: Data Driven Architectural Design, by Energy Tech Unlimited; and Optimizing Building Performance: Analytics + Human Smarts, by Hargis Engineers.

Cost $40 to $150, including lunch. Register at http://tiny.cc/3x5tky/.

The program is part of the CAP Collaboration Educational Series.

Historic property program explored

The Washington Trust for Historic Preservation was awarded a grant for a feasibility study and business plan to help create a historic property redevelopment program in the state.

The grant is from the Rhode Island-based 1772 Foundation, Washington Trust said in press release.

The trust plans to hire a consultant to help identify how such a program can benefit historic properties around the state.

“The trust has been a statewide leader in saving historic resources through advocacy and education,” said Chris Moore, executive director. “Adding the ability to actively acquire properties in need of rehabilitation is the logical next step for us organizationally and is directly aligned with our mission.”

The 1772 Foundation is a national organization that works to ensure historic buildings and farmland pass to future generations by providing grants to fund redevelopment.

PHG Energy now Aries Clean Energy

PHG Energy, a clean energy company, has rebranded itself and changed its name to Aries Clean Energy.

The Nashville-based company hired Baraka Poulin as its first full-time employee in the Seattle area. Baraka has worked for Puget Sound Energy and for Ameresco.

In a press release, the company said the new name better represents what the company does today: converting biomass materials — like chipped waste wood — into energy.

ASLA offers ideas for infrastructure

The American Society of Landscape Architects is urging policy makers and to support an infrastructure plan that not only addresses today's crumbling infrastructure, but creates resilient systems for the future.

The plan, “Landscape Architects Leading Community Infrastructure Design and Development,” centers on less-costly green infrastructure in four areas. The plan is at http://tiny.cc/8j2ujy/.

Food cart plaza for site in Seattle

U.S. Bancorp Community Development Corp., a division of U.S. Bank, donated money to help create a food cart plaza in Seattle, the bank said in a press release.

USBCDC made a $50,000 donation to the Business Opportunity Center Program of the nonprofit El Centro de la Raza, which developed Plaza Roberto Maestas low-income apartments at 2524 16th Ave. S.

The two-building, 112-unit development near the Beacon Hill light rail station has a plaza where eight Latino vendors will have food carts.

The donation provided the vendors $1,000 each for start-up costs and gave El Centro money to renovate a commercial kitchen. The vendors rent the carts and space in the commercial kitchen from El Centro.

Apartments in Plaza Roberto Maestas are for families earning 30 to 60 percent of area median income.

El Centro de la Raza is a social services, advocacy and social justice organization.

Artists picked for Prairie Line Trail

Artists have been selected to receive $55,000 each to create four artworks for Prairie Line Trail, a pedestrian and bicycle path in downtown Tacoma.

A panel of community members and stakeholders picked the artists. They are Matthew Dockrey and Ryan Elizabeth Feddersen; two artist teams, Esteban Camacho Steffensen and Jessilyn Brinkerhoff; and Rotator, made up of Lance Kagey, Scott Varga and Mark Alvis.

The works will provide historic interpretation for important locations or themes along the trail, according to a press release from the city of Tacoma.

The city also is working with the Chinese Reconciliation Foundation to install “Shipment to China” on the trail by the end of June. The artwork was created by Hai Ying Wu in 1996 to honor Chinese railroad workers.

New manager for Design in Public

Webb

Design in Public hired Debra Webb as public programs manager.

Webb is a cultural strategist and project manager with 25 years of experience collaborating with artists, civic leaders and others to produce artwork, public engagement activities and events.

She holds a masters degree in arts leadership from Seattle University, and a bachelors in art history and sculpture from the University of Colorado.

Webb published “Placemaking and Social Equity: Expanding the Framework of Creative Placemaking,” She also received Seattle University's Social Justice and Community Engagement award.

Design in Public focuses on helping people appreciate the impact of design on urban life. It is a strategic initiative of AIA Seattle.

AIA program on residential design

AIA Seattle will hold a program on residential design from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 31 at 1010 Western Ave.

Here are the topics and presenters: Redefining Interiors Using ADA Adaptable and ADA Compliant Interior Sliding Door Systems, by National Glass; Acoustic Design for Mass Timber, by Arup; Light Gauge Steel for Multifamily Structures, by Cary Kopczynski & Co.; Case Studies Exploring The Collaborative Relationship Between Design & Craft, by Hammer & Hand; High Performance Masonry Enclosures, by RDH Building Science; and Is Your Crawl Space Truly Being Vented as it was Designed to be?, by Joto Vent.

Cost is $80 for members and $160 for non-members, and includes lunch. Register at http://tiny.cc/j9xoky/.

The program is part of the Corporate Allied Partners Educational Series.

President's Dinner for AIA is June 3

AIA Seattle will hold its President's Dinner June 3 to celebrate leadership and achievement in design and the built environment. The event is at 6 p.m. at the Palace Ballroom, 2100 Fifth Ave.

The 2017 honorees are Bert Gregory, Gold Medal; Marijana Cvencek, Young Architect Award; Rodger Benson and Seattle Councilman Mike O'Brien, honorary AIA Seattle membership; Adam Stoeckle, Community Service Award; 4Culture, Allied Organization Award; Garrett Nelli, Emerging Professionals Travel Scholarship winner; Dave E. Miller, 2016 Regional Medal of Honor; mw|works, Regional Emerging Firm Award; and Mona Zellers, Associates Award.

The event will also honor new members of the AIA College of Fellows. They are Richard Franko, Lisa K. Johnson, Alissa Rupp and Bruce Williams.

Cost is $210, or $2,200 for a premium table. Buy tickets at http://tiny.cc/u6ulky/.

Tourist plan wins award from APA

Kittitas County won an Award of Excellence in the Comprehensive Plan-Small Jurisdiction category for the Tourism Infrastructure Plan. The award is from the American Planning Association and the National Association of County Planners.

The county worked with Beckwith Consulting Group to develop a strategy for investing lodging tax revenues. Work included mapping existing

assets, surveying residents and visitors, and a plan for marketing and promotion.

Beckwith Consulting Group said in a press release that the effort was based on a geo-tourism approach that considers the environment, culture, aesthetics, heritage and wellbeing of residents.

Kittitas County includes Ellensburg, Wenatchee National Forest and the Alpine Lakes Wilderness area.