SMPS offers ABCs of business finance

Rickman

Chris Rickman, president of the Society for Marketing Professional Services, will talk about the financial side of the industry at a SMPS Seattle seminar from noon to 3:30 p.m. Sept. 25 at Washington Athletic Club, 1325 Sixth Ave.

Rickman is a principal, chief operating officer and one of the largest shareholders of ZFI Engineering.

He will talk about calculating common financial ratios and measures; distinguishing between direct, indirect, overhead and reimbursable costs; interpreting income statements and balance sheets; and assessing which clients and projects to pursue.

Tickets are $75 for members and $95 for non-members at https://tinyurl.com/y7xsh8b4/. That includes lunch and a hosted happy hour, from 4 to 6 p.m.

‘Beyond BIM' panel here on Sept. 19

Lean Construction Institute Cascadia and Seattle Community of Practice will present a panel discussion titled “Beyond BIM — Lean Design” from 7 to 9 a.m. Sept. 19 at the Swedish Club, 1920 Dexter Ave. N. in Seattle.

Organizers say building modeling is old news. Leading design firms now are harnessing cloud computing for rapid design iteration and optimization. Some firms are embedding manufacturing data in building model objects to eliminate the need for shop drawings and “lean” the project supply chain.

Panelists will discuss computational design, generative design, design for manufacturing and other topics. They include Stephen Van Dyck of LMN Architects, Robert Baxter of Magnusson Klemencic Associates, Taylor Boyer of Perkins + Will and Matt Powell of NBBJ. The moderator is Doug Moore of McKinstry.

Cost is $25. Register at https://tinyurl.com/yatw8up5/.

Vancouver housing crisis film at NFF

The Northwest Film Forum will present the Seattle premiere of a documentary titled “Vancouver: No Fixed Address” about the British Columbia city's housing crisis at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 22 at 1515 12th Ave. in Seattle.

Charles Wilkinson's documentary looks at Vancouver as a city of contrasts. It's a thriving, affluent metropolis that is consistently rated one of the top cities in the world to live in, yet it is facing a housing crisis and rampant homelessness.

The market has churned out new housing for wealthy transplants, but that leaves many long-term residents, young people, and vulnerable people struggling to find affordable housing.

The documentary is part of the Local Sightings Film Festival 2018.

Tickets are $12, or $7 for members. Buy them at https://tinyurl.com/y8s2fuz6/.

UW Runstad fellows give talk Sept. 20

The 2018 University of Washington Runstad fellows will present a free program titled “Ubuntu: I Am Because We Are” from 6 to 8 p.m. Sept. 20 at 1010 Western Ave. in Seattle.

Ubuntu is a South African philosophy that says our own well-being is tied to the well-being of other people. It says the shared responsibility of the community is what binds people together.

The fellows will talk about their study in Cape Town and Johannesburg, and how issues of race and social justice show up in the built environment.

The event is part of the 2018 Seattle Design Festival.

‘Design for Dystopia' by IxDA Seattle

IxDA Seattle will present an event called “Design for Dystopia” from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. Sept. 18 at HBO, 1099 Stewart St. in Seattle.

This dystopian design jam will explore the impact of trust when everything falls apart. Attendees will break into teams to explore design solutions for natural disasters, emergencies and other catastrophes using themes and guidelines provided by facilitators.

Food and beverages will be provided at the event, which is part of the 2018 Seattle Design Festival.

Tickets are $10. Buy them at https://tinyurl.com/ybwyf2gu/.

MOHAI event on freeway revolt

The Museum of History & Industry in Seattle will hold a free program on the citizen activists who opposed plans to build a dense network of freeways in and around the city from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Sept. 19 at 860 Terry Ave N.

In the late 1960s and early 70s, a coalition of activists, representing communities from Mount Baker to Lake City and groups as diverse as the Citizens Planning Council and the Black Panthers, joined in opposition to proposed freeway projects. They succeeded in halting two major freeways and downsizing a third, saving parks, shoreline and thousands of homes and businesses.

Information is at mohai.org under events. The program is part of the History Cafe series.

Sept. 19 hearing on The Showbox

Seattle City Council on Aug. 13 adopted a bill that expanded the Pike Place Market Historical District for 10 months to include The Showbox entertainment venue.

The ordinance was adopted to study whether to permanently expand the district to include The Showbox.

The council's Civil Rights, Utilities, Economic Development, and Arts Committee will hold a public hearing on the ordinance at 6 p.m. Sept. 19 in council chambers on the second floor of City Hall at 600 Fourth Ave.

Onni Group of Vancouver, B.C., recently filed plans to replace The Showbox with a 44-story residential tower. That project, on a First Avenue site Onni doesn't own, now faces landmarking hurdles and community opposition.

SAF Queen Anne tour is Sept. 15

Seattle Architecture Foundation is offering a tour of Queen Anne titled “Evolution of an Urban Neighborhood” from 10 a.m. to noon Sept. 15.

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

Cost is $18, or $12 for members, at http://tiny.cc/rzh8sy/.

Meet at West Queen Anne Elementary School, which is now condos, at 1401 Fifth Ave. W.

SDA meeting on healthy buildings

Sethi

Amarpreet Sethi of DLR Group will illustrate the ways building design can influence the health and productivity of employees at a dinner meeting of the Society for Design Administration at 5:30 p.m. Sept. 20 at Crowne Plaza Hotel Seattle.

The Seattle chapter said research indicates that projects that meet healthy building standards can positively contribute to a company's bottom line. Well Building and Fitwel are among those standards.

Sethi is a principal at DLR, leading its national High-Performance Building Design Team. She has a master's in energy and climate, and is a LEED and WELL building accredited professional.

Cost is $35 for members, $40 for member firms, and $50 for non-members, including dinner. Register at https://tinyurl.com/y9ofuesr, or at sdaseattle@gmail.com.

SCJ welcomes Studio Cascade

Lacey-based SCJ Alliance bought Studio Cascade, a Spokane planning, community engagement and urban design firm to expand its planning group and give it a presence in Spokane.

Terms of the deal were not released.

Studio Cascade was founded by Bill Grimes and has six employees. In a press release, SCJ said Studio Cascade works on comprehensive plans, subarea plans and master plans, and is known for public participation strategies. The firm's projects have included Bainbridge Island Waterfront Park and City Dock master plan, San Juan County vision assessment and the Port Angeles waterfront transportation improvement project.

SCJ does planning, engineering, landscape design and environmental work. With the purchase, it now has over 90 employees.

It also has offices in Seattle, Ballard, Centralia, Vancouver, Wenatchee and in Boulder, Colorado.

Design event at Gates Sept. 13

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Discovery Center will hold a free reception from 5 to 8 p.m. Sept. 13 for an exhibit called “Design with the 90%.” The center is at 440 Fifth Ave. N. in Seattle.

The exhibit shows 26 innovative projects with design solutions that increase access, improve health and offer opportunity to marginalized communities around the world.

Local and international designers whose work is featured in the exhibition will be on hand to share ideas and answer questions.

The event will include music by DJ Riz Rollins from KEXP, an installation by The Seattle Design Nerds, and food and drink.

The exhibition was organized by the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum.

R.S.V.P. at https://tinyurl.com/y8hjb6mo/.

The reception is part of the 2018 Seattle Design Festival.

Preservation grants deadline Oct. 1

The Washington Trust for Historic Preservation is accepting grant applications until Oct. 1 for the 2019 Valerie Sivinski Fund, which provides up to $2,000 for preservation projects.

Local groups have received over $145,000 for 138 projects from the fund.

The application form is at preservewa.org/sivinski. Winners will be announced at the Washington Trust's annual Sivinski Holiday Benefit in December.

Sivinski is a preservationist and longtime member of the Washington Trust board who died in 2000.

Contact Jennifer Mortensen at (206) 462-2999 or jmortensen@preservewa.org for more information.

Rich life tour on Capitol Hill

Seattle Architecture Foundation is offering a tour at 10 a.m. Sept. 8 of the Harvard Belmont District.

“The Rich Life on Capitol Hill” explores the landmark district's early 20th century architecture.

The two-hour tour begins at the driveway of Merrill Court Townhouses, 901 Harvard Ave. E.

Tickets are $18, or $12 for members. Buy them at http://tiny.cc/tl0csy/.

Block Party is Sept. 8 and 9

The 2018 Seattle Design Festival Block Party is 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sept. 8 and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 9 at Occidental Park, 149 S. Main St.

The free street fair celebrates the powerful ways design affects our lives. The design community and the public can interact through 39 large-scale design installations, performances and activities, all centered around the festival's 2018 theme: trust.

The fair will include an installation called “to House,” where people can learn about homelessness and hear from people who have experienced, or are experiencing, it. Visitors may also talk with vendors who sell Real Change newspaper, which provides employment for low income and homeless people.

Design in Public and community partners are presenting the fair.

AIA: Demand dips in July

Billings slowed at architecture firms in July but remained positive overall for the tenth consecutive month, according to the American Institute of Architects.

AIA's Architecture Billings Index score for July was 50.7 compared to 51.3 in June. Any score over 50 represents billings growth. Much of July's growth was in the South, and offset declines in other regions.

AIA Chief Economist Kermit Baker said despite the dip in July, “firms are still reporting a healthy increase in new projects.”

The South scored 55.2, followed by the West at 49.6, Midwest at 49.3 and the Northeast at 48.

Multi-family residential scored 54.6, followed by institutional at 51.1, commercial/industrial at 50.1 and mixed practice at 48.2.

Neighborly design program Sept. 11

Design in Public will present a free program called “Design for Belonging” from 6 to 8 p.m. Sept. 11 at DLR Group, 51 University St. in Seattle.

The program gathers city builders, community organizers, artists and the public to explore what it takes to create culturally responsive, thriving, resilient and welcoming neighborhoods.

R.S.V.P. at https://tinyurl.com/y8lgulcv/.

Design festival starts Sept. 6

Seattle Design Festival 2018 runs Sept. 6 through 21 at venues across the city.

The eighth annual festival will have more than 80 events and installations, including tours, exhibits, outdoor installations, activities and workshops. The schedule is at https://designinpublic.org/.

The festival is put on AIA Seattle's Design in Public. The theme this year is trust, and examines the role that design thinking can play in building trust among diverse communities.

The opening party is from 7 to 11 p.m. Sept. 6 at The Collective, 400 Dexter Ave. N. It includes music, food, drinks, design and a cash bar. The $25 suggested donation includes two tickets for beer or wine. The party is sponsored by The Collective and Gray Magazine.

Transpo policy forum Sept. 4

The public policy board of the American Institute of Architect's Seattle chapter will explore what Seattle transportation projects the chapter should try to shape at a free forum from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Sept. 4 at 1010 Western Ave.

The discussion will focus on AIA's policy agenda for bikes, pedestrians, cars and transit, and whether the chapter should focus on equity, environmental impacts, utility, health or design excellence as it looks to influence transportation.

R.S.V.P. at https://tinyurl.com/y9peghke/.

SMPS kick-off party Sept. 13

The Seattle chapter of the Society for Marketing Professional Services will hold its 2018-2019 Kick-Off Party from 4:30 to 7 p.m. Sept. 13 at OpenSquare, 5601 Sixth Ave. S., Suite 470, in Seattle.

The event will include the annual report, the new board of directors, and information on volunteer and committee opportunities as well as other ways to support the chapter.

Tickets are $40 for members, with or without a guest, and $50 for non-members. Register at https://smpsseattle.org/meetinginfo.php/.

Sound Transit oversight panel

Sound Transit is seeking a volunteer from north King County for the Citizen Oversight Panel, which monitors the agency and its commitments to build and operate bus, light rail and commuter rail systems.

The panel acts as independent oversight by digging into agency details, asking questions and reporting its findings to the Sound Transit Board of Directors.

To be eligible, you must be a registered voter within the Sound Transit District and live and/or work in north King County.

Apply at https://tinyurl.com/ybcwrfse/.