October 26, 2005

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.