December 28, 2005

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.