Design Detailings: Sites proposed for Beacon Hill library

The Seattle Public Library board of trustees will narrow its list of sites for the new Beacon Hill library at a meeting scheduled for 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 26 at the Lee Auditorium of the Central Library, located on 1000 Fourth Ave.

The meeting will include an overview of the siting process for the new library and possible locations for the new library. Following public comment and discussion, the board is expected to identify two or three alternatives.

Library staff will then begin property negotiations for these sites. After the negotiations are complete, which library officials say could take several months, the board will make a final siting decision.

The new 10,000 square-foot, $4.7 million library is scheduled to open in 2001.

Seminar on seismic design in Seattle

The Portland Cement Association is holding a one-day seminar on the design of concrete buildings for earthquake and wind forces based on the 1997 Uniform Building Code.

The seminar will take place at the Hilton in Seattle on Wednesday, Oct. 27. Featured speakers will be David Fanella and Javeed Munshi of the Portland Cement Association and S.K. Ghosh of S.K. Ghosh Associates.

Participants will also hear information about seismic detailing requirements for buildings located in regions of low, moderate and high seismic activity. For more information, visit the web site.

Symposium coming up on urban housing

Architecture, engineering and construction groups are sponsoring an event that will present state-of-the-art design and construction methods for building urban structures, both large and small, in the Northwest.

The symposium, which begins at 7:30 a.m. and ends at 6 p.m., will be held Monday, Nov. 8 at the Seattle Center. The registration cost is $165, which includes the cost of all-day parking and lunch.

Projects that will be discussed include the Concord Condominiums in Seattle, which are designed to be high-tech; Riverstone, an urban redevelopment project in Portland; Westlake Tower, a building designed to maximize a small site; and a row house in Portland that was built to suppress outside noise.

Payment should be made to the Association of General Contractors of Washington Education Foundation. For more information, call (206) 284-4500.

UW hosts project management 'boot camp'

The continuing education program of the University of Washington's College of Architecture and Urban Planning is hosting an all-day project management boot camp for architects and construction managers.

The event will be held from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 9, at the College Club on 505 Madison Ave. in Seattle. The fee for the workshop is $300, which includes tuition, handouts and refreshments.

The seminar, which is designed to be interactive, will cover project planning, scheduling, budgeting and control.

Michael D'Allesandro, project manager for the Parsons Infrastructure and Technology Group, is the instructor.

For more information, call Lyn Firkins at (206) 685-8222.

Trends in company ownership discussed

Shiv Batra of Inca Engineers and Gary Bleeker of HDR Engineering will discuss the ownership history of their firms in a climate of buyouts and mergers. The dinner talk will be held at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 17, at the Rock Salt Restaurant in Seattle. The program is sponsored by the American Society for Engineering Management.

Seattle Aquarium exhibit wins awards

The Seattle Aquarium received two awards from the American Zoo and Aquarium Association for its newest exhibit, "Sound to Mountains: A Watershed Journey."

The $1.4 million exhibit immerses visitors in the wonders of a watershed -- leading them upstream from the salt water of Puget Sound to the headwaters of a misty waterfall cascading 20-feet into a river otter pool.

One award won by the Seattle aquarium, the Significant Achievement Exhibit Award, was presented by the association for the facility's dedication to conservation issues, construction of exhibit space and for replication of natural habitats.

The aquarium also received the Munson Aquatic Conservation Exhibitry Award for its educational efforts.

The Sound to Mountains exhibit design and construction team included HOK Studio 3, BIOS, Leajak Construction, Modern Digital, Rocket Construction, Pacific Studios and Mark Lembersky Photography.

The exhibit is open to the public daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

UW names Dubrow to new position

The University of Washington's College of Architecture and Urban Planning has appointed Gail Dubrow as associate dean for research and computing, a new position.

Dubrow, an associate professor of architecture, urban design and planning at the UW, has been member since 1996 of the Seattle Design Commission, which reviews capital projects for the city.

She began her new academic appointment Sept. 1 for a three-year term.

SMPS chapter appoints new board

The Society for Marketing Professional Services, a national marketing organization for the architectural, engineering and construction industry, has appointed its Seattle chapter board of directors for the new fiscal year.

The 1999-2000 board of directors includes president Jan Flesher, director of marketing for CDi Mechanical Engineers; president-elect Littleton Dudley, business development manager for Poe Construction; and vice president of programs Kimberly Hinckley, business development/communications manager for Berger/ABAM Engineers.

Huntley moves

Huntley Architecture, formerly known as the firm of Scott A. Huntley, has changed its name and moved to a new office in the Securities Building, 1904 Third Ave., Suite 405, in Seattle. The new telephone number is (206) 624-2900.

Design Detailings: October is design awareness month

Gov. Gary Locke and Seattle Mayor Paul Schell have declared October design awareness month.

To celebrate, the public is invited to visit the Seattle Design Center for a month-long series of seminars and special events. Each Tuesday will feature a special seminar for the general public, and each Thursday will feature a seminar for trade design professionals. All seminars are $15 and advance registration is required. For more information, call (206) 762-1200.

Parametrix becomes employee-owned

Parametrix recently joined the ranks of only 500 companies in the nation that are 100 percent employee-owned.

The engineering, environmental sciences and architectural company based in Sumner is now entirely owned by the company's employees through an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP).

Parametrix became an ESOP company in 1992 after the five selling shareholders researched succession-planning options.

Each year the company will allocate a percentage of its profits to employee owners, similar to a profit-sharing plan. Like profit sharing, there is a vesting schedule. After six years, employees are completely vested.

Founded in 1969, Parametrix has six offices throughout Washington and Oregon.

Seattle ASCE installs new board

The Seattle Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) will be installing officers today during a meeting at the Bellevue Hilton Hotel. Susan Gardner will become president, Ron Leimkuhler, president-elect and membership chair, Ron Borowski, secretary, Phil Cohen, treasurer and budget chair.

The Seattle section of the ASCE has more than 2,400 members throughout greater Seattle. Its activities include providing technical programs at monthly meetings, presenting scholarships, organizing visits by officers from national ASCE and organizing local, regional and national conferences.

Integrus wins Library of the Future award

Integrus Architecture in Seattle has won an award of merit for its entry to the International "Library of the Future" competition hosted by the Association for Computer Aided Design in Architecture (ACADIA).

Unique to this competition was its entirely Web-based format. Recognizing that the physical form of the library and its role in society continues to evolve, ACADIA challenged designers to envision the destination of this evolution and create a library for the information age. Of 650 competition entries from around the world, Integrus was the only architecture firm to be awarded.

Open house for urban condo ideas

The Seattle Design Center is sponsoring an open house of condominiums that are designed to meet the needs of contemporary urban dwellers. The open house includes a tour of the Concord, at 3010 First Ave., which claims to be the Pacific Northwest's first completely wired multi-unit development.

The event also includes a tour of three units designed for distinctly different homeowners, including a studio unit for a professional, single woman; a one-bedroom unit for a young married couple; and a penthouse designed for an older, empty-nester couple downsizing from the suburbs. Participants in the tour will get a chance to see interior design strategies that make the most of small urban spaces.

The open house begins Oct. 16 and runs through Nov. 28. It is held on weekdays, from noon to 7 p.m., weekends, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Montgomery Watson wins U.K. contract

North West Water Ltd., an English company, has selected Montgomery Watson as the preferred supplier for engineering services for a $3.3 billion, five-year contract. Montgomery Watson will provide program management, design, procurement, construction management and commissioning services. The contract takes effect April 1, 2000.

North West Water, part of United Utilities, provides water and wastewater services for 7 million domestic users and 200,000 business customers, covering an area in northwest England. Within this service area, the company manages 147 water treatment works and 617 wastewater treatment plants.

Montgomery Watson, Inc. is a private, employee-owned environmental engineering firm based in Pasadena, Calif. It has offices in 30 countries, with a local office in Bellevue. The firm provides engineering design, procurement, construction, technology and program management services.

Design Detailings: Parametrix becomes employee-owned

Parametrix recently joined the ranks of only 500 companies in the nation that are 100 percent employee-owned.

The engineering, environmental sciences and architectural company based in Sumner is now entirely owned by the company's employees through an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP).

Parametrix became an ESOP company in 1992 after the five selling shareholders researched succession-planning options.

Each year the company will allocate a percentage of its profits to employee owners, similar to a profit-sharing plan. Like profit sharing, there is a vesting schedule. After six years, employees are completely vested.

Founded in 1969, Parametrix has six offices throughout Washington and Oregon.

Seattle ASCE installs new board

The Seattle Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) will be installing officers today during a meeting at the Bellevue Hilton Hotel. Susan Gardner will become president, Ron Leimkuhler, president-elect and membership chair, Ron Borowski, secretary, Phil Cohen, treasurer and budget chair.

The Seattle section of the ASCE has more than 2,400 members throughout greater Seattle. Its activities include providing technical programs at monthly meetings, presenting scholarships, organizing visits by officers from national ASCE and organizing local, regional and national conferences.

Integrus wins Library of the Future award

Integrus Architecture in Seattle has won an award of merit for its entry to the International "Library of the Future" competition hosted by the Association for Computer Aided Design in Architecture (ACADIA).

Unique to this competition was its entirely Web-based format. Recognizing that the physical form of the library and its role in society continues to evolve, ACADIA challenged designers to envision the destination of this evolution and create a library for the information age. Of 650 competition entries from around the world, Integrus was the only architecture firm to be awarded.

Open house for urban condo ideas

The Seattle Design Center is sponsoring an open house of condominiums that are designed to meet the needs of contemporary urban dwellers. The open house includes a tour of the Concord, at 3010 First Ave., which claims to be the Pacific Northwest's first completely wired multi-unit development.

The event also includes a tour of three units designed for distinctly different homeowners, including a studio unit for a professional, single woman; a one-bedroom unit for a young married couple; and a penthouse designed for an older, empty-nester couple downsizing from the suburbs. Participants in the tour will get a chance to see interior design strategies that make the most of small urban spaces.

The open house begins Oct. 16 and runs through Nov. 28. It is held on weekdays, from noon to 7 p.m., weekends, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Montgomery Watson wins U.K. contract

North West Water Ltd., an English company, has selected Montgomery Watson as the preferred supplier for engineering services for a $3.3 billion, five-year contract. Montgomery Watson will provide program management, design, procurement, construction management and commissioning services. The contract takes effect April 1, 2000.

North West Water, part of United Utilities, provides water and wastewater services for 7 million domestic users and 200,000 business customers, covering an area in northwest England. Within this service area, the company manages 147 water treatment works and 617 wastewater treatment plants.

Montgomery Watson, Inc. is a private, employee-owned environmental engineering firm based in Pasadena, Calif. It has offices in 30 countries, with a local office in Bellevue. The firm provides engineering design, procurement, construction, technology and program management services.

Design Detailings: In search of a home for new Ballard library

Two public meetings are scheduled this month that include discussion of possible sites for the new $6.5 million Ballard Library.

The first meeting will cover alternative plans for a proposed Ballard municipal center and is scheduled from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 11 at Swedish Medical Center, 5300 Tallman Ave. N.W., conference room A. Free parking is available at the Swedish Medical Center garage across the street.

The second meeting will consider library site possibilities both in and outside of the proposed Ballard municipal center and is set for 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 21 at Swedish Medical Center.

The new library is scheduled for completion in 2001. It is one component of the proposed Ballard municipal center, which would include a neighborhood service center, retail and housing facilities. Architects from the Zimmer Gunsul Franca Partnership will review alternative master plans for the municipal center, which will be encompassed by 22nd Avenue Northwest to 24th Avenue Northwest and Northwest Market Street to Northwest 58th Street.

ASCE honors W&H president

The Oregon Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers last week named W&H Pacific president William Jabs as Civil Engineer of the Year.

Jabs has more than 30 years experience in the civil engineering industry. As principal founder and president since 1995, his leadership has resulted in the firm's expansion from a two-office 65-person firm to a six-office network operating in three states with nearly 300 employees.

He has extensive project management, design and construction experience in the areas of highways, airports, water and sewer systems and resort development. He has also helped develop a leading stormwater treatment technology that has led to the formation of the firm Stormwater Management, which manufactures, sells and distributes treatment devices throughout the United States.

Jabs received a bachelor of science in civil engineering from Oregon State University in 1969. He is a licensed professional engineer in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Nevada and a licensed professional land surveyor in Oregon. He was also recently inducted into the Academy of Distinguished Engineers by Oregon State University. He currently resides in Lake Oswego.

W&H Pacific is planning, engineering and surveying firm based in Seattle, with offices in Beaverton, Bend, Klamath Falls, Ore., and Boise.

Ecology and architecture links explored

As part of the project "Whole Product Design to Integrate Ecology, Form + Function," the following lectures will be held at the Henry Art Gallery

Auditorium, University of Washington campus at 7 p.m.

On Oct. 12, Liesbeth Bonekamp, founding member of Eternally Yours Foundation and former chair of 02 Netherlands, will speak. On Nov. 2, Jacques Giard, director of design at Arizona State University, is scheduled to lecture.

Boeing exec talks at ASEM meeting

Greg DeGeller, of The Boeing Co., will talk on Wednesday, Oct. 20 about the global market for commercial jetliners and assess Boeing competition with Airbus Industries. The talk, which will begin at 6:30 p.m. at the Rock Salt Restaurant in Seattle, will outline the Boeing products compared to Airbus, the market projections for these products and proposed production system improvements. The program, sponsored by the American Society for Engineering Management, includes a social gathering at 6 p.m. and dinner at 7:30 p.m.

SAF and AIA seek entries

The Seattle Architectural Foundation and the American Institute of Architects-Seattle chapter invite entries of architectural models and other forms of three-dimensional representation of the architectural design process. The submittals are due by 4 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 14.

For more information, contact Louisa Chang at (206) 621-2266 or via e-mail.

The role of business in art

A panel discussion at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 12, sponsored by the Contemporary Art Council of the Seattle Art Museum, will look at the roles that corporate art programs play beyond the familiar one of acquiring art. Participants in the roundtable include Michael Klein, Microsoft art curator; Jim McDonald, corporate art curator at Safeco; and Peggy Weiss, director of the Seafirst Gallery. The event will be held at the Lead Gallery and Wine Bar on 1022 First Ave. in Seattle. For more information, call John Boylan at (206) 781-5674.

Compensation rises for project managers

Firms in the architecture, engineering and environmental consulting industry are rewarding their project managers with higher salaries and bigger bonuses, according to a new survey.

The 1999 Project Management Survey of A/E/P & Environmental Consulting Firms by Zweig White & Associates, a consulting group based in Natick, Mass., says the median annual base salary for project managers has increased steadily over the past two years -- from $60,000 in 1997, to $62,000 in 1998, to $65,000 this year.

In addition to healthy salary growth for project managers, the survey finds that 76 percent of project managers received a bonus last year. Not only are more project managers receiving bonuses, but the median bonus amount has risen as well -- from $2,500 reported in last year's survey to a record high of $3,000 reported this year.

Workshop looks at public art contracts

A training workshop on the legal rights and responsibilities of public artists will take place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 16. The event, which is being sponsored by the King County Public Art Program, the Seattle Arts Commission and Washington Lawyers for the Arts, will be held in the Performance Studio of the Children's Museum at Seattle Center.

Topics include what to look for in a public art commission contract and an update on available art commissions. The registration fee is $10. For more information, call Cynthia Gould Brown at (206) 296-8692.

Gehry tapped again by Guggenheim

Architect Frank Gehry, who designed the titanium-clad Guggenheim museum in Bilbao, Spain, and the Experience Music Project in Seattle, was chosen recently by the Guggenheim to design a building in New York.

The design, according to an article in The New York Times, features a 45-story building rising out of a cloud-like shape. Located on a platform above piers along the East River near Wall Street in lower Manhattan, the structure would include an exhibition space, a theater and skating rink. The proposal is one of nine the city is considering for the site. A decision is expected within a few months.

Gehry's $100 million Experience Music Project is funded by Paul Allen.

Design Detailings: ASCE honors W&H president

The Oregon Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers last week named W&H Pacific president William Jabs as Civil Engineer of the Year.

Jabs has more than 30 years experience in the civil engineering industry. As principal founder and president since 1995, his leadership has resulted in the firm's expansion from a two-office 65-person firm to a six-office network operating in three states with nearly 300 employees.

He has extensive project management, design and construction experience in the areas of highways, airports, water and sewer systems and resort development. He has also helped develop a leading stormwater treatment technology that has led to the formation of the firm Stormwater Management, which manufactures, sells and distributes treatment devices throughout the United States.

Jabs received a bachelor of science in civil engineering from Oregon State University in 1969. He is a licensed professional engineer in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Nevada and a licensed professional land surveyor in Oregon. He was also recently inducted into the Academy of Distinguished Engineers by Oregon State University. He currently resides in Lake Oswego.

W&H Pacific is planning, engineering and surveying firm based in Seattle, with offices in Beaverton, Bend, Klamath Falls, Ore., and Boise.

Ecology and architecture links explored

As part of the project "Whole Product Design to Integrate Ecology, Form + Function," the following lectures will be held at the Henry Art Gallery

Auditorium, University of Washington campus at 7 p.m.

On Oct. 12, Liesbeth Bonekamp, founding member of Eternally Yours Foundation and former chair of 02 Netherlands, will speak. On Nov. 2, Jacques Giard, director of design at Arizona State University, is scheduled to lecture.

Boeing exec talks at ASEM meeting

Greg DeGeller, of The Boeing Co., will talk on Wednesday, Oct. 20 about the global market for commercial jetliners and assess Boeing competition with Airbus Industries. The talk, which will begin at 6:30 p.m. at the Rock Salt Restaurant in Seattle, will outline the Boeing products compared to Airbus, the market projections for these products and proposed production system improvements. The program, sponsored by the American Society for Engineering Management, includes a social gathering at 6 p.m. and dinner at 7:30 p.m.

SAF and AIA seek entries

The Seattle Architectural Foundation and the American Institute of Architects-Seattle chapter invite entries of architectural models and other forms of three-dimensional representation of the architectural design process. The submittals are due by 4 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 14.

For more information, contact Louisa Chang at (206) 621-2266 or via e-mail.

The role of business in art

A panel discussion at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 12, sponsored by the Contemporary Art Council of the Seattle Art Museum, will look at the roles that corporate art programs play beyond the familiar one of acquiring art. Participants in the roundtable include Michael Klein, Microsoft art curator; Jim McDonald, corporate art curator at Safeco; and Peggy Weiss, director of the Seafirst Gallery. The event will be held at the Lead Gallery and Wine Bar on 1022 First Ave. in Seattle. For more information, call John Boylan at (206) 781-5674.

Compensation rises for project managers

Firms in the architecture, engineering and environmental consulting industry are rewarding their project managers with higher salaries and bigger bonuses, according to a new survey.

The 1999 Project Management Survey of A/E/P & Environmental Consulting Firms by Zweig White & Associates, a consulting group based in Natick, Mass., says the median annual base salary for project managers has increased steadily over the past two years -- from $60,000 in 1997, to $62,000 in 1998, to $65,000 this year.

In addition to healthy salary growth for project managers, the survey finds that 76 percent of project managers received a bonus last year. Not only are more project managers receiving bonuses, but the median bonus amount has risen as well -- from $2,500 reported in last year's survey to a record high of $3,000 reported this year.

Workshop looks at public art contracts

A training workshop on the legal rights and responsibilities of public artists will take place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 16. The event, which is being sponsored by the King County Public Art Program, the Seattle Arts Commission and Washington Lawyers for the Arts, will be held in the Performance Studio of the Children's Museum at Seattle Center.

Topics include what to look for in a public art commission contract and an update on available art commissions. The registration fee is $10. For more information, call Cynthia Gould Brown at (206) 296-8692.

Gehry tapped again by Guggenheim

Architect Frank Gehry, who designed the titanium-clad Guggenheim museum in Bilbao, Spain, and the Experience Music Project in Seattle, was chosen recently by the Guggenheim to design a building in New York.

The design, according to an article in The New York Times, features a 45-story building rising out of a cloud-like shape. Located on a platform above piers along the East River near Wall Street in lower Manhattan, the structure would include an exhibition space, a theater and skating rink. The proposal is one of nine the city is considering for the site. A decision is expected within a few months.

Gehry's $100 million Experience Music Project is funded by Paul Allen.