Design Detailings: Landscape architect chosen for Frye project

of Seattle has been selected as landscape architect for a residential project next to the Frye Art Museum in Seattle. The firm won a design competition conducted by the Frye Museum board, developer Nitze Stagen, and Olson Sundberg Kundig Allen Architects. The project will include town house and condominium units next to a publicly accessible, landscaped open space.

Squier president named to professional board

Arlan Rippe, president and CEO of Squier Associates of Lake Oswego, Ore., has been named to the board of governors of the Geo-Institute. The Geo-Institute is a 9,000-member institute within the American Society of Civil Engineers. Rippe was involved in the strategic planning that resulted in formation of the Geo-Institute in October 1996 and believes its long-term success is important to the health of the geotechnical profession.

During his 34-year career, he has specialized in geotechnical engineering for heavy civil and infrastructure types of projects, including dams, power plants, water and sewage treatment facilities, tunnels, site development, and groundwater resources. His major projects include Portland's Westside light rail system and the Columbia Slough consolidation conduit tunnel. He joined Squier Associates in 1977 and became president in 1998.

Design Detailings: SDC honors Mithun, Buffalo Design

Designers from Mithun and from Buffalo Design tied to win the top award in commercial projects from the Seattle Design Center.

Interior view of the new office of Planned Parenthood of Western Washington designed by Mithun.

Elizabeth MacPherson and Lisa Herriott of Seattle-based Mithun were honored for their design of the administrative headquarters in Seattle of Planned Parenthood of Western Washington. The judges liked the "sophisticated design and resourceful problem-solving, including creative elements at work in the space that produce a calming atmosphere."

Chris Carlson, Lisa Roberts and Lisa Scribante of Seattle-based Buffalo Design won the award for their design of Kennewick Library. The judges praised the "excellent use of space and the playful, inventive use of materials ... the use of color and how it worked with the surrounding landscape."

The Seattle Design Center's second annual awards gala recognized interior design professionals whose work has made a significant contribution to the design industry. The judges were Fred Albert, editor of Seattle Homes and Lifestyles magazine, Andrea Gibson, president-elect of the Washington state chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers, Alison Peacock, editor of Metropolitan Living magazine, and Norm Strong, president of the Seattle chapter of the American Institute of Architects.

TVA to design Spokane high rise

Spokane developer Wendell Reugh and project coordinator Kiemle & Hagood Co. selected Thompson Vaivoda & Associates Architects of Portland to design the city of Spokane's first high-rise office tower in 20 years. The tower will be built at Howard and Riverside, the current site of the Mohawk and Rookery Buildings and the Merton Block.

Spokane's largest law firm, Paine, Hamblen, Coffin, Brooke & Miller is the future anchor tenant of the building and is working closely with the developers and architects in the planning of the building.

TVA's most recently completed high-rise office tower is the 27-story Fox Tower in downtown Portland. The new building, which recently opened to the public, houses three floors of retail space, parking and offices.

The firm has also designed several corporate campuses. These include the 1.2-million-square-foot north campus expansion for Nike in Beaverton, Ore., and Ericsson Village, the 1.5-million-square-foot campus in Plano, Texas, for Ericsson, a Swedish telecommunications company.

Interface purchases Calif. firm

Portland-based Interface Engineering, a mechanical and electrical engineering firm, has purchased EE Consulting, a five-year-old Sacramento company. All employees of EE Consulting have been hired by Interface and will work in its Sacramento office. Interface also has offices in Kirkland and Salem, Ore.

"This acquisition by Interface was one that made sense for a variety of reasons, one being that our firms share a common view on what is important in the business of engineering. We agree that a hands-on approach, attention to detail, knowing the project and close communication with clients are the fundamentals of a successful firm," saidOmid Nabipoor, president of Interface.

Earth Tech acquires Calgary firm

In an effort to expand its reach to western Canada, Earth Tech has acquired Reid Crowther, an Alberta, Calgary engineering firm.

Diane Creel, president of Earth Tech, said, "Reid Crowther is a dominant force in the water management, transportation and infrastructure development of Canada. There is an excellent fit between the Earth Tech and Reid Crowther. We have similar cultural and business practices; only the geography is different." Reid Crowther will operate under the Earth Tech name.

Based in Long Beach, Calif., the environmental engineering firm Earth Tech is part of Tyco Flow Control, which is one of major business units of Tyco International Ltd. Tyco Flow Control designs, manufactures and services water-system infrastructure, and provides environmental, consulting and remediation services.

Design/build in the public sector

The director of planning for Snohomish County Community Transit, John Sindzinski, on Wednesday, Dec. 6, will present a case study of a major design/build project. He will discuss the Kasch Park Operating Base, a $3.5 million, 35,000-square-foot vehicle maintenance facility for Community Transit.

The discussion will be held from 7-9 a.m. at the University Plaza Hotel in Seattle. The cost is $21.50 by today and $25 thereafter. For more information, call the Consulting Engineers Council of Washington at (206) 623-5936.

Society at sea?

A Norwegian shipping executive is planning to build the world's first-ever homes on the sea, aboard a 12-deck cruise ship called ResidenSea. The residential cruise ship is the brainchild of Knut U. Kloster, former chairman of Norwegian Cruise Lines and Royal Viking Line.

According to "News of Norway," a newsletter published by the Royal Norwegian Embassy, the 630-foot vessel would contain 110 private residences and 88 guest suites. The homes would range from two to three bedrooms, encompassing 1,114 to 3,200 square feet with living and dining areas, a full kitchen and a terrace. Other amenities include spas, restaurants and cafes, golf driving ranges, tennis courts, swimming pools, cultural seminars and art exhibits.

ResidenSea would visit 140 ports in 40 countries, making her maiden voyage from Oslo. The cruise ship's itinerary would be timed to coincide with international events such as the British Open in Edinburgh, Wimbledon in England, the Cannes Film Festival, the Monaco Grand Prix and Carnival in Rio de Janeiro. Fosen Mek Verksteder in Risa, Norway, is constructing the ship, which is scheduled for completion in 2001.

"40 Architects Under 40"

Who are the Norman Fosters, Richard Meiers and Tadao Andos of tomorrow? Who will build our airports, museums and homes in the 21st century? The new book, "40 Architects Under 40 (Taschen)," by Jessica Cargill Thompson highlights young architects considered to have designed the best and most groundbreaking work.

In 576 pages, with 800 illustrations, "40 Architects Under 40" alphabetically lists each architect or firm, with each entry featuring biographical and bibliographical information, as well as text highlighting each designer's most important works to date. The publisher's cost of the book is $39.99.Shigeru Ban of Japan,UN Studio of the Netherlands are some of the architects featured. No Seattle architects made the list.

Author Cargill Thompson is based in London and writes for the international lifestyle magazine Wallpaper as well as Space and Time Out magazines.

CTS merges with Oregon firm

CTS Engineers of Bellevue has merged with Stein Engineering, a Beaverton, Ore., company specializing in transportation engineering and planning. Principal owner and founder Richard Stein is the new branch manager of the Beaverton office of CTS. He recently completed the campus plan and signal improvements for the Beaverton Library and the new medical office building for the Southwest Washington Medical Center in Vancouver.

CTS specializes in civil, transportation, structural engineering and surveying services, and is a certified women's and disadvantaged business enterprise in Washington and Oregon.

As a result of the merger, CTS opened its second office, located in Hillsboro, Ore. The firm has been in operation for 20 years.

First look at Greenwood Library

The first images of the new $6.4 million Greenwood public library will be shown at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 5, at a meeting of the Greenwood Community Council. The design of the 15,000-square-foot library will be presented by representatives from the Seattle Public Library and architects from Buffalo Design at Phinney Ridge Lutheran Church, 7500 Greenwood Ave. N.

The library board of trustees selected the site now occupied by McDonald's at North 85th Street and Greenwood Avenue North as the location for the new library. Construction is expected to begin in the fall of 2001, and the library is scheduled to open in 2002.

For more information about the presentation, callDoug Bailey, project manager, at (206) 386-4173, or visit the Web site www.spl.org.

Neighborhood matching funds

The city of Seattle's Department of Neighborhoods is sponsoring a workshop on Saturday, Dec. 2, about its neighborhood-matching funds program. The event will be held from 9 a.m. to noon at Seattle Central Community College, 1701 Broadway. The cost is $5, payable at the door. The sessions include tips and lessons learned from neighborhood leaders about what strategies work to secure funding for neighborhood-improvement projects.

For more information, call the Department of Neighborhoods at (206) 684-0464.

Design Detailings: Library seeks A/E teams for 5 projects

The Seattle Public Library is seeking architect and engineering teams to provide design services for five neighborhood library projects. Architect/engineering teams are being sought for expansions of the existing North East, Rainier Beach, Columbia City and Douglass-Truth libraries, as well as for the design of interior space at the new International District library, which will be located in a mixed-use project.

Interested firms can get more information from the Library's Web site at www.spl.org or by calling the capital program office at (206) 386-4164.

Proposals of qualification must be delivered by 2 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 12.

Moon Creek reclamation discussed

Bruno Ridolfi, principal engineer with Ridolfi Engineers in Seattle, will offer a technical presentation about his firm's rehabilitation of a portion of Moon Creek, a Coeur D'Alene waterway polluted by years of mining.

The talk will be held at 11:30 a.m., Wednesday, Nov. 30, at the Rock Salt Steakhouse in Seattle. The cost, which includes lunch, is $20 for members of the Consulting Engineers Council of Washington, $25 for nonmembers and $15 for retired engineers. Fax reservations to (206) 224-0815. For more information, call the CECW at (206) 623-5936.

New home for Gig Harbor Historical Society

The Gig Harbor Peninsula Historical Society and Museum has selected a design-build team consisting of Wade Perrow Construction, Olson Sundberg Kundig Allen Architects, BOE Architects and AHBL Engineering to work on the design development of the society's new Heritage Center. The estimated cost of the project is $7 million.

The historical society purchased 4.3 acres in downtown Gig Harbor for the new center and recently completed a facility master plan outlining program requirements.

"Our goal is to create a permanent home for the society and museum, so that we can continue our work preserving and interpreting local history," said historical society executive director Chris Erlich. A main feature of the facility will be the 65-foot fishing vessel Shenandoah accompanied by exhibits about the history of fishing on Puget Sound.

Olson Sundberg Kundig Allen of Seattle is the lead designer. The firm has been involved in several major museum projects in the area, including the Washington State History Museum in Tacoma, the Frye Art Museum and the Seattle Asian Art Museum. They have also been involved in plans for the Tacoma Art Museum, the Henry Art Gallery and the Bellevue Art Museum.

Hart Crowser lands big DOT contract

Hart Crowser, an environmental and engineering firm based in Seattle, was chosen out of 14 submittals as the on-call geotechnical services consultant for the Washington State Department of Transportation. The $300,000, two-year contract includes complete geotechnical services at the scoping and conceptual levels.

The firm's Portland office also added two multiyear Oregon DOT contracts -- one focusing on natural resources and the other emphasizing hazardous wastes and materials environmental services.

Engineers learn how to add value

"Adding value: Leveraging engineering services through decision support," is the topic of an upcoming dinner meeting of the American Society of Civil Engineer and the American Society for Engineering Management. David Ginsberg, managing director of mining for Agra Simons' enterprise services division, is the keynote speaker for the event, which will be held from 6-9 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 29, at the Rock Salt Steakhouse in Seattle. The cost is $23. Call reservations into Shannon & Wilson at (206) 695-6670 or e-mail lkd@sshanwil.com.

ECS on the move

ECS Engineering, which has grown from two to 19 employees over the last five years, is moving to accommodate its expansion. The new office address is 18311 Bothell Everett Highway., Suite 260, Mill Creek, WA 98012. The firm's new telephone is (425) 402-6029, and the new fax is (425) 483-3989. The post office box number is unchanged, and the Web site www.ecs-engineering.com remains the same.

UW seminar on project management

A daylong seminar about effective project management for architects, engineers and other building industry professionals will be held Monday, Dec. 11.

Hugh Hochberg, partner with The Coxe Group, is the presenter for the class, which will take place at The Mountaineers Building, 300 Third Ave. W. The cost is $300, which includes tuition, handouts and lunch.

The University of Washington's College of Architecture and Urban Planning is offering the seminar. Registration information is posted on the Web site www.caup.washington.edu/cpe/.

Affordable housing advocates honored

Six affordable housing advocates were honored with a "Friend of Housing" award, presented by the Washington State Housing Finance Commission, which develops and administers financing programs that promote home ownership, encourage community development and help produce affordable housing throughout the state. The commission is a public agency but is not funded with tax dollars.

Among the recipients of this year's awards were:

• Siobhan Ring of the Tenants Union Statewide Advocate, for her advocacy for the rights of low-income, disabled and elderly tenants of Washington state

• Jack Gallagher, vice president of finance at Fannie Mae, for developing specialized financial investment products to expand affordable housing opportunities

• The Office of Rural and Farmworker Housing in Yakima, for working to see that farmworkers have access to safe, decent and affordable housing

• Don Hines, assistant director of the Tacoma Economic Development Department, for his advocacy for the creation and preservation of quality, affordable housing for Tacoma's low-income residents

• Washington Trust Bank of Spokane for providing homeownership opportunities for low- and moderate-income, first-time homebuyers

• Majken Ryherd, chief of staff for state Rep. Frank Chopp, for her achievements in passing housing legislation

Design Detailings: Collins Woerman new name for CNA

In a move to underscore new ownership and a new direction for CNA Architecture, principals Mark Woerman and Arlan Collins have changed the firm's name to Collins Woerman. The two partners bought the Bellevue-based company's outstanding stock in January from parent company CNA Companies, a consulting engineering and information technology firm. The buyout involved their purchase of shares from CNA owner Larry Cook.

When Collins and Woerman joined CNA Architecture and Engineering in 1988, the firm employed only two architects, and architecture was largely an ancillary function to the specialty engineering company. Today, Collins Woerman has about 90 employees, designing major projects in the Puget Sound region, such as Sammamish Park Place in Issaquah and Overlake Hospital Medical Center in Bellevue. The firm is designing several projects in Seattle, including a proposed six-story office and retail building on a site at the southeast corner of Westlake and Republican that Vulcan Northwest owns; a five-story research and development laboratory at Fairview Avenue North and Mercer Street for Interpac; and a six-story office complex on Fifth and Bell for Touchstone Corp.

Prior to joining CNA, Collins and Woerman were architects with NBBJ, one of the largest architecture firms in Seattle.

AIA Honor Awards

The Seattle chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) is holding its annual Honor Awards presentation on Monday, Nov. 11, at Benaroya Hall. The awards ceremony culminates Architecture Week, which runs through Nov. 13. To purchase tickets for the awards ceremony, go to http://www.aiaseattle.org/2000awards/ticketinfo.htm. The cost is $18 through Nov. 10; thereafter the cost is $22. Students with valid ID pay $10.

Submittals in the completed, not yet built and conceptual categories can be viewed online at http://www.aiaseattle.org/2000awards/submittals.htm .

For a full listing of events for Architecture Week, go to the Web site http://www.aiaseattle.org/ARCHWEEK.html.

Models in the digital age

"Ideas in form: architectural models in the digital age," a free exhibit about the use of physical and digital models in current architectural practice, runs through Sunday, Nov. 19. Alec Vassiliadis, model maker for NBBJ, will lecture on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. The exhibit is being shown at the Rainier Square Conference Center, 1333 Fifth Ave., third floor. For more information, call (206) 667-9186 or go to http://www.seattlearchitectural.org/ideasinform.

Trans-Lake Washington project

Rob Fellows of the Washington State Department of Transportation on Wednesday will provide an update of the Trans-Lake Washington project, which is analyzing transportation options along the heavily congested state Route 520 corridor.

The talk, sponsored by the Seattle section of the American Society of Civil Engineers and the Washington Institute of Transportation Engineers, will take place over dinner at the Ballard Yankee Grill, 5300 24th N.W. in Seattle. The cost is $20. Reservations are required and can be made by calling (206) 632-2667.

SMPS takes on global management

Examining the challenges of working with foreign offices and the adventures of working abroad are the topics for the Society for Marketing Professional Services' (SMPS) next luncheon, which will be held on Thursday, Nov.16 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Washington Athletic Club. The Seattle SMPS chapter will host Nancy Mueller, a professional speaker and training consultant with International Adaptations. Mueller's experience includes teaching in Egypt, presenting communication skills workshops in Canada, consulting in Europe, and traveling in Brazil, Hong Kong and China.

The cost of the event is $30 for SMPS members, $35 for member firms, and $40 for nonmembers. Visit the SMPS Seattle Web site at www.smpsseattle.org for more details, or contact Marcie Lohr of Abacus Engineered Systems at (206) 583-8237. The reservation deadline is Monday, Nov. 13.

CECW extends awards deadline

The Consulting Engineers Council of Washington (CECW) has extended the deadline for submission of projects in its annual Engineering Excellence awards program. The new deadline to send the application and $300 entry fee is Wednesday, Nov. 15. Applications are available by calling Paula at the CECW at (206) 623-5936 or going to the Web site www.cecw.org.

Clark County looks at growth

Clark County is holding a forum on Thursday to review the county's comprehensive growth management plan. The event, called "Citizen Speak II," will be held from 5:30-9:30 p.m. at Clark County Fairgrounds, Community Center Building, 17420 N.E. Delfel Rd. in Ridgefield. For more information, call the county's Community Development Department at (360) 397-2375, Ext. 4993.

Sea-Tac seeks artists

The Port of Seattle is seeking Northwest artists to design large-scale artworks at two of its new satellite transit stations. Six artists will be paid $4,000 to develop proposals and two will receive $75,000 commissions. The submission deadline is Monday, Nov 13. The project is open to established or emerging Northwest artists, working in Washington, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Alaska or British Columbia. For more information, contact Jolene Culler, arts program manager, at (206) 439-6624 or Michelle Harris, arts program coordinator, at (206) 433-5291.

Lecture on Meiji design

"Meiji revisited: a look at Western architecture in 19th Century Japan," will be presented by historian and author Dallas Finn on Saturday, Nov. 18, at 1 p.m. in the Seattle Asian Art Museum, located in Volunteer Park.

Sponsored by Historic Seattle and the Asian art council of the Seattle Art Museum, the lecture focuses on the Meiji period (1868-1912) of architecture in Japan when Western design ideas were incorporated into Japanese public and private buildings. The cost is $15 for SAM and Historic Seattle members, $10 for the general public and $5 for students. Call (206) 622-6952 for additional information.

Design Detailings: Rethinking brand strategy

As part of Architecture Week 2000, the Seattle chapter of the American Institute of Engineers and the Consulting Engineers Council of Washington on Wednesday, Nov. 8 are hosting a discussion, "The Flame: Rethinking Brand Strategy, Your Business and the Marketplace" by Tim Girvin, a Seattle-based strategic branding and design consultant.

According to the promotional flier for this talk, Girvin has patented a technique called "Brand Quest," to elicit the "personality and emotional content of brands to increase their presence and pull." Girvin, whose clients include Procter & Gamble, Coca-Cola, IBM, Apple, and Microsoft, will present success strategies and case studies in an interactive format. The event will be held from 6-9 p.m. at Ray's Boathouse in Seattle. The cost is $40 for reservations made by Nov. 1; thereafter, the cost is $45. To make reservations, call the CECW (206) 623-5936.

Johnpaul Jones to speak

On Monday, Nov. 6, Seattle architect Johnpaul Jones will talk about the conceptual and final design of the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C. Jones & Jones Architects & Landscape Architects is the lead designer for the museum, which is under construction and scheduled to open in the winter of 2003.

The lecture, which is free, takes place at 6:30 pm in the auditorium of Architecture Hall at the University of Washington. For more information, call (206) 543-7679.

Spokane marketers tackle contracting woes

The Marketing Associates of Spokane (MAS) on Thursday, Nov. 16 is offering architecture, engineering and construction firms tips on winning contracts at Fairchild Air Force Base. "Breaking the Project Barrier at Fairchild Air Force Base" with Grant Furulie, the contracting officer for the base, will be held at noon at the RAM Restaurant, 908 N. Howard St., in Spokane. The cost is $13 for MAS members and $25 for nonmembers. The reservation deadline is Thursday, Nov. 2. For membership information, or to make a reservation, call MAS Vice President Marty Orchard at (509) 838-8681.

LMN plan receives APA/PAW award

The American Planning Association and Planning Association of Washington have given LMN Architects' "Destination Downtown: Light Rail Station Area Analysis for the City of Tacoma" an Honor Award in the category of transportation plans.

"Destination Downtown" assessed the development potential of transit station areas and identified desirable characteristics of new projects, recommending land use and transportation strategies for reshaping Tacoma's downtown.

Sound Transit provided funding to the city of Tacoma to conduct station area planning with the goal of identifying strategies that will foster transit-oriented developments around Tacoma LINK stations. This planning document involved a 14-month effort by Mark Hinshaw and Aninditra Mitra of LMN Architects, Leland Consulting Group, KJS Associates and the city of Tacoma.