Design Detailings: A New Face in engineering

Burwell

Cheryl Burwell, a design engineer at Magnusson Klemencic Associates, was recently recognized as a New Face of Engineering, as part of National Engineers Week.

The New Faces of Engineering program recognizes 109 nominees out of 1.8 million engineers in the U.S. The program is designed to boost public awareness of the newest generation of engineers. To qualify, engineers had to have worked on unique or high profile projects and/or engineering achievements during the last two to five years.

Burwell was dispatched within an hour of the Nisqually earthquake and inspected damaged buildings, assessing more than 15 properties. She has worked on several Seattle area projects including gravity and steel design on the Seattle Justice Center, pre- and post-implosion monitoring on the Kingdome, and historic renovation of the Harborview Medical Center addition.

She serves on Magnusson Klemencic committees charged with developing new design guidelines and recommendations, such as the steel, earthquake and building preservation expert groups. She also is co-facilitator of the firm's Design Engineer Forum, an in-house discussion group for younger engineers.

Burwell was nominated by the American Society of Civil Engineers.

Hargreaves on the WTC team

San Francisco-based Hargreaves Associates, which is designing South Lake Union Park, is on the winning team for the World Trade Center site competition, with Studio Daniel Libeskind.

Memory Foundations, the winning design, leaves a portion of the World Trade Center slurry wall exposed, as a symbol of endurance and a setting for the museum and upcoming memorial competition. At street level, two large public places were designed for the scheme, the Park of Heroes and the Wedge of Light. The Wedge of Light allows that each year on Sept. 11, between the hours of 8:46 a.m., when the first plane hit and 10:28 a.m., when the second tower collapsed, the sun will shine without shadow on the site. A 1,776-foot tall spire will re-establish a new skyline for Lower Manhattan.

"The landscape architect provides an important holistic view in a team collaboration like this one," says George Hargreaves, founding principal of the firm and chair of the Landscape Architecture Department at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design. "We relish this role on multidisciplinary teams both large and small."

He said one goal for Hargreaves is to strengthen the connection of the site to Lower Manhattan, New York City and the world.

In Seattle, Hargreaves Associates is working on the Brightwater Wastewater Treatment Facility and the South Lake Union Park.

Wastewater treatment design forum

Bergstrom

Hammond Collier Wade Livingstone’s Robert Bergstrom will give a presentation Thursday on the increasing role of membrane technology in modern water and wastewater treatment design.

Speaking at the 25th Annual Washington Water/Wastewater Operations Workshop in Spokane, Bergstrom will discuss the use of membranes as filter media in the water and wastewater arenas.

The presentation begins at 8:30 a.m. at the Spokane Center. The conference, hosted by the Washington Environmental Training Center, is the largest workshop of its kind in the Northwest. For more information, call the WETRC at (800) 562-0858 ext. 1, or go to www.ivygreen.ctc.edu/wetrc/wow_brochure.htm.

New name, location for Gustafson

Gustafson Partners Ltd. recently announced a name and address change. The new name is Gustafson Guthrie Nichol Ltd., and the offices are in Pier 55, 1101 Alaskan Way, floor 3. The phone is (206) 903-6802, and fax is (206) 903-6804.

Gustafson Guthrie Nichol is working on the Princess Diana memorial in London's Hyde Park and Boston's North End Parks. It is working with Boston's Wallace Floyd Design Group on the Boston project, and British architect Neil Porter on the memorial.

What's the forecast for Spokane?

The Thursday program and luncheon meeting of Marketing Associates of Spokane will be presented by Randy Barcus, chief economist for Avista Corp. Barcus will discuss the Spokane region’s economy, including his forecast for the coming months.

The meeting will be held at noon at the WestCoast Grand Hotel at the Park, 303 W. North River Drive in Spokane. The cost is $15 for MAS members and $25 for non-members. Reservation deadline is Monday. For membership information or to make a reservation, contact MAS vice president David Dowers at (509) 536-3853 or see the MAS Web site at www.maspokane.org.

Design Detailings: GeoEngineers, AES announce merger

Redmond's GeoEngineers will merge with Applied Environmental Services of Port Orchard. AES has provided natural resource and regulatory services throughout the Northwest and Alaska since Wayne Wright and Lisa Berntsen founded the company in 1993. AES specializes in wetlands consulting, fisheries biology, wildlife investigations, nearshore habitat assessments, underwater scuba and video surveys, and aquatic habitat restoration services.

GeoEngineers’ core strengths are in earth sciences and engineering, water resource management, environmental site investigations and remediation, and GIS/data management.

"Their work is creative yet practical, especially in reaching balance between human development pressures and our highly valued aquatic and terrestrial species and ecosystems," said GeoEngineers president Jim Miller. AES will assume the GeoEngineers identity, and retain the Port Orchard location.

UW lecture by Boym Partners

In conjunction with the Bellevue Art Museum exhibition "Oh Boym! A Slideshow of Design," Constantin and Laurene Boym will discuss their work, their process and their design philosophy at 7 p.m. Thursday. The free lecture will be held at University of Washington, Kane Lecture Hall, Room 110.

"Oh Boym!" showcases the work of the Boym Partners. Running through April 13, it is the first exhibit to concentrate on the work of this New York City design studio, revealing the sources and development of their designs. For information, call (425) 519-0760.

Row Houses founder speaks Friday

Rick Lowe will lecture at Seattle Art Museum's Plestcheeff Auditorium at 7 p.m. Friday.

Founder of Project Row Houses, a neighborhood-based public art program that renovated 22 shotgun-style houses in one of Houston's poorest neighborhoods, Lowe worked with others to create galleries, workshop spaces, offices and housing as places for young single mothers to learn life skills.

Lowe's work has been included in national and international exhibitions and programs. He is the recipient of the Heinz Award for Arts and Humanities, a Loeb Fellow at Harvard University School of Design and chief arts planner of the new downtown Seattle Central Public Library with architect Rem Koolhaas.

Tickets are $8 for SAM members, $10 for non-members. Order tickets in advance by calling the SAM Box Office at (206) 654-3121.

Open house on regulating design

David Spiker, guest editor of Arcade, will speak at an open house Thursday on "Regulating Design." Arcade is an architecture/design journal for the Northwest.

The open house will be held at 5:30 p.m. at the Production Network, 1000 N. Northlake Way, just north of the Adobe software campus between Stone Way and the Aurora Bridge.

Lessons from the WTC clean-up

The Seattle Post of the Society of American Military Engineers sponsors a luncheon Tuesday discussing the lessons of the World Trade Center clean-up.

The speaker will be Jeff Tasca of AMEC Corp., who will present lessons learned by AMEC staff during recovery and cleanup operations at the World Trade Center site. AMEC was one of three contractors awarded removal contracts.

The event is hosted by Engineering Field Activity Northwest, Naval Facilities Engineering Command. The luncheon will be held at Consolidate Mess, Trident Ballroom, at the Bangor Naval Submarine Base, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Attendees will need to give organizers their full names and Social Security numbers -- information that will be held in confidence and will be destroyed after the luncheon. The information must be provided with the RSVP, no later than Thursday. Cost is $10. Drivers need to bring their driver’s license, registration and proof of insurance. For information, contact Shannon Marsh at (360) 396-0043, fax (360) 396-0855, or e-mail marshSN@efanw.navfac.navy.mil.

What's the future for Spokane?

The March 13 program and luncheon meeting of Marketing Associates of Spokane will be presented by Randy Barcus, chief economist for Avista Corp. Barcus will discuss the Spokane region’s economy, including his forecast for the coming months.

The meeting will be held at noon at the WestCoast Grand Hotel at the Park, 303 W. North River Drive in Spokane. The cost is $15 for MAS members and $25 for non-members. Reservation deadline is Monday. For membership information or to make a reservation, contact MAS vice president David Dowers at (509) 536-3853 or see the MAS Web site at www.maspokane.org.

Gustafson changes name, location

Gustafson Partners Ltd. recently announced a name and address change. The new name is Gustafson Guthrie Nichol Ltd., and the offices are in Pier 55, 1101 Alaskan Way, floor 3. The phone is (206) 903-6802, and fax is (206) 903-6804.

Gustafson Guthrie Nichol is working on the Princess Diana memorial in London's Hyde Park and Boston's North End Parks. They are working with Boston's Wallace Floyd Design Group on the Boston project, and British architect Neil Porter on the memorial.

Design Detailings: Lecture at UW on "Case Study Homes"

The curators of "Seattle Case Study Homes" will host a lecture and exhibit at the University of Washington College of Architecture and Urban Planning at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, in Room 147 of Architecture Hall. Seattle architects Blake Williams, Cory Harris and Joel Severud will present the plan book of modern, single-family houses for Seattle.

"Seattle Case Study Homes" is available Peter Miller Books in Seattle. The Northwest design journal Arcade is distributing free copies to new subscribers.

The book includes pages of project plans, perspectives and descriptive information. Similar to the original "Case Study Houses," published in Arts and Architecture from 1945-1966, it is a forum for architects and designers to demonstrate their skill in designing superior housing for Seattle. Eighty-four proposals were submitted by local, national and international architects and designers over a Web site.

Rasmussen elected to registration board

Peter Rasmussen of Tacoma has been elected regional director of the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards. Rasmussen, a member of the Washington Board of Registration for Architects, will represent the council’s Western Conference, which includes Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Northern Mariana Islands, Oregon, Utah and Washington. Rasmussen is president and founding principal of Architects Rasmussen Triebelhorn (A.R.T.), a Tacoma-based firm.

Students help plan International District

International District community groups have called upon the skills of budding designers from Asia and University of Washington. Eleven landscape architecture students from Japan's Chiba University will join their UW counterparts to develop urban design proposals for key sites in the Chinatown-Nihonmachi-Little Saigon-International District, where community groups are trying to preserve the area's heritage amid development pressure.

The Japanese students will see the neighborhood for the first time this month, but they have been working with UW students via the Web since September. In this global classroom project, students from the two nations collaborate not just on International District improvements but also on designs for a historic Japanese neighborhood near Tokyo called Kogane.

"This really is an experiment in cross-cultural collaboration," said Jeffrey Hou, assistant professor of landscape architecture. "We're discovering that you really can communicate ideas across borders."

The students hope to contribute to the International District urban design master plan under way. Key sites there include Hing Hay Park, King Street, 12th and Jackson, the Union Station area, Canton Alley and access to the Danny Woo Community Garden. For more information contact Hou at (206) 543-7225 or jhou@u.washington.edu. The project's Web site is www.caup.washington.edu/html/larch/chiba/.

AIA seeks projects for green forum

As part of the observation of Earth Day 2003, the AIA Seattle Committee on the Environment is looking for both built and unbuilt projects that show regional efforts to integrate environmentally responsible design methods and materials into buildings. Materials about the projects will be on display at the "What Makes It Green?" forum on sustainable design April 24 and 25, at Fisher Pavilion.

Projects must be located in Alaska, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Washington and Western Canada. Master planning, building or interiors projects can be submitted in either the built, not-yet-built or academic categories. A project submitted in a previous year is no longer eligible, unless it was submitted as not-yet-built and would now be in the built category.

Submitted projects must be built in an environmentally responsible way that exceeds industry standards (meeting energy code is not sufficient to qualify as energy conservation). Projects will be evaluated for quality as well as quantity of strategies, with an emphasis on results. Recognized rating systems (LEED & Built Green) can be used to clarify project information, although there is no specific point requirement for a project to be accepted.

On-line Submittals are due 11 a.m. Friday, and exhibit boards are due April 2, at AIA Seattle, 1911 First Ave. A fee of $50 will be due payable to AIA Seattle with the online registration. For more information, go to www.aiaseattle.org/wmig2003/.

Design Detailings: Wanzer Munizza re-join Mithun

Seattle-based Mithun recently announced that Paul Wanzer and Kim Munizza are returning to Mithun after starting their own architecture and design firm Wanzer Munizza Design Studio in 1995. Wanzer and Munizza were key members of the Mithun team that developed REI's new look in the 1990s.

Wanzer and Munizza both return to Mithun as principals and will help build Mithun's strength in integrating architecture and interior design, most notably in the practice areas of retail, restaurant, hospitality and high productivity workplaces.

"Kim and Paul are extremely talented designers, and we feel very privileged to have them back on our team," said Bert Gregory, Mithun CEO.

Wanzer Munizza Design Studio served such clients as Microsoft, Starbucks, Publicis and Willows Lodge.

Wanzer and Munizza each have 20 years of professional experience in architecture and interior design. Wanzer is a graduate of Washington State University, and Munizza is a graduate of the University of Washington. Prior to creating their own firm, their work at Mithun included REI Seattle store; The World of Eddie Bauer, Oakbrook, Ill.; Broadmoor Golf and Country Clubhouse renovation, Seattle; and Indian Summer Golf and Country Club, Yelm.

Skilling opens Chicago office

The Seattle-based structural and civil engineering firm Skilling Ward Magnusson Barkshire has opened an office in Chicago.

The firm’s current Chicago projects include 2 East Erie, 111 South Wacker Drive, The Shoreham, the Chicago Courtyard Marriott and Epic Systems Corporate Headquarters, as well as Boeing’s recent move into the Morton Salt Building.

Ron Klemencic, president of Skilling, said, "Chicago is the first city where Skilling is employing a satellite approach. Linking the force of our Seattle office with the flexibility of Chicago personnel provides a unique opportunity to serve our clients in a new way."

Skilling’s headquarters will remain in Seattle, where the firm has been based for 80 years. The Chicago office will be lead by Kerry Galbraith. Galbraith has a 15-year background of work from the United Kingdom, New Zealand, the Middle East, Vietnam, Kuala Lumpur, the Philippines, Seattle and Chicago. Klemencic, who also serves as chairman of the International Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, says Skilling is optimistic about future opportunities in Chicago and the Midwest. "We’re betting on Chicago and believe that it offers long-term growth and continued vitality."

Skilling's local projects include Safeco Field, Seahawks Stadium and the Experience Music Project. World Architecture’s January 2003 issue named Skilling one of the top 10 structural engineering firms in the world.

ASEM forum on transportation crisis

"Transportation in Crisis: Lessons, Leadership & Legacy" will be the topic at the Feb. 26 American Society Engineering Management meeting. Kim Becklund, transportation policy advisor for the city of Bellevue, and Steven Thomsen, deputy director/county engineer, Snohomish County Department of Public Works will discuss focusing on our current situation, lessons learned and define steps towards a better transportation future.

The meeting will be held 5 to 7:30 p.m. at RockSalt Steak House/Latitude 47, 1232 Westlake Ave. N., Seattle. Program cost is $25 with reservations by Friday, or $30 thereafter for members and non-members. Reservations may be made by calling (206) 695-6670, or by e-mail to lkd@shanwil.com.

Olson Sundberg's first Asian project

Olson Sundberg Kundig Allen Architects announced it is working on a private residence in Hong Kong. The project, the firm's first in Asia, explores connections between art, craft and architecture.

Located in Shek-O, a historic fishing village in the southeast corner of Hong Kong Island, the approximately 10,000-square-foot house is contemporary in design. The prominent rural site, which overlooks the South China Sea, has strongly influenced the design -- broad expanses of glass open to views in every direction; seamless transitions from inside to outside spaces merge the house into its landscape; and broad overhangs provide protection from the subtropical sun. The project is led by Jim Olson and Scott Allen, two of the firm's principals.

The Seattle-based firm is known for innovative designs of private homes, and also specializes in museums, galleries, university facilities and religious buildings.

Design Detailings: Skilling opens Chicago office

The Seattle-based structural and civil engineering firm Skilling Ward Magnusson Barkshire has opened an office in Chicago.

The firm’s current Chicago projects include 2 East Erie, 111 South Wacker Drive, The Shoreham, the Chicago Courtyard Marriott and Epic Systems Corporate Headquarters, as well as Boeing’s recent move into the Morton Salt Building.

Ron Klemencic, president of Skilling, said "Chicago is the first city where Skilling is employing a satellite approach. Linking the force of our Seattle office with the flexibility of Chicago personnel provides a unique opportunity to serve our clients in a new way."

Skilling’s headquarters will remain in Seattle, where the firm has been based for 80 years. The Chicago office will be lead by Kerry Galbraith. Galbraith has a 15-year background of work from the United Kingdom, New Zealand, the Middle East, Vietnam, Kuala Lumpur, the Philippines, Seattle and Chicago. Klemencic, who also serves as chairman of the International Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, says Skilling is optimistic about future opportunities in Chicago and the Midwest. "We’re betting on Chicago and believe that it offers long-term growth and continued vitality."

Skilling's local projects include Safeco Field, Seahawks Stadium and the Experience Music Project. World Architecture’s January 2003 issue named Skilling one of the top 10 structural engineering firms in the world.

Hiawatha Park on Olmsted tour

Seattle Parks Foundation on Saturday hosts a walking tour of Hiawatha Playfield as part of the Olmsted Park Centennial Celebration. The tour begins at 10 a.m. inside the Hiawatha Community Center, Hiawatha Park, 2700 California Ave., in West Seattle’s Admiral District.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Olmsted-designed park and boulevard system. The centennial will include events and festivities all year long, organized by the Seattle Parks Foundation, Friends of Seattle’s Olmsted Parks, Seattle Parks and Recreation and community partners and businesses around the city.

Hiawatha Park was the first park designated as a city of Seattle landmark. Designed by the Olmsted Brothers in 1910, it was at the time the largest public playfield in Seattle. Upon Hiawatha’s completion, the Parks Board deemed it the "most sightly and best laid out playground in the system." The park’s original design has undergone changes since its creation, which representatives of Friends of Seattle’s Olmsted Parks will outline.

The Hiawatha Park tour is the second in the 12-month series of park tours. The Olmsted firm designed Seattle’s boulevard system, 37 of its parks and playgrounds, the UW campus, and other public and private landscapes. For more information call (206) 332-9900 or see http://www.seattleparksfoundation.org.

Miller/Hull talks about AIA honor

As part of its Honor Series, AIA Seattle sponsors a discussion with designers from Miller/Hull at noon Feb. 20.

In December, Miller/Hull won the AIA Firm Award -- the highest award the AIA gives to an architectural firm. Miller/Hull is the first Washington firm to win the award. Past winners include Cesar Pelli & Associates and Skidmore Owings and Merrill. Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Partnership has also won the award in 1991, and amember of the firm will join the Miller/Hull speaker for the Feb. 20 event. Cost is $35, at the Four Seasons Olympic Hotel. For information, call (206) 448-4938.

Lecture on 'rural studio' for architects

Andrew Freear, co-director of Rural Studio at Auburn State University, will host a lecture at 6:30 p.m. Thursday. Freear will discuss the Rural Studio, green design and recent projects. The lecture, held in Room 147 at University of Washington's Architecture Hall, will be introduced by U.W. architecture professor Steve Badanes.

In 1993, two Auburn University architecture professors, Dennis K. Ruth and the late Samuel Mockbee, established the Auburn University Rural Studio within the university's School of Architecture. The Rural Studio, conceived as a method to improve the living conditions in rural Alabama and to include hands-on experience in an architectural pedagogy, began designing and building homes that fall. Mockbee and Ruth sought funding to begin the studio and, through the years, it has received additional funding which has helped it become a vision of a process to make housing and community projects in one of the poorest regions of the nation.

Students who attend the Rural Studio expand their design knowledge by building what they have designed. The studio seeks solutions to the needs of the community within the community's own context, not from outside it. The Web site is http://www.ruralstudio.org. For a campus map showing Architecture Hall, go to http://www.washington.edu. For information on this free lecture, call (206) 616-2441.

Design Detailings: SWMB up for ACEC award for stadium

Skilling Ward Magnusson Barkshire is a finalist in the American Council of Engineering Companies’ 37th annual Engineering Excellence Awards competition for its role in design of the Seahawks Stadium and Exhibition Center in downtown Seattle.

The project is among 162 engineering projects in the U.S. being recognized by ACEC as preeminent engineering achievements for 2003. Judging is being conducted by a panel of engineers and architects, along with representatives from government, media and academia. Criteria include uniqueness and originality; technical, social and economic value; complexity; and success in meeting goals.

The 5,200-ton roof floats atop the Seahawks Stadium, dramatically reducing forces on the supporting pylons and foundations. Ends of the arched roof rest on pendulum damper bearings, designed to withstand the seismic characteristics of the Puget Sound region.

David Evans and Associates, Inc., of Bellevue, is a also a finalist in the competition, for leading the I-405 Corridor Program for the Washington State Department of Transportation.

The I-405 Corridor Program successfully mobilized a broad and varied collection of communities and interests to reach agreement on a long-term strategy to address travel needs within the fast-growing 30-mile corridor. Combining a transportation study with an environmental impact statement, the program identified 150 separate projects and actions, most of which involve transit and roadway improvements, as well as the option to add managed lanes in the future.

Headquartered in Portland, David Evans and Associates provides transportation planning/engineering, civil engineering, surveying, planning, landscape architecture and natural resources services.

Founded in 1910 and headquartered in Washington, D.C., ACEC is a national federation of 51 state and regional organizations.

Announcement of the 24 category winners, including selection of the Grand Conceptor Award for the 2003 top engineering achievement, will be on March 18 in Washington, D.C.

Local architects form new firm

The newly formed M/G Architecture designed renovations for Saint Paul Church and School in south Seattle. The project called for replacing the entire non-masonry portion of the building’s cladding system with translucent wall panels, aluminum storefront glazing and concealed-fastener metal siding.

M/G Architecture is a new partnership between Daniel L. Miles and Richard Glasman. Both began practicing architecture in the mid 1980s and met while working at Bumgardner, a 50-year-old architecture, planning and interior design firm in Seattle.

As project architects and project managers, the two have worked together on religious institutions, private schools, golf course club houses, office buildings and exhibition space. Both have experience working with historic buildings and new projects.

M/G Architecture is located at 2212 18th Ave. S., and can be reached at (206) 323-2173 or by e-mail at richardglasman@attbi.com.

Feb. 13 luncheon on business plans

The Feb. 13 program and luncheon meeting of Marketing Associates of Spokane will be presented by Harvey Meier of Harvey A. Meier Co. Meier will discuss creating business plans in today’s market conditions. He is a certified management consultant with over 30 years of senior management and business consulting experience.

The meeting will be at noon at the WestCoast River Inn, 700 N. Division St. in Spokane. The cost is $15 for MAS members and $25 for non-members. Reservation deadline is Monday. For membership information or to make a reservation, contact MAS vice president David Dowers at (509) 536-3853 or see the MAS Web site at www.maspokane.org.

Affiliated wins contract for Snohomish project

Affiliated Engineers NW was recently awarded a $376,000 contract by the Snohomish County Council to safeguard construction components within the County’s Campus Redevelopment Initiative jail project.

AEI will perform engineering services for commissioning the new jail building. Commissioning is testing of various construction components (such as fans, electrical and security systems, mechanical systems or elevators) built by separate sub-contractors, to ensure they work correctly without failure, are built to specifications, and meet the owners’ requirements.

The project includes construction of a Snohomish County jail, an administration building and an underground parking garage on the current county campus, 3000 Rockefeller Ave., in Everett.

Design Detailings: Feb. 6 lecture on Paul Thiry

Jodee Fenton of Seattle Public Library will present an illustrated lecture on the late Northwest architect Paul Thiry at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 6, at University Unitarian Church, 6556 35th Ave. N.E.

The free presentation will explore Thiry's career and life. Thiry was principal architect for the 1962 World's Fair and architect for the North East Branch at 6801 35th Ave. N.E. He was responsible for some of Seattle's most prominent public buildings of the 1950s and 1960s. Thiry also served on local, regional and national planning commissions. He gained prominence for his development of Modernism, and the Northwest regional style.

Fenton is manager of the library's Arts, Recreation and Literature Department. For more information call (206) 386-4610.

Thursday lecture on global cities

The University of Washington College of Architecture and Urban Planning on Thursday presents a lecture by Shenglin Chang of the University of Maryland and John K.C. Liu of National Taiwan University. The topic will be "Building a Global City in My Backyard: Transforming Local Memories and Identities in Shanghai and Hsingchu."

The lecture will be held at noon in Gould Hall, Room 100. It is part of the Public Spaces and the Public Sphere Series, supported by the Institute of Transnational Studies.

For more information on the Winter 2003 Landscape Architecture Lecture Series, contact landscape architecture assistant professor Jeff Hou at (206) 543-7225 or jhou@u.washington.edu.

Design Detailings: Bench auction to benefit arboretum

One-of-a-kind outdoor seating returns to downtown Seattle in January and February with the silent auction of 15 lawn and garden benches at two locations.

The third annual Take a Seat auction, benefiting the Washington Park Arboretum, features benches made of new, re-used and found materials. Benches, created by gardeners, landscape designers, architects and craftspeople, range from traditional to fashionable, from practical to whimsical. Designs include an elaborate sailboat bench and a tea bench-table topped by a colorful glass mosaic.

Benches are on display throughout Pacific Place until Feb. 15 and at the Northwest Flower & Garden Show at Washington State Convention & Trade Center from Feb. 18 to 23. Silent bids may be submitted at each location. Bidding closes at noon on Feb. 23. For information on Arboretum events and programs, call (206) 543-8800 or visit http://www.arboretumfoundation.org.

Public agency managers give '03 outlook

American Society for Engineering Management tonight hosts a forum featuring leading public agency managers from around the Puget Sound region. The managers handle their agency’s consultant roster and on-call services programs. They will share information regarding their programs, policies and anticipated 2003 workloads, as well as offer insight into their consultant on-call/roster processes.

The event is an opportunity for administrators, managers and engineers, and for all those in the consulting community -- principals, managers and marketers -- to learn how some of the leading agencies in western Washington manage their rosters and programs. It is also an opportunity to find out what is coming up for consultants in 2003 and beyond, and how and when these various projects will be handled.

The panel includes moderator Clive Shearer, a management consultant and Daily Journal of Commerce columnist since 1984; Neil Thibert, drainage and wastewater system integrator, Seattle Public Utilities; Matt Nolan, supervising engineer, Road Services Division, King County Department of Transportation; Mike Mattar, Design Division manager, city of Bellevue; and Frank Davidson, project manager, Facilities Development, Port of Tacoma.

The event will be held from 4:45 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Rock Salt Steak House at Latitude 47, 1232 Westlake Ave. N. The program runs from 5:30 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. Cost is $30. For information, contact Mohammed Kashani at (425) 388-6493. For reservations, call Shannon & Wilson at (206) 695-6670.

Freiheit & Ho does Albertsons makeover

Freiheit & Ho Architects has designed the remodel for Albertsons Lake Stevens marketplace store, scheduled to be complete in May. The store is located at 303 91st Ave. N.E., in Lake Stevens. The building is undergoing a major remodel of the existing 50,724 square feet to introduce new and expanded departments. All work is designed to be completed in stages to allow full operation of the store.

The remodel includes a new decor package, with new interior finishes, accent lighting and signage, along with the addition of a new photo center. Design team members with Freiheit & Ho Architects include: CSHQA, electrical engineers; McClure Engineering, mechanical engineers; Protection Consultants, Inc., Fire Protection engineers and Rex Harrison, Structural Engineer. The general contractor is Ebenal General, Inc.

Design Detailings: AIA members wanted for residential exhibit

AIA members are invited to exhibit their work in residential design at the AIA booth at the 2003 Seattle Home Show Feb. 15 through Feb. 23. Reservations are taken on a first-come, first-served basis and valid only with accompanying payment.

Cost is $75 for each board, and $135 for each model. Registered members need to drop off display materials at AIA by Feb. 13. AIA has a seminar, "How to Select and Work with an Architect," on Feb. 22 to serve booth visitors who seek information about connecting with an architect. For more information, contact AIA Seattle program director Peter Sackett at (206) 448-4938.

ASCE discusses I-90 interchange

The Seattle Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers and the Washington State Section of the Institute of Transportation Engineers invites ASCE members, ITE members and interested civil and transportation engineers to the tonight's joint meeting at the Ballard Yankee Grill, 5300 24th Ave. N.W.

The technical program will feature Matt Preedy and Hung Huynh of the Washington State Department of Transportation, and Dan Irwin of the engineering firm RH2, speaking on the 1-90 Sunset Interchange Project. The Issaquah interchange is a key component in a system of transportation improvements to enhance mobility in and around Issaquah, Fall City, Pine Lake and the Highlands.

The project evolved from efforts of the Washington State Department of Transportation, King County and the city of Issaquah. It includes four major bridges, significant earthwork, new freeway ramps, existing roadway connections, extensive retaining walls and bike lanes, paralleling I-90.

The social hour is 5:30 p.m., dinner at 6:15, business meeting at 7 and program at 7:30. Cost is $21, or $23 if registering after noon Monday. The reservation line is (206) 926-0482, or e-mail house@seattleasce.org.

UW looks at eco design

The University of Washington College of Architecture and Urban Planning, which recently hosted an ecological design forum, plans more events on the topic. Panelists, students and educators addressed the integration of ecological design into current design and construction practice.

Topics ranged from the psychological impacts of urban form to the understanding of how evolving technologies impact the character and function of society. The discussion centered on ways to achieve change in both academic and professional arenas. Jonathan Scherch, professor of Environment and Community at Antioch University, and Don Miller, professor of Urban Design and Planning at the UW, participated in the discussion.

"Despite disagreement in approach, everyone involved shared the motivation for a healthier, more sustainable environment," said Jesse Hager, who helped organize the forum. "The perspectives of both the panelists and audience invited us all to think in terms broader than the focus of our own profession. Through collaboration and shared resources the potential for growth in this topic is exponential."

For information on future events, contact uwEcoDesign@yahoo.com.

Design Detailings: Swimmer photos on display

Photo by Lara Swimmer

AIA Seattle will host a party from 5 to 7:30 pm. Thursday for photographer Lara Swimmer. Swimmer will be showing "Structures Rebuilt; Seven Projects," an exhibit that will run through Jan. 31.

Swimmer's work chronicles Seattle's civic renaissance through the remaking of its major buildings. The exhibit of 13 large-scale photographs includes the new Central Library project by OMA, the Opera House renovation at the Seattle Center, demolition of the Kingdome, restoration of the historic Cinerama Theater by BOORA Architects and the SODO Center post-earthquake restoration. AIA Seattle is at 1911 First Ave. For information, call (206) 448-4938.

Allied Arts takes on the waterfront

Allied Arts will tackle the subject of what to do with the downtown waterfront Friday at its Beer and Culture Nights, from 7:30 to 10 p.m.

What kind of public space do we need on a potential post-viaduct waterfront? Recreational? Ceremonial? Festival? What land is potentially available to create this public space? What balance should we strike between park and promenade, between the intimate and the grand? Participants will be asked to imagine the waterfront as the civic showpiece.

Guests will be former Seattle Mayor Charles Royer; Karen Daubert, executive director, Seattle Parks Foundation; John Rahaim, executive director, City Design; and the hosts will be Deborah Daoust and Randy Apsel. The event will be held at 622 38th Ave. Suggested donation is $25 per person, $15 for members of Allied Arts. For information, call (206) 624-0432.

Finding a voice for design

AIA Southwest Washington Chapter will host a discussion from noon to 1:30 p.m. Friday. The luncheon topic, "A Voice For Design: How Can We Have a More Effective Voice?" will cover how to help promote the value of good design to local government and to the public.

The discussion builds on the proposition posed at last month's meeting, that if the architectural community does not talk about the importance of design -- or if the message is not getting through to the public -- then design is not valued in the community. It will be held at Johnny's Dock Restaurant in Tacoma, 1900 E. D St., Tacoma. For information, call (253) 627-4006.

Design Detailings: NBBJ wins for Swedish Institute

NBBJ Swedish Cancer Institute brings the natural environment's healing benefits into this dense urban setting.

NBBJ's design of the addition and renovation to the Swedish Cancer Institute recently earned the firm Modern Healthcare's 2002 Award of Excellence.

"This award means a lot to many people here at the medical center and at NBBJ," said Dr. Albert Einstein Jr., executive director of the Swedish Cancer Institute. "From the beginning, the design process for this three-year project was very collaborative between our two organizations. Most impressive was NBBJ's quest for input and feedback from physicians, clinicians and even patients, and the firm's ability to implement these ideas into the design. Performing that daunting task successfully is a huge reason why this beautiful state-of-the-art cancer-care facility will meet everyone's needs well into the future."

"Engaging physicians and other medical caregivers, we were able to uncover why they chose healthcare as a profession and what they hoped to accomplish," said Richard Dallam, NBBJ partner-in-charge of healthcare design. "Our design for the Swedish Cancer Institute embodies their vision for how to conduct optimal care -- bringing the natural environment and its healing benefits into this dense urban setting."

FSi renovates Navy warehouse

FSi consulting engineers has teamed with Anthony Construction on a design-build project for the Navy in Everett. FSi is the prime consultant and lead mechanical engineer. The team was selected for a $5.5 million renovation of a 60,000-square-foot warehouse space into a shore intermediate maintenance facility. The project scope involves industrial ventilation for a shop area along with HVAC for offices and calibrations labs. Of particular design interest is the diesel engine test facility, which includes an engine exhaust system, diesel fuel system and cooling system for the engine and load test equipment.

The FSi team includes ECS for electrical engineering, Merritt+Pardini for architectural design and KPFF for civil and structural engineering.

FSi is a 15-person mechanical and fire protection engineering firm located in Seattle's Pioneer Square. Currently, FSi is designing projects for the Federal Aviation Administration, University of Washington, Tacoma School District, South Seattle Community College and the Seattle Housing Authority.

UW forum looks at eco design

The University of Washington College of Architecture and Urban Planning recently hosted an ecological design forum. Panelists, students and educators addressed the integration of ecological design into current design and construction practice.

Topics ranged from the psychological impacts of urban form to the understanding of how evolving technologies impact the character and function of our society. The discussion centered on the avenues of possibilities with which to achieve change in both academic and professional arenas. Jonathan Scherch, professor of Environment and Community at Antioch University, and Don Miller, professor of Urban Design and Planning at UW, participated.

"Despite disagreement in approach, everyone involved shared the motivation for a healthier, more sustainable environment," said Jesse Hager, who helped organize the UW Ecological Design Forum. "The perspectives of both the panelists and audience invited us all to think in terms broader than the focus of our own profession. Through collaboration and shared resources the potential for growth in this topic is exponential."

For information on future events, contact uwEcoDesign@yahoo.com.