Design Detailings: Spatial planning, Scandinavian style

The Northwest Washington Chapter of American Institute of Architects is sponsoring a lecture on April 16 entitled "Scandinavian Housing on the Waterfront, in the City, in the Park."

Gunnar Nystrom, an instructor in the Department of Spatial Planning, Blekinge Institute of Technology in Karlskrona, Sweden, will present. The lecture will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Fairhaven Park Pavilion, Bellingham.

Nystrom's presentation will focus on eight different housing schemes in Sweden, Finland and Denmark, comprising waterfront renewal projects, Garden City projects, and dwellings in parks.

For more information, contact Tom Entrikin, Executive Director, AIA Northwest Washington, (360) 671-9555. The Web site is www.nwaia.org. Seating is limited. RSVP by 5 p.m. Friday.

April 15 discussion on public sector contracting

Trends, issues and sustainability in public sector contracting will be the subject of the this month's Society of American Military Engineers seminar on April 15. Guests for the 10 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. event are Cheryl Anderson, contracting officer with the Seattle District U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and Tony Gale, with the City of Seattle. The focus topics will be current and future trends and methods of contracting with A/E's and construction contractors and the contracts for sustainable buildings. This will be an interactive discussion with guests to promote understanding of current and future directions contracts will take in the public sector. Cost: $5.00 per person. RSVP by Friday to Andy Hough at andy.hough@skanskausa.com.

The SAME luncheon will follow, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The speaker will be Tom Tierney, deputy chief executive officer in charge of labor, police and security. As managing director of the port’s newest division, Economic Development, Tierney oversees port real estate and economic development activities, and provides leadership in regional transportation. He will give a presentation on the port’s priorities in terms of development of seaport and airport infrastructure, including $500 million earmarked for airport projects and the redevelopment of the Seattle waterfront. Cost is $25. RSVP by Thursday to Susan Selby at sususan.selby@hartcrowser.com. Both events will be at Swedish Cultural Center, 1920 Dexter Ave.

Design Detailings: Five-part series covers A/E 101

Guadarrama and Thompson

The Seattle Chapter of the Society for Marketing Professional Services this month will host a five-part education series titled A/E 101. Gayle Guadarrama, director of marketing for Coughlin Porter Lundeen, and Carla Thompson, vice president of marketing for MulvannyG2 Architecture, will share their techniques and lessons learned during 20-year careers.

Using case studies and proven strategies, Guadarrama and Thompson will go beyond the basics to show what a marketer would need to know to develop a successful marketing program and improve sales in a firm -- and how to have fun in the process. The series schedule is: Wednesday, Marketing Roles, Responsibilities, and Systems; April 9, Marketing Plans and Budgets; April 16, Public Relations Tools and Tricks; April 23, Proposals That Win; and April 30, Presentation Strategies and Structure.

The cost for SMPS members is $80 per session or $325 for five sessions, and for non-members $100 per session, or $425 for all 5 sessions. Classes will be held from 4 to 6:30 p.m. at Sellen Construction, Westlake Ave. N., Seattle. For more information about the Education Series, contact Grace Vigil at Parametrix at (425) 822-8880.

Cierra relocates to Belltown

To accommodate additional staff, Cierra Associates has moved to larger offices in Belltown. Their new address is 2505 Third Ave., Suite 204, 98121. Telephone remains the same: (206) 442-0112.

Students push limits of sticks and glue

Jon Engel, Cascade High School

Area high school students recently put their math and science skills to the test when they tried to resist a 2,000-pound load with bridges made only of Popsicle sticks and Elmer’s glue.

Three months of planning led to 30 seconds of snap, crackle and pop when the bridges started to break at the 8th Annual Popsicle Stick Bridge Contest at Crossroads Shopping Center in Bellevue. The contest was started by the Seattle American Society of Civil Engineers Younger Member Forum as part of the annual Puget Sound Engineering Council’s Engineering Fair.

This year’s winners are Cascade High School Team, first; Auburn Riverside High School Team, second; and Edmonds Cyberschool Team, third. The overall rankings combined scores from aesthetics judging, strength of the bridge, and the best estimation of the bridge’s capacity.

The Seattle ASCE Younger Member Forum has a mission to educate the community about civil engineering and promote engineering careers among high school students. Three months before the day of the event, the YMF engineers team up with university students and visit each high school to explain the contest rules and give the students tips for designing their bridges.

Design Detailings: Jacobs Civil takes top award

The 1.9-million pound removable spillway weir recently attached to the Lower Granite Lock and Dam on the Snake River was recently named the nation's best engineering achievement by the American Council of Engineering Companies.

Called an "engineering marvel," the weir designed by Jacobs Civil Inc. for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, was chosen best engineering achievement in a field that included such projects as the Seahawks Stadium, Boston's Downtown "Bunker Hill" Bridge and the Milwaukee Art Museum.

Salmon production from the Snake River in Washington state had declined to almost an endangered species level over the years, a direct result of the river's four hydroelectric dams. As an alternative to dam removal, Jacobs designed the removable weir -- a structure that was attached to the dam with hinges allowing the weir to be rotated and submerged, depending on water level need. With a 6,000 cubic foot per second water discharge rate, tests show significantly more juvenile salmon now pass through the dam than before.

Another 2003 ACEC Grand Award winner was Magnusson Klemencic Associates for the Seahawks Stadium. With seats closer to the playing field than any other National Football League stadium, the Seahawks Stadium features a cantilevered design with no columns to block the fans' view. The roof is decoupled from the seating bowl allowing independent movement during an earthquake.

Central Library art needed

The Seattle Public Library seeks artists whose work deals with social structures, people and systems to develop permanent art in a wide variety of media for the new Central Library, design by Rem Koolhaas. The artists will be invited to explore the library, its staff and clients, its functions and collections and to develop projects that address these topics. Proposals should embody the questioning and pursuit of ideas that characterize a library.

Through short residencies at the library in 2003, selected artists will develop designs for permanent works of art to be installed in the new library. The application deadline is Friday. Applications are available at www.seattle.gov/arts (select funding applications") or by calling (206) 615-1801.

Fajardo speaks on globalization

Rafael Fajardo, professor of electronic and digital media at the University of Denver, on Tuesday presents cross-cultural insights gained from six years studying design at the U.S.-Mexico border. Living on the border, he researched and participated in the local people's music, words and marks on spaces created to express their regional identity.

Fajardo has noted a growing movement internationally to establish distinct voices, visions and spaces that counter the homogenizing influences of corporate globalization. "What marks a place as global, local, American, Mexican?" he asks. "Along the U.S.-Mexico border, where the industrialized world meets the developing world face to face, there is an acute hunger to communicate a unique identity." Tickets are $10. The 6:30 p.m. lecture will be held at Seattle Art Museum.

Columbia Branch design on display

The new design for the Columbia Branch of Seattle Public Library is on display at the library 4721 Rainier Ave. S. Cardwell Architects designed the $3.2 million 5,595-square-foot expansion. The facility will also feature artwork by Gu Xiong, a mixed-media artist from Vancouver, B.C.

The library is in the Columbia City Landmark District and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The next steps are to complete landmark review and permitting processes before bidding the project. For more information, call (206) 386-4624. The project is expected to be complete next year.

One-stop shopping for glass art

A new catalog and Web site has simplified the search for architectural glass for design professionals. The gallery provides a single source of hand-crafted architectural and functional glass art, bridging the gap between fine art and the needs of designers and architects.

A Seattle-based venture, the Glass Artists Gallery (www.GlassArtistsGallery.com) represents more than 50 creators of functional and architectural art glass.

The gallery deals only with studio glass, focusing on functional art. It is trade-oriented and it does not handle mass produced glass. Customers can choose from stocked items or they can commission work through the gallery. Each artist represented by the gallery has been juried for admission, based in part on the artist's experience dealing with the architectural and design communities.

The catalog is divided into eight categories -- lighting, sinks, tiles, wall art, architectural glass, furniture, sculpture, vessels -- making it easy for design or architectural professionals to find the piece they need. It costs $49.95, and it is updated regularly to reflect the gallery's newest work, as well as to introduce new artists as they are accepted. The price of the catalog is refunded when a customer places a first order. Glass Artists Gallery is at 2010 Killarney Way S.E., Bellevue. Call (877) 320-0800, or e-mail Info@GlassArtistsGallery.com.

Oak Harbor hires Berryman & Henigar

Berryman & Henigar has been awarded an engineering services contract from the city of Oak Harbor. Berryman & Henigar will be providing a variety of engineering services, such as scoping sewer and stormwater plans and helping to explore establishing a Local Improvement District to provide municipal sewers to the Scenic Heights neighborhood.

Berryman is also conducting a comprehensive management audit of the city’s Engineering Services Department. The audit will analyze work procedures and identify ways to improve customer service. "It will be invaluable in fostering an understanding of how to measure our performance and, through this measurement, how to improve operations," said Steve Powers, director of Development Services for the city.

Berryman & Henigar provides municipal management consulting, civil engineering, public finance, building safety, asset management, and program and construction management to public agencies. Further information is available on the Web at www.bhiinc.com.

Design Detailings: LOT/EK presents at SAM Thursday

The New York-based architectural firm LOT/EK will give a lecture at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Seattle Art Museum, in Plestcheeff Auditorium. For nearly a decade, LOT/EK has blurred the boundaries between art, architecture, entertainment and information. The firm's incorporation of industrial salvaged items has influenced a number of firms, and their work has been featured in New York's Museum of Modern Art, Whitney and Museum of American Art. LOT/EK recently completed its largest project to date -- the Bowen Contemporary Art Foundation in New York -- and will be presenting an overview of the past eight years of work.

Tickets are $10 for SAM members, $12 non-members, and can purchased in advance at the SAM box office (206) 654-3121.

Lecture: search for a silver lining

The American Society for Engineering Management sponsors a presentation March 26 by John Medina on "Finding the Silver Lining: Turning Bad to Good." It will be held 5 to 7:30 p.m. at Rock Salt Steak House at Latitude 47, 1232 Westlake Ave. N.

This presentation will explain a philosophy and approach that Medina says will lead to greater successes and a more enjoyable life. Medina will discuss examples of situations that could have been damaging without responsive action. The objective is to encourage a way of thinking that will turn bad into good.

Medina is district director of LDC Design Group in Bellevue, providing civil, transportation and project management services to public agencies, and site engineering for private development. He is a registered professional civil engineer in California and Washington. Cost, including dinner, is $25, with reservations by Friday. After Friday the cost is $30 for members and non-members. Call (206) 695-6670, or e-mail lkd@ shanwil.com.

McCament joins state architects board

J.J. McCament of Tacoma has been appointed by Gov. Gary Locke to the Washington Board of Registration for Architects. McCament was appointed to fill the public position. The position cannot be filled by an architect or a person with a professional connection to an architect or firm. She is currently a project manager in the economic development department of Tacoma. McCament has 25 years of management, real estate development, land use, economic development and teaching experience.

AIA re-alignment means new directors

Clark

The American Institute of Architects has appointed six managing directors to serve the recently realigned departments of the AIA operation. The realignment calls for the AIA national component staff to be organized into three teams: Knowledge, Communications and Relationships.

The six managing directors are Phil Simon, marketing and promotion; Terence Poltrack, communications; Rodney Clark, government affairs; James Gaines, professional practice; CD Pangallo, continuing education; Richard L. Hayes, knowledge resources.

"Members have strongly expressed the need to work together to generate knowledge and information that is comprehensive, relevant, concise and easily accessible," said Norman L. Koonce, executive vice president and chief executive officer of the AIA. "We also need to be effective advocates for and communicators about our profession, leveraging our knowledge wherever possible. Finally, we must maintain strong relationships throughout the design and construction industry and society at large.

AIA represents more than 70,000 licensed architects and allied professionals.

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.