Design Detailings: Christopherson is Engineer of the Year

The 2004 Engineer of the Year is Alan B. Christopherson, nominated by the Alaska Society of Professional Engineers. He was recognized at the Engineers Week Awards Banquet in the Anchorage Museum, which concluded National Engineers Week.

Christopherson has worked in Alaska and Russia, and is senior vice president of Anchorage-based PND Inc. Consulting Engineers. He has 28 years' experience on marine, port and land structures of steel, concrete and timber.

Glenn Murcutt speaks at UW

University of Washington's College of Architecture and Urban Planning will host a lecture by Glenn Murcutt, an architect based in Australia who was a Pritzker Prize laureate winner in 2002. The lecture will be held April 12 at 7 p.m. in Kane Hall, University of Washington. Tickets are $12 and available at Peter Miller Books, cash or check only. Peter Miller Books is located at 1930 First Ave. For tickets call (206) 441-4114.

Bel Air at Edmonds completed

Photo courtesy of Weber + Thompson The Bel Air at Edmonds features 18 units and a Pilates studio.

The mixed-use apartment complex Bel Air at Edmonds has just been completed. Designed by Weber + Thompson, the Bel Air has 4,500-square-feet of street-level space. It also has 18 units ranging from 900 square feet to 1,300 square feet, and one level of sub-grade parking. The developer and general contractor was Edmonds 2000, and insurance and bonding was provided by Lovsted-Worthington.

The commercial part of the complex is leased to specialty tenants. Businesses include a Pilates studio, a skin therapy salon and SpeeWest Construction.

Landmarks commission needs members

Pierce County Landmarks Commission seeks four new members. The nine-member commission represents Pierce County and makes recommendations on historic preservation. Anyone living in Pierce County who is a practicing professional in history, architecture or archaeology, or who has knowledge and interest in community history is encouraged to apply. Monthly meetings are held in the Pierce County Public Services Building.

Terms for the unpaid positions are three years. Application deadline is April 23. For more information, contact Airyang Julia Park, historic preservation program coordinator at (253) 798-2783 or Department of Planning and Land Services, 2401 S. 35th St.

Italian design group hosts event

Seattle-based Northwest Institute for Architecture & Urban Studies in Italy will offer new fellowship and residency programs. Fellows and residents from 2003 and 2004 will host a small auction, talk about new programs and unveil an installation by Iole Alessandrini and Ed Mannery on April 2. The event will be held at Current, 629 Western Ave. in Seattle and starts at 6 p.m.

For more than 20 years, NIAUSI has provided Northwest design professionals with the opportunity to study and pursue research in Italy. For more information, visit www.northwestinstitute.com.

Design Detailings: Coffman working in Dubai

Coffman Engineers will work on the structural, mechanical and electrical engineering design for a building and renovation project for the American Hospital in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Much of the production and design work will take place in Spokane and Seattle, though the project manager will be based in Los Angeles.

Coffman will work with the Chicago office of Perkins & Will on a 180,000-square-foot medical office building and the remodeling of a 20,000-square-foot clinic.

The company has proposed other work in the Middle East and is also working on a project for Kaiser Aluminum in Jamaica.

Coffman offers structural, mechanical, electrical, and construction management services, with offices in Seattle, Spokane, Los Angeles and Anchorage.

Applebee's for Lakewood Towne Center

Construction is underway in Lakewood on a 5,000-square-foot Applebee's Neighborhood Grill and Bar. It will be located between new retail buildings along Gravelly Lake Drive. Commercial real estate developer MBK Northwest is converting Lakewood Mall into Lakewood Towne Center.

Apple Washington is the building owner and the design team is lead by Freiheit and Ho Architects. The general contractor is Concepts Solutions.

Other design consultants include Advanced Structural Concepts, structural; AER Engineers, mechanical, electrical and plumbing; and Design 2426, landscape. Ground breaking was in February and opening is set for May.

Central library tours start soon

The Seattle Public Library and the Seattle Architectural Foundation are partnering to provide architectural tours of the Central Library. Guides will offer tours of the glass and steel building, which was designed by OMA/LMN Architects.

Tours will begin soon after the library opens on May 23. Anyone interested in participating in the program should contact Seattle Architectural Foundation at info@seattlearchtectural.org or (206) 667-9184 before April 2.

Design Detailings: The art of napkin sketching

Artist James R. Williamson will give a talk on "Napkin Sketching," the creative process of illustrating ideas quickly and clearly.

The talk is sponsored by the Seattle chapter of the American Institute of Architects and takes place at Allen Elliott's Barn, 12636 Chillberg Road, LaConner, on March 11, 6 p.m. Free to members, $10 non-members. Contact (360) 671-9555 or director@nwaia.org to reserve space.

Allied Arts meeting Friday

The Allied Arts Beer and Culture Discussion Friday night will focus on how well city plans can work as urban areas continue to develop. Architects and planners will be guests at the 7 p.m. open meeting at 80 Vine St.

Guests will include David Spiker, architect and chair of the Seattle Design Commission; Diane Sugimura, director, Department of Planning and Development; and Marty Curry, executive director, Seattle Planning Commission. Donations are suggested. Contact (206) 624-0432 or aarts@speakeasy.net.

Lighting talk by David DiLaura

David DiLaura, a professor in the College of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering at the University of Colorado in Boulder, will make a presentation on lighting March 18 at 6 p.m. at the World Trade Center executive dining room at 2200 Alaskan Way, fourth floor.

The Puget Sound Section of the Illuminating Engineering Society is hosting the event. Cost is $40 for society members, $45 for non-members. Reserve a spot by March 15 to Andrew Pultorak of Seattle Lighting at andrew@seattlelighting.com.

Mahlum designs green med center

Photo courtesy of Mahlum Architects

The $41.7 million Providence Newberg Medical Center in Newberg, Ore., is to be built to U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design sustainable building guidelines. The 186,000-square-foot complex will have a 39-bed hospital, medical office building and conference center.

Mechanical systems using 100 percent outside air will meet both LEED guidelines and hospital requirements for infection control.

Construction is set to begin this summer, with completion targeted for December 2005. Skanska Building USA is the general contractor. WGS Interiors of Portland and Mahlum is consulting on interior design.

Renovation begins on lighting lab

Renovation is underway at the 9,000-square-foot Seattle Lighting Design Lab at 400 E. Pine St. The 1917 building needed structural refitting.

The lab promotes quality design and energy-efficient technologies, so it's being renovated according to sustainable building methods. Architects are Mithun Architects+Designers+Planners and the contractor is Bellevue-based Rafn. Costs have not been determined.

Galloping Gertie Web site

The Washington State Department of Transportation recently launched a Web site on crossings of the Narrows and the history of Galloping Gertie, the Tacoma Narrows bridge that collapsed in 1940. Visit http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/TNBhistory.

DKA relocates in Belltown

DKA recently moved its Seattle architectural offices to Belltown. DKA designed its 7,200-square-foot space within a 1920 brick and timber structure at 106 Lenora St. DKA's former address was 2107 Elliott Ave. The phone is (206) 443-9939, and Web site is www.dkarch.com.

Parametrix among Best Companies

Parametrix ranked second in the large companies category on a survey of Oregon's 100 best companies to work for. Oregon Business Magazine ranked companies according to employee recruitment, work environment, career development and employee benefits.

Parametrix is a planning, environmental sciences and architecture company with 500 employees in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Colorado and New Mexico.

Design Detailings: Kundig named AIA Fellow

Tom Kundig

Tom Kundig of Olson Sundberg Kundig Allen Architects was given the title of American Institute of Architects Fellow this week. His firm earlier this year won two 2004 AIA Honor Awards, for Chicken Point Cabin in Hayden Lake, Idaho, and The Brain, a glass and concrete box in Seattle that serves as a filmmaker's laboratory.

Kundig's projects range from residences to large-scale work, such as the 200,000-square-foot campus for the Mission Hill Family Estate Winery in British Columbia and the recently completed Seattle Art Museum Rental Gallery. Current work includes a new facility for the Pratt Fine Arts Center in Seattle, which is entering schematic design, a retreat center and a number of residences in the U.S. and in Canada.

NW firms vie for Vietnam project

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund announced Tuesday that two Northwest design firms have been shortlisted for the Education Center at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.

Portland's Allied Works Architecture and Seattle landscape architecture firm Gustafson Guthrie Nichol Ltd. are among nine teams that include Michael Graves & Associates, Polshek Partnership Architects and Ann Beha Architects. Thirty-nine teams submitted entries for the $25 million project.

On Thursday, representatives from the teams will visit the Vietnam Memorial, and on March 26 each team will participate in a one-hour team interview conducted by a jury of community leaders and design experts. On that day, the jury will select teams to participate in the competition's final phase this summer.

The Education Center will feature photographs of those who were killed or remain missing, some of the more than 60,000 items that have been left at the Vietnam Memorial wall and other displays that will be developed over the next year.

NW Design Expo March 18-19

Seattle Design Center hosts the annual Northwest Design Expo on March 18 and 19. This year's theme explores how high fashion influences interior design.

The expo will provide opportunities for design professionals to view new colors, textures and products. Presentations from designers, showroom demonstrations and seminars are also on the program. Presenters include New York designers Greg Jordan and Jeffrey Billhuber. The event is free for design professionals, but registration is required. For information, visit seattledesigncenter.com or call (800) 497-7997.

Naval architect leads studies

Art Anderson Associates' chief naval architect Andrew K. Bennett is a team leader providing water transportation expertise on studies being conducted in Southeast Alaska, Vancouver and Marina Del Rey. These studies look at alternate modes of transportation and ways to improve residents' access to work, services and recreational activities.

Art Anderson is working with the prime contractor, Walsh Planning and Development, to prepare the marine portion of the updated Southeast Alaska Transportation Plan.

For the Vancouver Harbour Passenger Ferry Study, Art Anderson is teamed with Transportation Management & Design of San Diego, to determine the feasibility of expanded passenger ferry service from communities west, north, and east of Vancouver. Art Anderson Associates teamed with Transportation Management & Design for the Marina CoastLink Evaluation in Marina Del Rey.

Forum on Columbia City landmarks

The Seattle City Council and the Seattle Landmarks Preservation Board designated the Columbia City Historic District 25 years ago. But a revised landmark nomination may help property owners qualify for Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credits and federal incentives, which encourage preservation and re-use of historic buildings.

A public presentation on the issue will be held at 3 p.m. March 12, at the Sound Transit Community Link Office, 4900 Rainier Ave. S, Suite 102. For more information, contact Holly Taylor at holly@pastforwardnw.com or (206) 463-3168.

St. Martin's awards MCE scholarships

St. Martin's College Engineering Advisory Committee awarded MCE scholarships to master's program students Royanna Solis-Garcia and Ryan Cuoio.

Solis-Garcia earned a bachelor of science in civil engineering from Texas A & M University. Cuoio earned a B.S. in manufacturing engineering from Western Washington University.

Chambers Creek plan wins award

The American Planning Association awarded Pierce County's Chambers Creek Properties master site plan a 2004 Current Topic Award for Parks and Public Land. The county plans to turn a working gravel mine with a wastewater treatment plant and urban canyon into a public recreation area. It calls for native plant restoration and sustainable development practices,

Chambers Creek Properties is a 935-acre site with a 150-year history of logging and mining. Planned development includes 10 miles of trails, beach access, two public piers, a boat launch, ball fields, a golf course, arboretum, production nursery and open space.

The golf course and nursery are in development phases, and additional trails will be added in the next two years.

Two Portland firms merge

The Portland architecture firms Clark/Kjos Architects and Mills, John & Rigdon recently merged. The firms had been running their practices in the same building and serving the health care design and consulting market.

Clark/Kjos Architects is a 19-year-old architecture, interior design and planning firm that serves health care clients throughout the Northwest.

This year is Mills, John & Rigdon's 81st anniversary. In the 1950s the firm focused on churches and schools, but in the 1980s made a shift to health care.

Plans call for growing into a 40- to 50-person firm over the next five years. The address is 333 N.W. Fifth Ave., Portland 97209, and phone is (503) 224-4848.

Sparling opens office for Portland market

Seattle-based Sparling, an electrical engineering and technology consulting firm, has opened an office in downtown Portland. The new office, located in the 3400 U.S. Bancorp Tower, was established to help Sparling continue serving local clients and to generate new business in Oregon.

Sparling vice president and COO Eric Overton said Kimberly Krull, a Sparling Associate, has been appointed general manager at the Portland office. Joining Krull in Portland is senior project manager Mark Engdall and Michael White, who will serve as Sparling's senior project engineer. This team will help Sparling in Portland in the areas of health care, higher education, biotech/research and arts and culture.

Sparling's most recent local projects include: Sacred Heart Medical Center's Riverbend Campus in Springfield, the largest health care facility in Oregon; Edith Green/Wendall Wyatt Federal Building, a $35 million modernization project in Portland; and Clackamas Community College's new arts building.

Design Detailings: UW 'box' presents eyes on the world

University of Washington graduate student Paula Patterson designed a 10-by-16-foot box, on display in front of Gould Hall on the UW campus. Constructed of wood-framed panels and plywood, the box has one wall that is an array of 48 camera obscuras -- fashioned to project images through a pinhole. The cameras are cast from plaster and suspended on a steel armature. One large window has a two-by-two-foot lens that projects the contents of a room onto a white curtain. "The inversion of inside and outside blurs the boundary of this room as well as the distinction between the object and the idea," said Patterson. The box will be at the site through Sunday.

Rice Fergus leads Cedar Sinai planning

Bremerton's Rice Fergus Miller Architecture and Planning, with BOORA Architects of Portland, are assisting Cedar Sinai Park with programming and master planning services. Cedar Sinai Park is a not-for-profit provider of independent-living, assisted-living, skilled nursing and dementia care for the frail and infirmed.

The Portland project consists of developing a master plan to provide a continuum of senior care on a 27-acre campus. In addition to replacing the current 124-bed nursing home, the effort will address the need for affordable and market-rate senior, and special needs housing on the campus.

Architecture head for UO

Christine Theodoropoulos has been appointed head of University of Oregon's Department of Architecture in Eugene. She has been a faculty member since 1997, and prior to that was on the architecture faculty at California State Polytechnic University, Ponoma. Her recent projects include a chapter on building codes for the book, "Designing for Earthquakes."

Kiewit Center expands at OSU

Oregon State University's Kiewit Center for Infrastructure and Transportation, led by interim director Jim Lundy, is well known for its 730,000-gallon tank capable of simulating the earthquake-triggered tidal waves.

But the center is building a name in the research world beyond earthquake engineering. The center also studies natural disaster mitigation, transportation systems and infrastructure. One area of focus will be transportation access for the disabled. In addition to its tsunami tank, the center has 26-foot-long concrete bridge girders to study the effects of truck traffic.

The center recently received a $5 million grant from the Department of Education to establish the National Center for Accessible Transportation -- to create safe travel for the disabled.

Kiewit Center will also research marine transportation systems through its proposed Center for Port Operations, Risk and Technology. CPORT will serve ports around the U.S., and will be the only one of its kind in the country.

Pierce County position open

The Pierce County Planning Commission is accepting applications for one of the seven positions. Members make recommendations to the council on planning-related matters.

The open position represents District 2, and applicants must reside within that district. Applications are available at the Executive's Office at 930 Tacoma Ave. S., Room 737, or from the Department of Planning and Land Services, 2401 S. 35th St.

Applications should be returned to the Pierce County Executive's Office, 930 Tacoma Ave. S., Room 737, Tacoma, WA 98402, by March 5. The position's term is four years. For information contact Toni Fairbanks, clerk of the Planning Commission, at (253) 798-7156.

Design Detailings: GreenWorld April 1 and 2

The second annual "GreenWorld -- What Makes it Green?" will be held at Fisher Pavilion April 1 and 2.

Experts in the field of sustainable design will speak at the event, focusing on environmental sustainability. Presented by the International Interior Design Association Washington State Chapter and the American Institute of Architects, the event will offer a glimpse into new technologies, practices and products, and a look at recent sustainable design projects in the region.

David Suzuki, an award-winning Canadian scientist, environmentalist and broadcaster, will speak. Earth Day founder and president of the Bullitt Foundation, Denis Hayes, is the featured luncheon speaker.

For registration and additional information, visit www.aiaseattle.org or www.iida.wa.org or call (206) 448-4938.

Feb. 24 talk on steel studs

From noon to 2 p.m. Feb. 24, AIA Seattle/NWBEC hosts an informal lunch with Stephane Hoffman from Morrison Hershfield. She will discuss steel stud construction and address some of the problems these systems have when exposed to uncontrolled water entry.

The discussion will focus on the wall assemblies used on high-rise and other non-combustible buildings. The types of assemblies proving to be at-most risk are metal-stud-framed wall assemblies with gypsum sheathing. Major repairs have been required on numerous buildings in the region with steel-stud-framed walls under a variety of claddings.

The discussion will be at AIA Seattle, 1911 First Ave. Cost is $20 for members, $40 for non-members. For information, call (206) 448-4938.

Design Detailings: 21st century home design competition

The American Institute of Architects Committee on Design sponsors "The New Home on the Range: A Housing Ideas Competition." The competition challenges architects and architecture students to design the 21st century seminal single-family house. Entrants are encouraged to explore the impact of their proposals relative to economic and social issues associated with housing, and the principles of sustainable design.

The program is for a 2,400-square-foot, two-car garage, three-bedroom, two-bathroom home. The garage is not part of the square footage. The site is in the western Great Plains northeast of Denver, amid residential developments currently being proposed adjacent to Denver International Airport. For purposes of determining solar conditions and annual climate profile, competitors should use that of Denver International Airport.

First prize is $3,000, second is $1,500 and third is $500. The winning entries will be displayed at the AIA 2004 National Convention and Design Exposition in Chicago. Selected entries will be displayed on the AIA Web site. The winning designs may be published, at a later date.

The competition is open to all registered and non-registered architects and architecture students, and allied design professionals. Entries should be addressed to the Committee on Design Ideas Competition 2004, AIA Professional Practice, 1735 New York Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20006. The deadline is April 23.

SW Washington AIA annual meeting Feb. 18

The Southwest Washington Chapter of the American Institute of Architects will hold its annual meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 18, at the University of Washington Tacoma's Mattress Factory building, 1953 C St.

The program will feature presentations by McGranahan Architects, Miller/Hull Architects and BOLA Architects on the recently completed renovations of the Mattress Factory and Cherry Parkes buildings, both of which are on the historic building register.

The evening will begin with a social hour at 5:30 p.m. followed by a catered dinner at 6:30. The cost of the event is $35 for AIA members and $40 for non-members. Registration is requested by Friday, by phoning (253) 627-4006 or e-mail to aia@aiasww.org.

Cooper Union dean reflects on WTC

Anthony Vidler, dean of The Cooper Union School of Architecture, will give a lecture Friday, Feb. 27, titled "Reflections on Architecture and the Public Realm: The World Trade Center 1964-2004." The lecture will be at 7 p.m. at the Kane 110 building at the University of Washington.

Vidler is a specialist in the history, theory and criticism of contemporary architecture and urbanism. He has published several works, including, most recently, "Warped Space: Architecture and Anxiety in Modern Culture in 2002." For information, go to www.depts.washington.edu.

Veterans memorial center seeks designer

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial is seeking statements of interest and qualifications from design teams interested in designing an underground education center at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

The initial review process requires the lead designer organize a team of professionals and submit the team's qualifications for review. The team must include architects, exhibition designers, landscape architects and engineers. Other consultants may be added at the discretion of the team leader.

All submissions must be postmarked by Friday, Feb. 20. A $100 entry fee must accompany the initial submission, and only professional teams will be considered. Send to Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, Inc., Attn: Design Competition, 1023 15th St., N.W., Suite 200, Washington, D.C. 20005. For more information, go to www.vvmf.org.

Architectural Elevator opens office in Reno

Architectural Elevator Consulting, an elevator consulting firm that provides counsel, efficiency programs and design solutions for elevator and vertical transportation projects, has opened a branch office in Reno, Nev.

Headquartered in Seattle, the four-year-old consulting business will enhance its elevator project management and design offerings for architects, engineers and building owners in Nevada and Northern California, with local expertise and certified inspectors who know the codes in these states.

Ed Bies, a local elevator professional with more than two decades of elevator and escalator repair, maintenance and sales experience, will lead the Nevada/Northern California region for AEC.

AEC delivers new construction, modernization and efficiency programs including inspection services, quality assurance audits, bid management, in-house CAD drawings for new and existing elevator and escalator systems. It serves developers, building owners, architects, government officials and property managers in Seattle, San Francisco, Portland, Boise, Spokane and throughout the West Coast.

Some firms bucking open office trend

With the goal of increasing worker productivity, a Seattle company is using what it has learned about office systems in the computer industry to make office cubicle systems that create more private space for employees, bucking the open office space trend.

"Essentially you are seeing big manufacturers reversing themselves away from the open office system," said Scott Campbell, founder of Springbrain, a local furniture manufacturer. "Big furniture companies like Knoll and Herman-Miller are even publishing research showing open office systems reduce productivity. We certainly agree. Open spaces are noisier and more stressful. Our systems are designed to create open-feeling spaces with more privacy that look high-end and function like mini-offices."

The open-office movement was based on research that found that proximity between sales, development, management and accounting staff creates a dynamic environment and fosters easier, more frequent communication. Campbell said workers can have private spaces that still have easy access to co-workers.

For more information, go to www.springbrain.com.

New BallardWorks offers artist space

Art and Architecture designed the remodel of BallardWorks.

BallardWorks' artists-partners, Dionne Haroutunian, Jay Lazerwitz, Joan Stuart Ross and John Gleason announce the opening of BallardWorks at 2856 N.W. Market St. An open house will be held 6 to 10 p.m. Friday.

BallardWorks provides artist work spaces, with 19 studios, exhibition spaces on two floors and two commercial storefronts. Architect and BallardWorks' partner Jay Lazerwitz, through his firm Art and Architecture, led the five-month remodel of the 14,000-square-foot building.

Lazerwitz focused on creating a space that would promote art and enhance community. The building has wide corridors, separate areas for exhibits and a lounge. Each studio is wired with CAT5, enabling DSL access, intercom access and multiple phone lines. Remodeling included increasing ceiling heights by removing former roof joists, seismic upgrades, and new electrical, plumbing and mechanical services.

Design Detailings: Austrian architect speaks Feb. 16

Photo courtesy of Baumschlager-Eberle Baumschlager-Eberle, which designed this home in Liechtenstein, is known for minimalist single-family home designs. Dietmar Eberle, a principal in the firm, will speak Feb. 16 at SAM.

Tickets are available for the Feb. 16 lecture by Dietmar Eberle of Baumschlager & Eberle -- an Austrian firm, which has won over 35 national and international competitions.

Carlo Baumschlager and Dietmar Eberle have based their practice in the western Austrian province of Voralberg since the early 1980s. Their work is characterized as disciplined formal intensity, like minimalist art. They are best known for their housing projects, but recently they won a series of competitions for larger works, including an extension to the Vienna Airport, a 1,000-bed hospital in Belgium, the E-Science Lab on the ETH Zurich campus, the new headquarters for the WHO/UNAIDS organization in Geneva, and a large mixed-use project in Beijing. Since 1984, they have finished more than 150 projects.

There will be a book signing the day of the lecture, at 4:30 p.m. at Peter Miller Books, 1930 First Ave. The lecture will be at Seattle Art Museum at 6:30 p.m. Advance tickets are $10, available at Peter Miller Books. Remaining tickets will be sold for $15 at the door. For more information go to www.space-city.net, or call (206) 842-2283. The event is sponsored by Space.City.

ESM expands to Cle Elum

ESM Consulting Engineers has opened a third location in Cle Elum. Ray Miller serves as general manager and Anne Phillips is the office administrator.

Since 1986, ESM has provided civil engineering, survey, project management, land use planning, landscape architecture and GIS services. Experience includes master-planned communities, mixed-use, residential, commercial, educational, health care and transportation.

The address is 516 E. First Street, Cle Elum, WA 98011. Phone is (509) 674-1905, fax is (509) 674-1906. ESM also has offices in Federal Way and Bothel. The Web site is esmcivil.com.

Member needed for art committee

The Cultural Development Authority of King County's Public Art Advisory Committee is seeking a new member. The volunteer position involves a three-hour meeting once every two months, and committee meetings up to once a month.

Responsibilities include reviewing staff recommendations on project budgets and scope, selection panels for public art projects and updates on current projects. The committee also reviews design, meeting with the artist and principals during course of a project.

The committee would be strengthened by the following skills: materials fabrication, engineering, landscape architecture, past project experience in public art and practical management skills.

Send a letter of interest and resume by Feb. 15 to the Cultural Development Authority of King County, Heather Dwyer, Public Art Program, 506 Second Ave., Suite 200, Seattle 98104. Or e-mail materials to publicart@culturaldevelopment.org. The Web site is www.culturaldevelopment.org.

SEAW hosts trade show

The 8th Annual Structural Engineers Association of Washington Southwest Chapter Tradeshow is 3 to 8 p.m. Feb. 11 at the Fife Best Western Hotel and Convention Center. The event is open to SEAW and AIA members, as well as other design or technical professionals. It will feature presentations, vendor display areas and complimentary buffet and beverages. Forty-five vendors are registered for the trade show.

The show introduces architectural and engineering products, and several vendor seminars will be presented to discuss construction and engineering practices. Cost is $10. To register, e-mail seawswchapter@comcast.net or leave a message at (253) 565-0769. The SEAW Web site is http://home.att.net/~seawtradeshow/index.htm. The Best Western Fife Hotel and Conference Center is at 5700 Pacific Highway E., Fife.

AIA honors Rural Studio founder

The Board of Directors of The American Institute of Architects selected Samuel Mockbee, 1944-2001, to posthumously receive the 2004 AIA Gold Medal. Mockbee may be best known for founding the Auburn University Rural Studio -- conceived as an opportunity to raise the spirits of the rural poor through the creation of homes and community centers.

The medal is the highest honor the AIA confers to an individual and recognizes an individual whose significant body of work has had a lasting influence on the theory and practice of architecture.

Mockbee, or "Sambo" as he preferred to be addressed, is the 60th AIA Gold Medalist, joining the ranks of such visionaries as Thomas Jefferson, Frank Lloyd Wright, LeCorbusier, Louis Kahn, I.M. Pei, Cesar Pelli and 2002 AIA Gold Medal recipient Japanese architect Tadao Ando.

Mockbee worked in architectural practice for many years prior to founding the Rural Studio. In 1977, he founded Mockbee Goodman Architects with friend and classmate Thomas Goodman. The firm built a regional reputation for using local materials, winning more than 25 state and regional awards in four years. In the mid-90s, Mockbee observed and investigated the social, economic, and cultural inconsistencies that he saw permeating the South. Out of these observations grew a mission and a plan for the Auburn University Rural Studio.

Architecture students enrolled in the Rural Studio live in and become a part of the community in which they are working. This context-based learning format teaches them critical architecture skills with an eye towards social responsibility.

To his students, Mockbee presented architecture as a principle that must be committed to environmental, social, political and aesthetic issues. Mockbee died in December 2001 of complications from leukemia.

Design Detailings: Patano+Hafermann in Lower Queen Anne

Patano

Hafermann

Adams

Patano+Hafermann Architects, a three-person firm, recently opened in Lower Queen Anne. Christopher Patano and Laura Hafermann have been collaborating on projects throughout the Pacific Northwest, most recently as the Seattle office of Patano Architects. They were previously at the Miller/Hull Partnership for four years. Mark Adams came from Architecture R-B-F.

Patano+Hafermann Architects specializes in industrial, educational, institutional and residential work. The firm is working on a new middle school in Idaho with Miller/Hull, a houseboat on Lake Union, a factory in Moses Lake and a renovation at Washington State University. Their number is (206) 283-1530, and fax is (206) 283-1991. The address is 415 W. Mercer St., Suite 101, Seattle 98106. The Web site is http://www.studioph.com.

City of Wenatchee seeks entrance art

The city of Wenatchee Arts Commission is seeking an artist or team of artists, architects or landscaping architects to create two art features for the north and south entrances to the city. The features will be different sizes, designed to fit site specific areas, but must have similar features such as the art element, landscaping and welcoming or greeting words.

The preliminary budget begins at $25,000 but may be increased with design, fabrication, installation and shipping/transportation charges. Travel expenses must be factored into design work and final costs.

Artist selection will be based on the strength and quality of past work as demonstrated by letters of interest, slides and resumes.

For details on how to apply or to get more information on the project, go to the city of Wenatchee Web site at www.cityofwenatchee.com. For questions regarding the project contact the Arts Commission office at (509) 664-3343. The deadline for submission of materials is 4 p.m., Friday, March 26.

Lectures Saturday on pattern book design

On Saturday, Historic Seattle presents two lectures on pattern book architecture, and how it contributed to the shaping of residential neighborhoods nationally, regionally and locally during the late 19th century and the boom years of the early 20th century.

The first lecture, "Building an American Identity," looks at the historical importance of pattern book houses in the ongoing tug of war between gilded-age and middle-class values. It tells a history of business innovation, style debates and some curious house designs, from the early 1870s to the first Sears houses. Lecturer Linda Smeins teaches in the Department of Art at Western Washington University and serves as interim dean of the College of Fine and Performing Arts.

The second lecture, "By the Book and in Our Backyard," examines several architectural examples of pattern book houses and their specific design sources in order to illustrate popular influence and widespread use by local builders and homeowners that shaped Seattle neighborhoods and had impacts on towns and cities in King County. Lecturers Dennis Anderson and Kate Krafft collaborated to prepare the essay "Pattern Books, Plan Books, Periodicals" for Shaping Seattle Architecture.

The lectures will be 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., at the McEachern Auditorium, Museum of History and Industry, 2700 24th Ave. Cost is $25. For information, contact Historic Seattle at (206) 622-6952, or go to www.historicseattle.org.

Berkeley eco designers speak tonight at UW

David Arkin, of the Berkeley firm Arkin Tilt Ecological Planning and Design, will speak at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at the University of Washington Architecture Hall 147.

Arkin Tilt Architects is an award-winning firm specializing in energy and resource efficient design. Their projects employ design and ecology, paying particular attention to the integration of the built and natural environments.

The firm has extensive experience with alternative construction systems, including straw-bale and rammed earth, renewable energy systems, graywater and non-toxic and recycled materials. Projects include residential and commercial, park buildings, religious facilities and eco-resort planning and design. The Web site is www.arkintilt.com.

Home/garden show runs until Sunday

The 2004 Tacoma Home and Garden Show runs today through Sunday at the Tacoma Dome. The show is billed as Washington's largest combined home and garden event, showcasing 700 exhibitors featuring products and services -- ranging from interior design and home improvement to ideas for the yard and garden. Local experts will also be holding continuous seminars on yard, garden and landscaping topics.

Admission is $9. Show hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. today and Thursday; 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday; and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. For more information call (253) 756.2121 or go to www.tacomahomeandgardenshow.com.

Design Detailings: 'Diversity by Design' seminar Thursday

The Association for Women in Architecture, MulvannyG2 Architecture and the AIA Diversity Roundtable continue their series of seminars with "Diversity by Design," 3:30 to 6 p.m. Thursday.

Karen Braitmayer, a principal at Studio Pacifica; Janey Gregory, a senior designer at MulvannyG2; and Sharon Sutton, a professor with Center for Environment, Education and Design Studies at the University of Washington, will discuss diversity in architecture. The goal of the series is to discuss the advances women are making in architecture.

Cost is $25. The event will be held at MulvannyG2, 1100 112th Ave. N.E., Suite 500, Bellevue. For information, call (425) 463-2000, or RSVP at advance@mulvannyg2.com.

Military engineers host design awards Friday

The American Military Engineers will host the Design Excellence Awards 6 to 10 p.m. Friday at the Washington Athletic Club, 1325 Sixth Ave. Pat Cashman will be the master of ceremonies.

Cost is $65, and includes dinner. For information, call (206) 438-2307.

Olson, Kundig discuss architecture's role in art

Photo courtesy Olson Sundberg Kundig Allen Architects Olson Sundberg Kundig Allen Architects designed the new Seattle Art Museum Rental/Sales Gallery.

Seattle-based architects Jim Olson and Tom Kundig of Olson Sundberg Kundig Allen Architects recently participated in Art Basel Conversations, a panel discussion in Miami Beach. The panel, titled "Art Loves Architecture -- Architecture for Art: Collecting, Conserving and Exhibiting," focused on the importance of the relationship between architecture and art.

The premise was architecture's role in the experience of art, whether it be in public or private exhibition spaces, or working directly with artists in the visualization and installation of their work.

Panelists focused on four topics: how to live, work and show in one space; the fact that art can no longer be limited to a private space; time-based art and temporary exhibitions; and branding through architecture. Panelists included Barbara Bloemink, curatorial director of the Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum, New York; and Glenn Lowry, director of New York's Museum of Modern Art.

Olson Sundberg Kundig Allen recently designed Seattle Art Museum's Rental/Sales Gallery, at 1220 Third Ave. The space was increased by 400 square feet to 2,600 square feet, and has 16-foot high ceilings. The current exhibit is "Pratt Fine Arts Center: 2-D Instructors Juried Exhibition," and includes painting, printmaking, drawing and other 2-D media. Hours are 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, closed Sundays. Admission is free. For more information, go to www.seattleartmuseum.org.

Lecture tonight on Tacoma light rail art

"Art Along Tacoma Link Light Rail" will be the topic of a meeting from 6 to 8 p.m. tonight at the Washington State History Museum, 1911 Pacific Ave., Tacoma.

Sponsored by AIA Southwest Washington, the evening features award-winning artist Fernanda D'Agostino of Portland, and architect David Clinkston of Otak, Inc.

As lead artist for Tacoma Link, D'Agostino was responsible for determining where and what kind of art was appropriate; selecting and mentoring other artists; working with the community, designers, contractors; and creating artwork for the Theater District Station, Convention Center Station and Union Station.

Clinkston acted as project manager for all five stations, serving as client liaison for the architectural firms, consultants and artists. His role included coordinating the design elements of individual stations.

Following the lecture, participants will hop on board the Tacoma Link for a first-hand view of selected works. More information is available www.aiasww.org/docs/Events.asp, or (253) 627-4006.

Design Detailings: LMN: master plan for Mukilteo site

The Port of Everett recently announced the selection of LMN Architects to lead master planning for a 22-acre waterfront property in Mukilteo, known as the Mukilteo Tank Farm site.

The site is situated between the proposed improvements for Mukilteo's Lighthouse Park to the southwest and the Boeing Rail-Barge Pier to the northeast. Because the Port of Everett project is within city limits of Mukilteo and Everett, the LMN team will work with both cities. It will also work with Washington State Ferries and Sound Transit on a transportation facility with a new ferry terminal, commuter rail station and other regional transit components. The planning effort also could include retail/commercial, residential, marine recreation and parking.

LMN Architects will work with Sedway Real Estate Group, market analysis/financial feasibility; Mirai Associates, transportation planning; KPFF Consulting Engineers, civil engineering; Huckell/Weinman Associates, environmental and federal/state regulations; Geiger Engineers, marine design; MacLeod Reckord landscape architect; and Sound Parking, parking consultant.

AIA economist sees construction gaining

The American Institute of Architects recently released its semi-annual economic report, indicating an uptrend in commercial/industrial construction sectors.

The report says non-residential construction activity is expected to increase almost 3 percent in 2004, with gains expected in most of the major construction sectors. Industrial construction activity will increase 11.3 percent. The report also predicts essentially flat levels of spending in the institutional category.

The AIA Consensus Construction Forecast, from AIA chief economist Kermit Baker, is available online at www.aia.org.

Olympic Associates wins Corps projects

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Honolulu District, has selected Olympic Associates Co. for a $2.2 million, indefinite-delivery architecture/engineering services contract for miscellaneous projects in the Pacific region.

Services under the contract will include value engineering studies of project features and design, function analysis and workshops applying value methodology.

Based in Seattle, Olympic Associates is a multi-discipline architecture, engineering and project management firm providing services in the building industry since 1955.