Design Detailings: AIA Seattle's 110th birthday

AIA Seattle holds its 110th birthday party from 4 to 6:30 p.m. Aug. 5 at The Henry Art Gallery on the University of Washington campus in Seattle. All AIA Seattle members are welcome and can visit the gallery's exhibit, "Santiago Calatrava: The Architect's Studio." To RSVP, call (206) 448-4938, e-mail aia@aiaseattle.org or visit http://www.aiaseattle.org.

Swenson Say Faget opens in Tacoma

Structural engineering company Swenson Say Faget opened a Tacoma office earlier this month at 932 Broadway. Phone (253) 284-9470. Fax (253) 284-9471. The firm also has an office in Seattle, at 2124 Third Ave. The Seattle phone number is (206) 443-6212. The Web site is http://www.swensonsayfaget.com.

MTC opens new Bellingham office

Materials Testing and Consulting has opened a branch office in Bellingham. The office is at 1208 Bay St., Bellingham, WA 98225. The phone is (360) 647-6061, and fax is (360) 647-8111. The Web site is http://www.mtc-inc.net. MTC also has offices in Burlington and Centralia.

The firm has been involved the St. Joseph Hospital expansion, Western Washington University Campus Services Facility and the WWU Student Recreation Center.

Otak architects LEED accredited

Otak announced that Nora Daley and Erik Dodge have earned accreditation by the U.S. Green Building Council after completing the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design exam.

Daley and Dodge, registered landscape architects in Washington, are also completing the nine-month Sustainable Building Advisor Certificate Program.

Otak is a member of the U.S. Green Building Council. The company is pursuing a LEED Silver rating for its King County Power Distribution headquarters project in Seattle. The new building will use at least 50 percent recycled content for its building materials, reduce design energy costs by 32 percent and provide a 30 percent reduction in water use. The landscape will not use a permanent irrigation system and provides 210 percent of the local zoning requirements for open space.

Call for entries in AIA awards

IA Seattle seeks design submissions for recently completed or unbuilt projects. In the completed category, eligible projects are built work completed from January 1999 to November of this year. Project teams must include a Washington-licensed architect. Artists, students and other design professionals may submit commissioned or conceptual designs for the unbuilt category.

Awards moderator John Morris Dixon is an architectural journalist and is writing a book on the course of modern architecture. Jury members are Ming Fung of Hodgetts + Fung in Los Angeles, Carlos Jimenez of Jimenez Studio in Houston and Mehrdad Yazdani of Cannon Design in Los Angeles.

Submission information will be available Sept. 9 on http://www.aiaseattle.org. Application deadline is Oct. 7. An awards presentation will be held on Nov. 8 at McCaw Hall, Seattle Center. For more information, call AIA Seattle at (206) 448-4938.

ASCE course on tunnels in October

The American Society of Civil Engineers will hold an introductory course on the design and construction of tunnels from Oct. 6 to 8 in Seattle. Construction and project managers, engineers and geotechnical engineering graduates are invited.

Tunnel construction in soft ground, pipe jacking, microtunnelling and safety are some of the items on the agenda. Seminar instructor David Abbott has more than 32 years of experience in design and construction of tunnels, including feasibility studies, conceptual and detailed engineering, equipment selection and operation management. For information call (800) 548-2723 or visit http://www.asce.org/conted.

Spokane wants to create a U District

The August meeting of the Marketing Associates of Spokane will feature Tom Reese, economic development advisor for the Office of the Mayor, who will be discussing Spokane's efforts to develop a University District plan. His presentation will cover the impact of the plan on the design and construction industry.

The city recently announced its intention to create Spokane's first University District, which would help recruit faculty, students, researchers and companies to the area.

Reese guides business and development assistance programs, brownfields redevelopment, sustainable development and workforce development. His projects include working to revitalize the Ninth & Perry District on the South Hill, and creating the Community Stewards Program. He is an adjunct professor at the Washington State University Interdisciplinary Design Institute.

The meeting will be held Thursday, Aug. 12, from noon to 1:30 at the Red Lion River Inn, 700 N. Division St., in Spokane. The cost is $15 for MAS members and $25 for non-members, and includes lunch. Reservation deadline is Aug. 11. For information or reservations call Jamie Miller at (509) 927-7747 or visit the MAS Web site at http://www.maspokane.org.

Design Detailings: C. Felice merges with Colo. firm

C. Felice & Co., a Seattle-headquartered geotechnical consulting firm specializing in structural foundation engineering for bridges, merged with Lachel & Associates. Lachel is a geotechnics and underground structures firm based in Golden, Colo. The firm will now be called Lachel Felice & Associates. Dennis Lachel is chief executive officer and will be based in Golden. Conrad Felice will be president and based in Seattle.

Symposium on Japanese gardening

An international symposium on Japanese gardens takes place from Aug. 28 to Aug. 30 at the University of Washington's Center for Urban Horticulture. Japanese garden experts from Japan, Switzerland and the U.S. will lead a question and answer session. There will also be workshops and demonstrations. The Puget Sound Japanese Garden Society and the International Association of Japanese Gardens host the symposium.

For more information, call (206) 286-9644 or e-mail koichik@qwest.net.

Library, City Hall featured in tours

The Seattle Architectural Foundation leads a tour of downtown on July 24 from 9 a.m. to noon. The tour covers the Seattle Public Library and City Hall. Participants can learn about sustainable design and renewable resources that make the city's downtown buildings green.

The foundation will also host “Something to Talk About -- Cascade Neighborhood” on Aug. 7 from 9 a.m. to noon. Residential, business and retail interests have been competing in the neighborhood. Attendees can learn how the arrival of new housing and retail, Cornish College of the Arts and new biotech companies are changing the area. For more information, visit www.seattlearchitectural.org/WT_Discover.html.

Advance registration and payment are required. Cost is $20 per person.

Aug. 26 seminar: AIA contracts

Lorman Education Services presents a one-day seminar on AIA contracts in Washington. The seminar is for lawyers, architects, engineers and facilities managers, and will be held in Seattle on Aug. 26. Presenters are Short Cressman & Burgess' John P. Ahlers, Bruce A. Cohen, Paul R. Cressman, Jr. and Scott R. Sleight. Education credits can be earned. For more information, call (888) 678-5565 or visit www.lorman.com.

KJM to partner with Hummingbird firm

Bellevue-based KJM & Associates will partner with Hummingbird, a global provider of content management solutions. KJM will be a systems integrator of Hummingbird's enterprise products. Hummingbird's products are used for information management, business continuity, compliance and risk mitigation. KJM's e-business group specializes in customizing of electronic document management and imaging software.

Materials Testing opens in Bellingham

Materials Testing and Consulting is opening a branch office on Bay Street in Bellingham. MTC has been in business for 23 years and has seen steady growth in the last eight. The company has worked on hospital expansions, recreation centers and campus buildings, expanding its geotechnical services in recent years. The company also does materials testing, construction inspection and environmental consulting. MTC's corporate headquarters is in Burlington.

Design Detailings: SMPS honors six creative marketers

Kristine and Brian Nims of Architects BCRA produced a limited edition print using a hand-crank letterpress. The firm won two SMPS awards for the gift plaque.

Six firms won marketing communication awards from the Seattle Chapter of Society for Marketing Professional Services. Winners were recently announced at an awards ceremony hosted at the Columbia Tower Club.

Architects BCRA received the Best of Show and People's Choice awards for the Albers Mill groundbreaking gift plaque that was created on a hand-crank letterpress. The steel back of the plaque was cut by the same steel fabricator that worked on the Albers Mill. Each plaque featured hand thermography and was individually numbered. Albers team members were Kristine Nims, Randy Robbins, Jeff Brown, and Cathy Bachl.

Coughlin Porter Lundeen won an award for its environmentally friendly Think postcards, developed by Gayle Guadarrama, Carrie Moers and Lily Kim and Brick Tudor Studios. A special event achievement award for the company's brownbag for architects on the Nisqually earthquake's impact on Historic Buildings was also presented.

Janet Pritchard and Sally Cox of Perteet won a special publications award. Studio Lux, represented by Jonathan Foster, received an award for a brochure. Julian Rogers received a corporate identity award. Heather Ayres led a project that won an award in the Web site category for Quantum Consulting Engineers. A special client of the year award went to was presented by Frank Petrie of KPFF to Washington State Ferries, represented by Joel Colby.

Winners were selected by a panel of judges from National Association of Industrial and Office Properties, the Oregon Chapter of SMPS and the Daily Journal of Commerce. SMPS has 5,500 members in more than 50 chapters across the country, working for architecture, engineering, planning, interior design, construction and other firms.

Landscape designers to hold Fall Expo Oct. 8

The Washington Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects is gearing up for the 2004 Fall Expo Oct. 8 at Bell Harbor International Conference Center.

This year's theme is "Healthy Landscapes: Activity, Ecology, and Aesthetics." In addition to continuing education, there will be discussion of pursuing a practice act in Washington. The expo is designed for members of the landscape architecture community -- including architects, planners and other professionals -- to learn about vendors in the area, as well as trends in green construction. For more information, go to http://www.wasla.org.

Mithun green home wins Gold Nugget

A green home at Issaquah Highlands, developed by Port Blakely Communities, recently won the Pacific Coast Builders Conference's award as sustainable residential project of the year.

The home is a showcase of simple, eco-friendly design and product ideas. Architect Mithun and homebuilder Bennett Homes' demonstration project attracted 8,000 Puget Sound area residents during a nine-week run earlier this year.

The Gold Nugget awards are the premier event of the conference, a San Francisco trade show that attracts 25,000 building industry representatives. Awards recognize creative achievements in architectural design and land use planning for residential, commercial and industrial projects.

Port Blakely Communities works on green building projects across the country. The Puget Sound Energy Built Green Idea Home was a collaboration between Port Blakely Communities, the city of Issaquah and the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish counties. For more information, visit www.issaquahhighlands.com.

Design Detailings: NEBC rooftop mixer held July 15

The Northwest Environmental Business Council and Hart Crowser sponsor the 11th Annual Olympic Chapter Rooftop Mixer from 5:30 to 7:30. The event will introduce new members and offer a chance to network. It will be held at HartCrowser, 1910 Fairview Ave. E. Cost is $30 each for NEBC members and guests and $45 for non-members, and feature a semi-hosted bar and hors d'oeuvres. for more information, go to www.nebc.org.

Locke names Lee to architects board

Lee

The Board of Registration for Architects examines and licenses architects within the state, investigates violation of state regulations relating to the practice of architecture and recommends rules and regulations for administering the licensing laws.

Locke selected Lee because of his leadership in the local architecture industry. Lee accompanied Locke on his last trade mission to China in 2003, helping boost the reputation of Washington State’s architectural services in China.

Lee has a bachelor of science from Portland State University and a bachelor of architecture from the University of Oregon. With 350 employees, MulvannyG2 Architecture is the 10th largest architectural firm in the U.S. as ranked by Building Design & Construction Magazine, and ranked one of the best companies to work for by Washington CEO magazine.

Clark County seeks award nominations

The Community Pride Design Award program in Clark County is search for applicants. The program recognizes outstanding and unique efforts in buildings, developments and civic improvements, completed in calendar year 2003 or the first half of 2004.

Nominations are due by Aug. 27. For forms and photos of 2003 winners, go to www.clark.wa.gov/commdev. for more information, call (360) 397-2375.

Mahlum's economizes school designs

Working with a budget-challenged school district, Mahlum Architects designed two new schools in Forest Grove. Ore., and a third that's under construction.

“The district wanted a statement about its commitment to quality education and the budget drove very simple, elegant solutions,” said Mathieu Jacobs, principal with Mahlum Architects.

Mahlum designed the schools, Tom McCall West 5-6, at a total cost of $9 million, and Fern Hill Elementary, at a total cost of $6.3 million. The schools were built simultaneously using the same design team and the same materials applied in different ways. The same team is now working on Tom McCall East 5-6.

Jacobs estimates the district saved $2 a square foot, compared to the cost of designing and building one school at a time using a totally new design. Barns that once accented the landscape influenced the designs of both schools in their size and position on the school sites. Both also feature large windows and skylights to capture natural daylight and take advantage of the natural beauty of the sites.

Design Detailings: Parametrix moves office to Bellevue

The Kirkland office of Parametrix has relocated to downtown Bellevue. Effective Monday, the new office will be in a 35,000-square-foot space on the 17th and 18th floors of the One Bellevue Center building at 411 108th Ave. N.E.

The new space accommodates nearly 150 employees. Parametrix has been in Kirkland for the past 12 years. The new space will help support growth and allow the firm to expand services to clients throughout the West, according to Parametrix. The phone number is (425) 458-6200, the fax is (425) 458-6363. The Web address is http://www.parametrix.com.

Freiheit & Ho designs Albertsons addition

Freiheit & Ho Architects has designed the remodeled Albertsons in Lakewood at 8611 Steilacoom Blvd. The 45,000-square-foot store will be expanded by approximately 5,000 square feet, which will use an adjacent vacant space and help revitalize the retail center.

The new features will include a new front façade, an entry vestibule and a new entry giving the renovated store an updated Northwest look and a greater visual presence. The interior will get a pharmacy and bakery.

Scheduled completion is September. The general contractor is Tri-way Construction; CSHQA is electrical engineer; McClure Engineering is mechanical engineer; and Protection Consultants, Inc. is fire protection engineer.

AIA index shows business is strong

U.S. architecture firms reported strong business conditions in May, according to the American Institute of Architects' monthly Architectural Billings Index. The ABI was 108 -- any index reading above 100 indicates growth in activity -- for the month, with 22 percent of firms reporting significantly stronger project activity and 14 percent reporting declines.

While this increase comes on top of already solid gains through the first four months of the year, the ABI dropped four points from April to May. The pace of billings growth has slowed in relation to previous months, but continues to increase at a healthy rate. Through the first five months of the year, the ABI has averaged more than 112, pointing to significant gains in construction activity throughout the remainder of 2004.

In addition to gains in billings, architecture firms reported steady increases in inquiries for new projects. Firms in all regions reported improvement in billings, with residential-focused firms reporting the most positive business conditions.

"While it is extremely encouraging that architectural billings and inquiries have increased every month so far this year, the rising prices and availability of construction materials has created some problems for the construction industry," said AIA chief economist Kermit Baker. "Architecture firms of all sizes and in all regions are also reporting problems with building commodities, with a higher share of firms in the West making this claim, possibly because of the strong demand in China and other Asian countries for these resources."

First Hill mansions are open for tours

The Washington Trust for Historic Preservation and Historic Seattle offer monthly public tours of two historic Seattle homes -- the Stimson-Green Mansion (1901) and the H. H. Dearborn House (1907).

From 1 to 2:30 p.m. July 13 and Aug. 10, and from 5:30 to 7 p.m. July 26 and Aug. 23, the public will be able to tour the homes at the corner of Minor Avenue and Seneca Street on First Hill. The tours focus on the architectural character and interior design features of both homes, as well as the life and times of First Hill at the turn of the 20th century.

First Hill was the location of private clubs, important religious institutions and swank hotels. It was also the city's premier residential enclave from the 1890s through the first decades of the 1900s -- home to mayors, judges, industrialists, timber barons and art collectors.

Of the 40 or more large homes and gardens that once graced the neighborhood, only four remain. Two are closed to the public, but the residences built for C. D. Stimson and H. H. Dearborn -- which now house the respective offices of the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation and Historic Seattle -- give Seattle residents a glimpse of the past.

Callison principal joins IIDA

Vanecko

The Chicago-based International Interior Design Association has invited Callison principal Andrea Vanecko to be a member. IIDA is a professional networking and educational associate of more than 10,000 members in nine regions and more than 30 chapters around the world.

Vanecko is the principal in charge of corporate office and interior design at Callison and has worked nationally with a client base that includes law firms such as Cooley Godward, Latham & Watkins, LLP and Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, LLP, as well as corporations that include Microsoft, Hewlett-Packard and Goldman Sachs. She is recognized in the industry for helping companies understand how the work environment needs to change to accommodate new office configurations.

Design Detailings: SMPS honors marketers Thursday

The Society for Marketing Professional Services will honor local marketers at its annual Markee Awards ceremony at 5:30 p.m. Thursday. The event will be held at the Columbia Tower Club, 701 Fifth Ave.

Entries were received from Architects BCRA, Coughlin Porter Lundeen, Joseph Greif Architects, Julian Rogers, KPFF Consulting Engineers, Perteet Engineering, Quantum Consulting Engineers, RoseWater Engineering, Sparling and Studio Lux.

Winners will be announced in the following categories: Brochure, Corporate Identity, Direct Mail, Holiday Card, Special Event, Web site and Client of the Year. In addition a Best of Show/Judge's Choice award will be presented and attendees will vote for the People's Choice Award.

This year's guest speaker is Randle Pollock, national president of the Society for Marketing Professional Services. The cost is $75 for members and $85 for non-members. The event includes appetizers, dessert and drinks. For more information, contact Mary Mader of ESM Consulting Engineers at (253) 838-6113 or mary@esmcivil.com. To register, contact Grace Vigil of Parametrix at (425) 822-8880 or gvigil@parametrix.com. Also, visit http://www.smpsseattle.org.

Piece County landscapers meeting

The Pierce County chapter of the Washington Association of Landscape Professionals meets at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the Olympic Lawn Center, 9614 40th Ave. S.W., Lakewood.

Cost is $7. Contact Andy Flood at (253) 584-3422, or andy@olympiclawncenter.com.

Straw bale house tour in Spokane

Northwest EcoBuilding Guild hosts a tour on Saturday of two straw bale houses in the Spokane Valley. The tour begins in Spokane Valley and takes place from 1 to 5 p.m.

Architects, owners and the builders will be on hand to answer questions. The Spokane County Conservation District has promoted straw bale housing after a ban on field burning in 1998.

For more information, call Cherie Peacock (509) 928-3326 or Deborah Warner (208) 683-1649.

Buechel now heads Shannon & Wilson

Shannon & Wilson announced the appointment of Gerard Buechel as president.

Buechel, who manages the Seattle branch of the firm, joined Shannon & Wilson in 1980. Since that time, he has been involved in complex projects including the second Tacoma Narrows Bridge, the Alaskan Way Viaduct, the Seattle Monorail Project Green Line, Boston's Central Artery/Third Harbor Tunnel project, and three Corps of Engineers dams.

Buechel has served as a member of Shannon & Wilson's board of director's since 2001.

Greg Fischer was appointed chairman of the board for 2004-2005. Fischer has been with the company 18 years. He is manager of the firm's Denver office. Also named to the board of directors were Hollie Ellis as secretary, Richard Frueh as treasurer, and Murray Meierhoff, Red Robinson and David McDowell.

BOORA to plan new Stanford quad

BOORA Architects of Portland was recently awarded a commission to develop a master plan and design guidelines for the new Science and Engineering quad at Stanford University. Finalists for the project included Sasaki Associates, Skidmore Owings & Merrill and Robert A.M. Stern Architects.

The project includes four new buildings, with more than 500,000 square feet of construction on 8.2 acres. Together, the components will be the first new quad on the Stanford campus since the completion of the historic main campus by Fredrick Law Olmsted at the end of the 19th century.

BOORA will work in collaboration with landscape architects Hargreaves Associates and the San Francisco office of Arup Engineers to determine building footprints, building massing and exterior character, landscape character and an overall sequencing and phasing strategy.

The project will include planning for open space to create a new interdisciplinary center for Science and Engineering. BOORA will set design guidelines for the university to follow over the course of the next decade as the projects progress.

22,000 attend AIA convention

A record number of architects, exhibitors and design industry professionals attended the recent national convention of the American Institute of Architects in Washington D.C. The convention attracted 22,159 registrants.

Delegates at the 136th convention voted to remove restrictions imposed by the AIA's bylaws on the number of consecutive terms that a regional director may serve on the board, and allow each region to make that decision for itself.

In other action, delegates:

<@_Round Bullet>l<@$p> Voted to add a fourth AIA vice president, and stagger two-year terms for all vice presidents.

<@_Round Bullet>l<@$p> Approved an increase of $50 in the dues paid by each architect member beginning in 2005, to support advertising campaigns.

<@_Round Bullet>l<@$p> Adopted a resolution to support research on diversity in the architecture profession.

Parametrix designs

SR522 widening

The Washington State Department of Transportation is widening State Route 522, from SR 9 to US 2 in Monroe. The five-staged project began in the early 1990s with preliminary design. A groundbreaking ceremony for construction of the second segment of the corridor -- Fales/Echo Lake Road Interchange at SR 522 -- will be June 30. Parametrix was contracted to complete the design of this segment of roadway in 2001.

The Parametrix team, including ABKJ, Hong West Associates and Mirai Associates, proposed a nontraditional design alternative to lessen the environmental impacts and accommodate other design challenges. The single point urban interchange design was chosen for this rural location to reduce the footprint of the project. This allowed for a substantial reduction in wetland impacts and reduced the amount of right of way to be acquired. Wetland impacts were reduced from 4.6 acres for the original diamond interchange design to 2.5 acres.

The project is being designed to meet the Department of Ecology and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife regulations to protect water quality and prevent erosion. The design calls for the replacement of several standard culverts with 12-foot diameter fish passage culverts to protect fish habitat. Two wetland mitigation sites totaling 3.8 acres will be constructed. An innovative turf/sand filter for water quality treatment was incorporated into the design. The turf/sand filter site will treat the interchange runoff as well as runoff from three miles of future SR 522 widening.

Design Detailings: SU to build $25M rec center

The architecture firm of Olson Sundberg Kundig Allen was selected to design a new recreation center at Seattle University. Construction of the $25 million center is set to begin in 2006. Principal Rick Sundberg leads design of the 75,000-square-foot center, which will include fitness rooms and a climbing wall.

Sundberg recently donated architectural services to Habitat for Humanity for 10 single-family homes. The firm works on residential and institutional designs. Past projects include museums, colleges and universities.

Bernardo-Wills wins port work

The Port of Kennewick selected Bernardo-Wills Architects to design a new office and retail building on Clover Island. The two-story, 8,500-square-foot building will house the port's administrative offices, a board room, retail and public spaces. Currently in the design stage, the $1.5 million center is tentatively planned to be completed in the middle of 2005.

The building will front the island's planned boardwalk and Clover Island Marina. It will be the first structure built since development of the Clover Island master plan, which calls for an island waterfront theme inspired by local historic architecture, gable and dormer roof forms, and use of traditional construction materials.

Eastlake walking tour July 10

Modern buildings in Seattle's Eastlake neighborhood will be open for a self-guided walking tour July 10 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., hosted by Historic Seattle.

Small-scale commercial and residential buildings in the neighborhood date from the late 1920s through the early 1960s and represent modernism in Northwest architecture. The 1958 Egan House, which was designed by Robert Reichert, is now owned by Historic Seattle.

Cost is $15. To register, call Historic Seattle at (206) 622-6952 ext.234. For more information, visit www.cityofseattle.net/commnty/histsea/events/default.htm#eastlake.

Design Center seeks nominations

Interior designers and architects are invited to submit interior work for Seattle Design Center's Northwest Design Awards competition.

The competition is open to firms in the Pacific Northwest. Awards recognize professionals whose work has made a significant contribution to the design industry.

Projects are judged anonymously based on problem solving, creativity and design quality. Judges include members of the American Society of Interior Designers Washington state chapter, the Northwest Society of Interior Designers and the design press.

Entry fee is $35. Submissions are due by Sept. 7 to Seattle Design Center Management Office, 5701 Sixth Ave. S., Suite 378, Seattle 98108. Winners will be announced Oct. 28. For more information, visit www.seattledesigncenter.com.

Art show features architectural models

Seattle-based artist Leo Saul Berk will give a talk, "Enter the Model," from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Thursday at Rainier Square Atrium, 1333 Fifth Ave. Berk will present his life-sized architectural models constructed of fluted polypropylene, complete with furniture made of the same material. His rooms-within-a-room have been featured at Bellevue Art Museum. No charge.

Design Detailings: Notkin changes address

Notkin Mechanical Engineers relocated to the Metropolitan Park West Tower at 1100 Olive Way in Seattle, WA 98101.

Notkin will continue as a single-discipline mechanical firm, specializing in HVAC, plumbing and fire protection systems. The company's clients include healthcare, military and cultural arts facilities.

Earlier this year, Notkin added Mark Leinenwever as partner to work on the Evergreen Hospital medical center expansion and U.S. Nakamura Courthouse renovation. He is also working on new facilities such as the Seattle Command Center, National Flight Interpretative Center and Olympic College Science & Technology Facility.

The firm's Web site address has changed to www.notkin.us. A new Web site will be launched this month.

Women's engineering network names first director

C. Diane Matt is the first executive director of the Women in Engineering Programs & Advocates Network. The nonprofit promotes positive change for women in engineering in academic and professional development.

Matt is a geoscientist with 19 years of experience leading nonprofits. She was director of strategic partnerships for the Geological Society of America.

The network is supported by centers at Purdue University, the University of Michigan and Stevens Institute of Technology. It's led by a board of directors from academia and industry, and has a membership of more than 600 in engineering schools, corporations and nonprofits.

ENR magazine names Hanson in its top 500

Hanson Professional Services was named one of the top 500 design firms by the trade publication Engineering News-Record. Hanson ranked 192nd on the national list and is also listed as a top firm for design services overseas.

Hanson is headquartered in Springfield, Ill., and has an office in Bellevue.

Seattle firm wins awards for California credit unions

Seattle-based architectural and design firm Emick Howard & Seibert's design for Yolo Federal Credit Union in Woodland, Calif., won an award from the Credit Union Executives Society.

Yolo Federal Credit Union was established in 1954 to assist buying uniforms for new sheriffs' officers. Emick Howard & Seibert developed the branch with strategic partner Weber Marketing Group of Seattle. The Yolo design won first place in image enhancement of credit unions with assets less than $150 million.

Emick Howard & Seibert provides customer and market analysis, operations planning and brand image development. The company collaborated with Weber on other award-winning credit unions in Palo Alto and Burbank, Calif.

Design Detailings: Redmond park gets new turf

Bruce Dees & Associates called for improvements to Grass Lawn Community Park including softball fields surfaced in synthetic turf.

Bruce Dees & Associates developed a master plan and construction documents for two phases of the recently re-opened Grass Lawn Community Park in Redmond. The new park features a synthetic turf softball field and six tennis courts.

This park was originally built in the late 1970s. The original all-weather soccer field often flooded and eroded due to poor drainage. Storm sewer lines were frequently full of sand and silt after storms.

Improvements include a porous rubber-coated track surrounding the synthetic field. The softball fields were also surfaced in synthetic turf and both fields are underdrained in the same manner.

The re-design solved problems that limited park use and were causing damage to nearby salmon habitat in the Sammamish River. The synthetic material eliminates nutrient runoff into the storm sewer and subsequent tests have proven that no harmful materials are in the water that percolates through the sand/rubber infill, crushed rock base and sub drain lines into the storm sewer, according to Bruce Dees & Associates.

The new fields, including a soccer field, have a lighting system designed by Sparling.

Central Library tours: online and in person

A half-hour documentary on the opening of the new Central Library -- featuring behind the scenes planning with architect Rem Koolhaas -- can be viewed at www.seattlechannel.org. The documentary, "A Library for All," features librarian Deborah Jacobs, staff and architects explaining the library from conceptual design to completion.

Lead architect Joshua Ramus of the Office for Metropolitan Architecture in Rotterdam explains the evolution of the design, from program to spread sheets and models.

The library is also offering tours beginning at 1:30 and 3:30 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. They will also be offered at 6 and 7 p.m. Mondays through Wednesdays. Sign up on the day of the tour at the Fifth Avenue welcome desk. Reservations will not be accepted by phone or e-mail. For more information about tours, call (206) 733-9609 or e-mail centraltours@spl.org.

Candela wins lighting awards

Candela Architectural Lighting Consultants recently received the international IIDA Paul Waterbury Award and several other awards at the 2004 International Illumination Design Awards ceremony, hosted by the Puget Sound section of the Illuminating Society of North America.

Exterior lighting of the Museum of Glass and Contemporary Art in Tacoma received section and regional awards in addition to the first-place international Paul Waterbury Award. This category acknowledges Paul Waterbury's achievements in the lighting field, including the development of 1500 W metal halide lamps for stadiums.

"Visible light fixtures in the form of poles and bollards were banished from the vocabulary on this project," said Mary Claire Frazier, Candela principal and project designer. "Instead, the design team sought to interact lighting with materials and surfaces to reveal a breathtaking array of textures. This museum sparkles, shimmers and glows day and night."

Candela also received region and section Guth Interior Awards for interior lighting design of University of Washington Medical Center Surgery Pavilion, and a Guth Interior Section Award for interior lighting of University of Washington William H. Gates School of Law.

Sunday forum on Dutch 'interiority'

In conjunction with Seattle Art Museum's current exhibit, "Van Gogh to Mondrian," the museum will host a discussion titled "The Abstract Interior: Dutch Modernism from Van Gogh to Mondrian." It will be held from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Sunday at Plestcheeff Auditorium.

Marek Wieczorek, assistant professor of art history at the University of Washington, will explore Dutch modernism and "interiority," which for some artists led to new ways of understanding the interior of the home as an abstract reflection of the inner self and, by extension, the community.

Design Detailings: Scandinavian tour set for fall

A tour earlier this year to Sweden and Denmark to look at urban sustainability will be repeated from Sept. 26 to Oct. 1.

Tour organizer International Sustainable Solutions said real estate developers, architects and engineers from Seattle, Portland and the Tri-Cities visited Scandinavia. ISS is encouraging people from Oregon, Washington and British Columbia to take the tour to see how they can collaborate on energy and transportation projects in the future.

A number of people have already signed up for the tour including Paul Anseeuw (Keene Engineering), Don Milliken (Milliken Developments), Jim Mueller (Vulcan), Dave Rogers (SvR Design), Mike Scott (Callison Architects) and Mark Woerman (Collins Woerman).

ISS says architects can receive up to 24 continuing education credits for the tour. For more information, contact Patricia Chase at Patricia@i-sustain.com or visit www.i-sustain.com.

Walker buys LiDAR system

Aero-Metric, the parent firm of Seattle-based Walker and Associates, bought a new Optech Airborne Topographic LiDAR system, which is aerial survey equipment that collects ground data. The system approximates medium-resolution photography, even when shot at night.

The company also purchased a digital mapping camera manufactured by Intergraph. The multispectral camera will be used to map a portion of the nation's 95,000-mile shoreline for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Walker will offer brown bag presentations on photogrammetry basics and digital cameras by appointment. For more information, contact Jeff Kenner or Craig Berry at (206) 244-2300.

Viaduct DEIS comments due June 1

Washington State Department of Transportation and the city of Seattle are taking comments on the draft EIS for the viaduct until June 1. The DEIS can be downloaded from www.wsdot.wa.gov/projects/viaduct/deis/chapter1_1.htm. Send comments to awvdeiscomments@wsdot.wa.gov.

Edmonds community center upgraded

ECS Engineering has completed upgrades to the Francis Anderson Cultural Center in Edmonds.

The 53,000-square-foot facility, built in 1928, is listed on the historic register. Renovation and upgrade of electrical services and power distribution included replacement of all lighting and fire alarm systems. The landmark building is now the key community center for Edmonds, with meeting rooms, a dining area and a refurbished sports complex.

ECS Engineering is a 20-person electrical engineering company with offices in Bothell and Wenatchee.

Guy Battle to speak at UW

Structural and environmental engineer Guy Battle, founding partner of Battle McCarthy, and formerly with Ove Arup & Partners, will speak today on the University of Washington campus at 6 p.m. in Architecture Hall 147.

Battle designs naturally ventilated and cooled high-rise buildings. He specializes in low energy sustainable buildings and urban environments. His London-based consulting firm will design a wind farm for New York's Freedom Tower.

Battle has worked on projects with architectural firms such as Richard Rogers Partnership, Norman Foster and Partners, Kohn Pederson Fox, Gensler and HOK.

Redmond park gets new turf

Bruce Dees & Associates developed a master plan and construction documents for two phases of the recently re-opened Grass Lawn Community Park in Redmond. The new park features a synthetic turf softball field and six tennis courts.

This park was originally built in the late 1970s. The original all-weather soccer field often flooded and eroded due to poor drainage. Storm sewer lines were frequently full of sand and silt after storms.

Improvements include a porous rubber-coated track surrounding the synthetic field. The softball fields were also surfaced in synthetic turf and both fields are underdrained in the same manner.

The re-design solved problems that limited park use and were causing damage to nearby salmon habitat in the Sammamish River. The synthetic material eliminates nutrient runoff into the storm sewer and subsequent tests have proven that no harmful materials are in the water that percolates through the sand/rubber infill, crushed rock base and sub drain lines into the storm sewer, according to Bruce Dees & Associates.

The new fields, including a soccer field, have a lighting system designed by Sparling.

Design Detailings: Pacific Coast Builders honors LIHI projects

Courtesy Pyatok Architects Pyatok Architects won a 2004 Gold Nugget Award for the Tyree Scott Apartments.

Pyatok Architects and the Low Income Housing Institute won a 2004 Gold Nugget Award: Judges Special Award of Excellence, for the Tyree Scott Apartments and the for the Refugee Women's Alliance building, both located on Martin Luther King Jr. Way South.

The awards will be presented June 17 in San Francisco at the Pacific Coast Builders Conference.

Gold Nuggets awards honor achievements in architecture and land use planning for residential, commercial and industrial projects.

The $2.1 million Tyree Scott Apartments has 21 affordable units serving families and individuals with incomes at or below 50 percent of area median income. The design includes four buildings with townhouse units over flats. The upper units have decks, bay windows and lots of light. There are two courtyards and an office.

The Refugee Women's Alliance headquarters is located next to the apartments and developed with LIHI's assistance. A new KaBOOM! Playground was built in one day with 100 volunteers, for use by children from both the housing and the alliance. Residents benefit from alliance programs, meeting space, day care, ESL classes, a computer lab and other services located next door.

SMPS awards set for June 24

The Society for Marketing Professional Services will honor local marketers at its annual Markee Awards on Thursday, June 24, at 5:30 p.m. in the Columbia Tower Club, 701 Fifth Ave.

Twenty-one entries were received from Architects BCRA, Coughlin Porter Lundeen, Joseph Greif Architects, Julian Rogers, KPFF Consulting Engineers, Perteet Engineering, Quantum Consulting Engineers, RoseWater Engineering, Sparling and Studio Lux.

Winners will be announced in the following categories: Brochure, Corporate Identity, Direct Mail, Holiday Card, Special Event, Web site and Client of the Year. A Best of Show/Judge's Choice award will be presented, and attendees can vote for the People's Choice Award.

The guest speaker is Randle Pollock, SMPS national president. The cost is $75 for members and $85 for non-members. The event includes appetizers, dessert and drinks. For information, contact Mary Mader of ESM Consulting Engineers at (253) 838-6113 or mary@esmcivil.com. To register, contact Grace Vigil of Parametrix at (425) 822-8880 or gvigil@parametrix.com. Visit www.smpsseattle.org.

Masonic Lodges get preservation awards

King County Executive Ron Sims recently announced the Spellman Awards for the best preservation projects.

He recognized historic Masonic lodges in King County and a group of county employees who have worked to protect archaeological and historic resources encountered during road maintenance projects.

Sims said members of the five Masonic lodges in King County have made a commitment to preserve their meeting halls by working with the King County Landmarks Commission to have the lodges designated county landmarks. They include the King Solomon Lodge in Auburn, Fall City Lodge, Mark P. Waterman Lodge in Burton, Unity Lodge in North Bend and the Skykomish Lodge.

The county Roads Maintenance Section was also recognized for its efforts to identify and protect archaeological resources in the field.

County Landmarks Commission Chair Patrick Schneider said, "The Roads Maintenance Section workers have really embraced their responsibility to protect cultural resources. They have identified previously unrecorded archaeological sites, and other important historic properties in the field during routine maintenance projects."