October 13, 1999

Design Detailings: October is design awareness month

Gov. Gary Locke and Seattle Mayor Paul Schell have declared October design awareness month.

To celebrate, the public is invited to visit the Seattle Design Center for a month-long series of seminars and special events. Each Tuesday will feature a special seminar for the general public, and each Thursday will feature a seminar for trade design professionals. All seminars are $15 and advance registration is required. For more information, call (206) 762-1200.

Parametrix becomes employee-owned

Parametrix recently joined the ranks of only 500 companies in the nation that are 100 percent employee-owned.

The engineering, environmental sciences and architectural company based in Sumner is now entirely owned by the company's employees through an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP).

Parametrix became an ESOP company in 1992 after the five selling shareholders researched succession-planning options.

Each year the company will allocate a percentage of its profits to employee owners, similar to a profit-sharing plan. Like profit sharing, there is a vesting schedule. After six years, employees are completely vested.

Founded in 1969, Parametrix has six offices throughout Washington and Oregon.

Seattle ASCE installs new board

The Seattle Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) will be installing officers today during a meeting at the Bellevue Hilton Hotel. Susan Gardner will become president, Ron Leimkuhler, president-elect and membership chair, Ron Borowski, secretary, Phil Cohen, treasurer and budget chair.

The Seattle section of the ASCE has more than 2,400 members throughout greater Seattle. Its activities include providing technical programs at monthly meetings, presenting scholarships, organizing visits by officers from national ASCE and organizing local, regional and national conferences.

Integrus wins Library of the Future award

Integrus Architecture in Seattle has won an award of merit for its entry to the International "Library of the Future" competition hosted by the Association for Computer Aided Design in Architecture (ACADIA).

Unique to this competition was its entirely Web-based format. Recognizing that the physical form of the library and its role in society continues to evolve, ACADIA challenged designers to envision the destination of this evolution and create a library for the information age. Of 650 competition entries from around the world, Integrus was the only architecture firm to be awarded.

Open house for urban condo ideas

The Seattle Design Center is sponsoring an open house of condominiums that are designed to meet the needs of contemporary urban dwellers. The open house includes a tour of the Concord, at 3010 First Ave., which claims to be the Pacific Northwest's first completely wired multi-unit development.

The event also includes a tour of three units designed for distinctly different homeowners, including a studio unit for a professional, single woman; a one-bedroom unit for a young married couple; and a penthouse designed for an older, empty-nester couple downsizing from the suburbs. Participants in the tour will get a chance to see interior design strategies that make the most of small urban spaces.

The open house begins Oct. 16 and runs through Nov. 28. It is held on weekdays, from noon to 7 p.m., weekends, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Montgomery Watson wins U.K. contract

North West Water Ltd., an English company, has selected Montgomery Watson as the preferred supplier for engineering services for a $3.3 billion, five-year contract. Montgomery Watson will provide program management, design, procurement, construction management and commissioning services. The contract takes effect April 1, 2000.

North West Water, part of United Utilities, provides water and wastewater services for 7 million domestic users and 200,000 business customers, covering an area in northwest England. Within this service area, the company manages 147 water treatment works and 617 wastewater treatment plants.

Montgomery Watson, Inc. is a private, employee-owned environmental engineering firm based in Pasadena, Calif. It has offices in 30 countries, with a local office in Bellevue. The firm provides engineering design, procurement, construction, technology and program management services.