March 6, 2002

Design Detailings: Duncan named AIA honorary member

The American Institute of Architects Washington Council has named Sparling CEO James R. Duncan an honorary affiliate member, the highest honor the council can bestow on someone outside the profession of architecture. The award was given in recognition of Duncan’s outstanding service to AIA Washington to promote and further the highest standards of the profession.

The council’s board of directors made particular note of his valuable contributions to the Architects, Engineers & Agencies (AEA) Committee, whose mission is to foster working relationships between the A/E consulting community and state's contracting authorities.

A member of the AEA Committee since its inception over 10 years ago, Duncan has served as its chairman since 1995. Duncan has served as chairman and CEO of Sparling, the nation’s largest specialty electrical engineering and technology consulting firm, since 1991.

AIA addresses architects' frustration

The American Institute of Architects Southwest Washington Chapter is hosting a series of informal lunch discussions for architects.They are held on the second Friday of every month, noon to 1:30 p.m. in the meeting room of Johnny's Dock Restaurant in Tacoma. The second in the series will be held this Friday.

This month's topics are: further discussion on the erosion of architects' traditional role; and minimum performance standards. The chapter said there has been a general frustration that owners -- generally private sector owners/developers -- are asking architects to provide services that are less than adequate in the context of the health and safety (licensing) obligations that architects have to the public.

This practice is borne out of the desire to minimize architectural and engineering costs. Although most firms decline to participate in such "low ball" design services, some firms will do so. Although potentially fraught with legal and financial implications, some architects want to develop an action plan.

The chapter will also be meeting periodically in Olympia at a yet-to-determined venue. Prior to each meeting, a proposed topic will be e-mailed to AIASWW members and other interested parties, along with a summary of the previous month's discussion. Non-AIA members are encouraged to attend. For information, contact Karin Poppy McCarthy, executive director, AIA Southwest Washington Chapter, (253) 627-4006, or at karin@aiasww.org.

"BAM As Built" closes Sunday

John Stamets' exhibit, "John Stamets: BAM As Built," at Bellevue Art Museum, closes Sunday. Stamets captured the 14-month-long construction of the art museum from groundbreaking to completion with over 500 large-format photographs. The exhibit includes more than 45 of these photographs, showing the building’s unique structures and spaces. The photographs are installed in locations and groupings that will encourage museum visitors to make connections between the images and the spaces they find themselves in. An accompanying selection of Stamets’ work documenting the construction of other significant public buildings is also included in the exhibition. BAM is located at 510 Bellevue Way N.E., at the corner of Northeast Sixth and Bellevue Way.

KPFF responds to NW Harvest challenge

KPFF just completed the Northwest Harvest Challenge, which was coordinated by Debra Dawson and Raina Borak. Employees were divided into groups of seven to 10 people and competed to gather the most items of food for Northwest Harvest. In this time-frame, KPFF raised 5,688 items plus $500. Ron Leimkuhler's transportation team alone raised more than 1,000 items. Food banks are always in need of contributions, so this was a way for KPFF to have a team-building exercise while being a responsible corporate citizen and giving back to the community.

Dion at SAM: chaos of nature

Mark Dion, an artist who merges the roles of ecologist, scientist, archaeologist, detective and educator, will discuss his work and unique perspective at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Seattle Art Museum. His lecture is part of an ongoing public program series to encourage dialogue related to SAM's future Olympic Sculpture Park.

As a conceptual artist who often performs the functions of both scientist and artist, Dion creates his own installations of laboratories, classrooms, field stations and "cabinets of curiosities," containing assemblages of strange and eccentric items. In many of his works, he is both fascinated by and critical of the classification systems of scientists, who attempt to systematize the chaos of nature.

"I consider myself a visual artist with a keen interest in the science of life," says Dion. "My work is mostly about exploring questions around the representation of nature, which means that rather than being about nature, it is concerned with ideas about nature."

Dion's work has been featured in international exhibitions at museums including London's Tate Gallery, Museo de Arte Moderna in Rio de Janeiro and MOMA in New York. He attended the School of Visual Arts in New York and received his BFA in Fine Arts from the University of Hartford School of Art in Connecticut.

The Seattle Art Museum, at 100 University St., is open Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursday until 9 p.m. For general recorded information, call (206) 654-3100. The box office, at (206) 654-3121, is open Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Visit the Web site at SeattleArtMuseum.org.