April 17, 2002

Design Detailings: SMPS luncheon for client connections

The Seattle Chapter of the Society for Marketing Professional Services holds its annual luncheon, "Client Connections," 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.Tuesday, April 23. The program is an opportunity to interact one-on-one with the region’s top agencies and organizations that use architectural, engineering and environmental consulting services.

The event’s featured clients include representatives from the city of Seattle, Executive Service Department; Department of Corrections, TEAM Program; the Navy’s Engineering Field Activity Northwest; Federal Aviation Administration; Port of Seattle, Sea-Tac Airport; Port of Tacoma; U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; and the state Department of Transportation.

The cost is $30 for SMPS members, $35 for member firms and $40 for non-members. To register, contact Grace Vigil at Reid Middleton, (425) 741-3800 or visit www.smpsseattle.org.

WSU professor named design-build 'professional'

Darlene Septelka, a Washington State University Spokane faculty member, has been named a charter professional in the new Design-Build Institute of America designated design-build professional certification program.

Septelka, associate professor of construction management and coordinator of the graduate design-build management track, is one of only 85 charter members named out of 1,082 institute members reviewed for nomination. Charter members will be honored tomorrow at a convocation ceremony in Washington, D.C.

Septelka created the design-build track within the master of science in architecture program at WSU Spokane in 2000 to fill a need in the industry. Since then, the program -- which is geared toward working professionals -- has grown from three students to a dozen. The field of study is housed within WSU Spokane's Interdisciplinary Design Institute, which brings together design and construction students to study in an atmosphere that encourages cross-disciplinary collaboration.

The institute established the designation to serve as an accepted and recognized educational standard for practitioners who possess a qualified and quantified level of expertise in design-build. An individual who successfully completes the requirements is recognized as a Designated Design-Build Professional and earns the right to display "DBIA" after his or her name. The designation indicates to design-build end users and the community at large that the individual is a professional in the design-build field.

Septelka previously received DBIA's Special Recognition Award at its annual conference in October 2001. She received the award in part because of her research in alternative delivery and promotion of design-build, and her establishment of the design-build management track within WSU Spokane's master of science architecture program. For more information, contact Septelka at (509) 358-7910, septelka@wsu.edu, or see www.designbuild.spokane.wsu.edu.

See trains levitate at UW demonstration

Robotics demonstrations, liquid nitrogen ice cream, the largest subsonic wind tunnel in the Northwest, telephones that communicate on beams of light, computer animation and levitating trains are on the agenda for the engineering open house at University Washington April 26-27.

More than 100 activities and exhibits will be located at various sites in the university's engineering buildings. The main tent, with schedules and maps for open house happenings, will be located outside Loew Hall. The annual free event runs 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 26 and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 27. For more information, call (206) 685-1785.

Design Center hosts storage space forum

For its Third Thursday event, Seattle Design Center presents "Customize Closet and Pantry Design" on Thursday. Revisit the fundamentals of designing exceptional storage spaces. This seminar will cover everything from measuring basics to new and innovative options in closet and pantry design. Learn how to create a custom storage solution to fit nearly any need. It will be held 9-10 a.m., at Seattle Design Center, 5701 Sixth Ave. S.

The Seattle Design Center is also hosting a special evening open house for the general public from 4-7 p.m. today. The showrooms will showcase the new furnishings introduced during Nordex last month. In addition to browsing the showrooms, guests have a choice of two seminars -- furniture arranging or the principals of Feng Shui. For information, contact Renee Gastineau at (206) 282-3371 or reneegas@qwest.net to reserve your space.