November 20, 2002

Design Detailings: AIA SW Washington awards Friday

The AIA Southwest Washington 2002 Honor Awards will be held at 6:30 p.m. Friday at Thea’s Landing, 1705 Dock St. On Thursday, there will be a Meet the Jury event at 7 p.m., Hoodsport Winery, 1948 Pacific Ave., Tacoma. The jury includes Nick Milkovich, Mick Milkovich Architects, and Paul Hirzel, professor of architecture at Washington State University. Cost for Meet the Jury is $5. The awards event costs $20 for AIA members and $30 for non-AIA members. Social hour begins at 6:30 p.m. and the awards event begins at 7:30 p.m. For registration, contact Karin Poppy McCarthy at the AIASWW office. To reserve tickets via e-mail: karin@aiasww.org. For information, phone (253) 627-4006 or fax: (253) 572-2634. RSVP by the end of Wednesday.

Boxwood takes Gold Web award

Entablature.com recently announced winners of the 2002 Architecture Web Site Awards. Seattle's Boxwood received two design awards from more than 125 entries representing architecture Web sites from around the world. The awards were decided by Elizabeth Geary-Archer, David Munson and Ross Pullar, representing the marketing, design and business aspects of Web sites. Each Web site was reviewed and assigned scores for visual design, content, organization and interactivity.

In the first annual program to recognize excellence in architecture Web sites, the Gold Medal was awarded to Boxwood (http://www.eboxwood.com). Boxwood's site, designed in-house, was considered to be a "fun, informative site that sets the firm way apart from their competitors," said Geary Archer. The Web site's "graphic language works to synthesize the design firm with the concept of sustainability, with an appropriate level of interactivity," said Munson.

HBG, Inc., Memphis, Tenn., (http://www.hbginc.com), was awarded a Merit Award for its site, which was designed by Boxwood.Judges said the site "gave the feel of a funky, creative company" and "lots of interesting ways to get at the information."

"This year's winners will set the standard for the online presence of architecture firms," said Kriss Pettersen, organizer of the Architecture Web Site Awards. "I am proud to be in a position to honor the Web sites that show both the creativity and reflection of the work of architects."

Boxwood's graphic design team, led by Joe Farmer, is currently designing new Web sites for several Northwest wineries and vineyards, two Seattle area engineering firms and a Minnesota architecture firm. Boxwood offers graphic design, planning and architecture services, with an emphasis on sustainability.

SMPS luncheon on brand identity

The Seattle chapter of the Society for Marketing Professional Services hosts a luncheon Thursday focusing on building brand identity. The luncheon "From Marketing to Measurement: Building a brand in a quickly changing and interactive environment," will be at the Washington Athletic Club from 11:30 a.m to 1:30 p.m.

The program will feature Tim Garrigan, co-founder of the Garrigan Lyman Group. Garrigan will show how to add value to strategic marketing campaigns and how to successfully build brands.

The cost is $30 for SMPS members, $35 for member firms, and $40 for non-members. To register, contact Grace Vigil at Hart Crowser, (206) 328-5581 or visit http://www.smpsseattle.org.

Dressing for success

The local chapter of Society for Marketing Professional Services Outreach Committee spent October gathering professional clothes for Dress for Success/Seattle, and recently handed over the outfits. Local architecture, engineering and construction firm employees gathered more than 100 interviewing outfits and accessories for the Dress for Success Seattle facility, located at 620 Aurora Ave. N.

Dress for Success is a nonprofit organization that provides interview suits, confidence boosts and career development to more than 30,000 low-income women in 70 cities each year. Each Dress for Success client receives one suit when she has a job interview and a second suit when she gets the job. The Dress for Success Professional Woman’s Group Program then provides ongoing support to help clients build a successful career.

The Seattle chapter of SMPS has close to 200 members from architecture, engineering, construction and legal firms.

Three park artists wanted

The Seattle Arts Commission seeks three artists to develop art in three diverse urban parks. The projects are the first artworks to be created for Seattle Parks and Recreation under a new Pro Parks art plan.

Applications and the Pro Parks art plan are available on the Arts Commission Web site at cityofseattle.net/arts (select "Funding Opportunities) or by calling (206) 615-1801. Applications must be at the Seattle Arts Commission office, 312 First Ave. N., second floor, by 5 p.m. Friday, Jan. 10.

The projects are the first stage of creating a legacy of artwork in Seattle's park system that will occur over the next five years. Budgets will range from $60,000 to $90,000. Each project has the possibility of additional construction dollars.

They include:

• Interstate 5 space -- a large piece of land under an elevated portion of the freeway north of downtown will be developed into a one-of-a-kind park, reconnecting two neighborhoods. It will have a variety of views toward Lake Union and the Space Needle.

• Mineral Springs Park: a wooded smaller park site that melds the only disc golf course in Seattle with a newly designed natural section of the park. The new portion of the park will function as a multi-use passive park space. The open space blends new landform and landscape components with existing stands of trees and landforms.

• South Lake Union Park: a new waterfront park under development on a lake at the north edge of downtown Seattle. The park will combine access to the lake, open space and references to the city's maritime heritage.