May 7, 2003

Design Detailings: May 14 meeting on green building

The Northwest Chapter of the American Institute of Architects will present a discussion from 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 14, on the use of sustainable materials in buildings. Sponsored by the Associated General Contractors, the program will focus on health, safety, and welfare, as well as environmental and financial costs of alternative materials.

Chris Morgan, who taught design and architectural technology at the University of North Carolina, will lead the discussion. He will address questions such as: are glass buildings the SUVs of the building industry, and does the increased cost of environmental materials preclude their use?

The event will be held at 211 Rimland Drive, Bellingham. RSVP is required by Monday. Contact Tom Entrikin, executive director of AIA Northwest Washington, P.O. Box AB, Bellingham WA 98227, or call (360) 671-9555.

Erickson speaks at Glass Museum

Erickson

Tacoma Museum of Glass architect Arthur Erickson will come to the museum for a lecture from 5 to 9 pm Friday, May 16. Joining Erickson will be Christopher Macdonald, director of the University of British Columbia's Department of Architecture, and William Saunders, editor of Harvard Design Magazine. The event is sponsored by Harvard Design Magazine and the Harvard University Graduate School of Design, and will include a guided tour of the museum.

Seminar attendees can receive AIA continuing education units. Readings will be mailed to participants prior to the course. The tuition is $295. Enrollment is limited to 35. Participants will be able to take part in the discussion. Preparatory readings will be mailed to participants in advance of the seminar.

Register by calling or sending an e-mail to Meghan Ryan at (617) 495 7814, or hdm-events@gsd.harvard.edu by May 12.

Hargreaves/Mithun to show park design

Seattle Parks and Recreation will hold a meeting to review schematic design for the reorganization of South Lake Union Park on Wednesday, May 14, from 5:45 to 8 p.m., at the old Naval Armory Building at South Lake Union, 860 Terry Avenue N.

Starting at 6, park designers Hargreaves/Mithun will present the proposed park design and discuss the design process. A question and answer session will follow the formal presentation.

The proposed design is the result of six months of effort guided by public input and a project advisory team representing neighborhood stakeholders. The park is intended to accommodate large public celebrations, improve access to the lake and enhance maritime heritage and preservation organizations associated with the park.

For more information, contact Steven Wright, Seattle Parks and Recreation project manager, at (206) 684-7054 or by e-mail at steven.wright@seattle.gov.

Berger wins for Islandwood

Berger Partnership was honored for conserving trees at IslandWood.

The Berger Partnership, a landscape architecture and site planning firm, recently received the Arbor Day Foundation special award -- Integration of Education and the Environment -- for their work on IslandWood, A School In The Woods. The annual Awards of Excellence honors projects that best exemplify tree conservation.

Judging criteria included creativity in protecting and planting trees, providing long-term tree care, having a tree professional on the development team and adhering to tree protection goals throughout construction.

The project, located on Bainbridge Island, formerly know as the Puget Sound Environmental Learning Center, provides children, adults and families with hands-on learning experiences that combine science, technology and the arts. IslandWood was designed by Mithun. Rafn was the general contractor and the arborist was Northwest Arborvitae.

Ziesmer of ECS is Engineer of the Year

Brian Ziesmer of ECS Engineering has been named 2003 Engineer of the Year by the Wenatchee Chapter of the National Society of Professional Engineers. Ziesmer, an electrical engineer, is the managing engineer for ECS's Wenatchee office. The honor was awarded as part of the recent National Engineer’s Week.

Ziesmer, an electrical and control systems engineer, specializes in municipal and industrial control system projects. He has most recently worked on replacement of monitoring and controls equipment at three central Washington fish hatcheries for Chelan County PUD, and upgrade of the Brewster and Leavenworth waste water treatment plants. Ziesmer is currently starting control system upgrades at several Wenatchee area water pump stations and reservoirs.