August 6, 2003

Design Detailings: Kristen Scott leads Seattle AIA

Scott

Scott was elected in 2002 for a three-year commitment to the AIA board of directors, during which she will hold the positions of first VP/president-elect, president and past-president.

Scott's first task is developing a business plan. "This plan will broaden our programming to better serve local and regional members and forge stronger connections with the allied design community," said Scott. "Having fewer, bigger events on the calendar will allow those from afar to come to Seattle for a few days, catch up with colleagues and attend the workshops we have planned."

Another item on Scott's agenda for 2004 is preparing for the 2005 Pacific Regional AIA Conference, which will be held in Seattle to honor the 111th birthday of AIA Seattle.

Scott has been a principal at Weber + Thompson since 1996. She has led the master planning team and overseen all master planned community developments. Scott is a graduate of the University of Washington with a bachelor's degree in psychology and a master's in architecture.

SvR wins award for biking to work

For the second consecutive year, SvR ranked highest on the WRQ Bike to Work Challenge for mid-sized firms. Out of SvR’s 35 employees, 17 participated in the month-long challenge, posting a 49 percent ridership.

SvR participates annually for the former Bike to Work Day that was expanded this year into a month-long event from May 16 to June 15. SvR organized two teams this year -- Some Virtuous Riders and Spinning Velo Righteousness. Each participant was required to make at least eight round trips to work during the challenge. The firm's 18 riders logged 211 trips, 2,340 miles and just three crashes.

Freeman Fong's new office space honored

Freeman Fong’s new offices feature six environments, including conference and task spaces.

Freeman Fong Architecture's new office space at 505 Third Ave. W. recently received a 2003 Excellence in Remodeling Award from the Building Industry Association of Washington. The contractor was Thornberg Construction Co.

The space was selected for the award in the Commercial Under $100,000 category. The studio is located in lower Queen Anne and was a dark, cramped dot-com office before it was remodeled.

The open floor plan uses furniture layout and lighting, rather than internal structure, to create six distinct environments: reception, conference, task, library/layout, living and storage. The conference room features floating doors that are suspended from an I-beam track. The doors utilize transparent, corrugated plastic to create a private space without compromising the size of the office.

A double-decker perforated metal catwalk provides overhead storage for work stations, while plywood shelves tucked behind the conference room support product manuals and employees’ bicycles. Raw and original building materials create a natural minimalist feel in an industrial space. The stained concrete floor complements the natural wood of the workstations and furniture.