January 25, 2006

Design Detailings: Scott chairs tall buildings council

David Scott, a structural engineer and principal at Arup in New York, has been named to chair the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, an international body and leading authority on planning, design, construction and operation of tall buildings and urban areas. His three-year term begins Feb. 1.

Scott replaces Ron Klemencic, president of Magnusson Klemencic Associates in Seattle.

Scott has led Arup's structural design work on numerous large buildings throughout the world, including Norman Foster's Hongkong Bank in 1981, the international terminal at Hong Kong Airport and the Northeast Asia Tower in Songdo, Korea. He has been involved in projects such as New York City's Freedom Tower with Daniel Libeskind, and projects in London and Korea.

He said buildings such as Taipei 101 "demonstrate a very high level of confidence in the performance of tall buildings. We will continue to work toward a better understanding of the key issues that affect tall building design. By raising awareness of these issues, we will design and build better buildings."

SMPS meeting on Web sites

Learn about improving your firm's Web site at the Jan. 31 Seattle Society for Marketing Professional Services meeting. It will be from 4 to 6 p.m. at Parker, Smith & Feek, 2233 112th Ave. N.E. Bellevue.

The session will answer the question: "If you fix your Web site, will you fix your brand?" Other issues include how the Internet has affected marketing, myths about the Internet and what a Web site can do for your firm.

Steve Ater of Arscentia, a multidisciplinary creative firm specializing in visual communications, will lead the discussion. Cost for members is $45, $55 for non-members. For information, go to http://www.smpsseattle.org.

Sparling wins ACEC award in Ore.

Sparling recently received a Grand Award in the 2006 American Council of Engineering Companies of Oregon Engineering Excellence Awards Competition for its design of emergency generators for the central utility plant at Providence Portland Medical Center.

Thes project was recognized in the Building/Technology Systems category and is the first hospital in Oregon to synchronize electrical generators to the utility power grid.

Sparling teamed with CDi Engineers on electrical design for a central utility plant that serves an 11-story medical tower. A dispatchable standby generation power system uses emergency generators to provide power directly onto the electrical grid to meet the electrical utility's power peaking requirements.

DKA project in Chicago exhibit

DKA was recently selected as one of 13 firms to have a project be part of the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry 2006 Black Creativity Program Exhibit.

The Seattle architecture and planning firm's Urban League Village at Colman School was selected from entries submitted by firms throughout the United States.

It will be on display at the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry, from through Feb. 28.

DKA entered the Urban League Village at Colman School in the "Place To Learn" category. The mixed-use project includes the Northwest African American Museum. The top two floors will have 36 mixed-income rental units and the main floor will hold the 17,000-square-foot museum.

It will open in summer of 2007 at 2300 S. Massachusetts St. The general contractor is Rafn Co.

Weigh-in on new seismic standards

The Structural Engineering Institute of the American Society of Civil Engineers will seek public comment from Feb. 3 to March 21 on the new professional standard seismic rehabilitation for existing buildings.

The standards are used by code officials in mandated seismic rehab programs, and for reference by building owners and design professionals in voluntary rehab efforts.

The procedures apply to the rehab of existing buildings, and are not intended for new building codes. Many new building codes include provisions that require designs with features essential for seismic performance. But many existing buildings were designed without such features, according the to ASCE.

To participate in the public comment period, contact ASCE Standards Administrator Eileen Boeing at eboeing@asce.org or (703) 295-6338. For more information on ASCE, or its standards programs, contact Joan Buhrman at jbuhrman@asce.org or (703) 295-6406.

Allied Arts hosts 'Waterfront Visions' Friday

"Waterfront Visions," a discussion sponsored by Allied Arts, will be held 7 to 10 p.m. Friday. Speakers will discuss the future of the stadium district, Pioneer Square and Coleman Flats.

Speakers will include council member Jean Godden and architect Val Thomas. Sally Bagshaw, chair of Allied Arts' Waterfront Committee, will moderate.

It will be held at 526 First Ave. S., Suite 521. Cost is $35, or $20 for members of Allied Arts. For more information, go to http://www.alliedarts-seattle.org.