February 1, 2006

Design Detailings: Condon speaks on green infrastructure

Professor Patrick Condon, who holds the University of British Columbia James Taylor chair in Landscape and Liveable Environments, will speak on "Green Urban Infrastructure for the 21st Century" at 7 p.m. Thursday. The free event will be at University of Washington's Architecture Hall 147.

The speech is part of Open Space Seattle 2100: Designing Seattle's Green Network for the Next Century, which will include a charrette on Friday and Saturday. Open Space Seattle 2100 is a coalition of designers collaborating on the city's future open space network. For more information, go to http://www.open2100.org.

Engineers tradeshow on Feb. 15

The Structural Engineers Association of Washington Southwest Chapter will hold its 10th annual Educational Tradeshow on Feb. 15 at the Greater Tacoma Convention & Trade Center, 1551 Broadway. The hours are 3 to 8:30 p.m.

Vendors will answer questions about architectural and engineering products, and there will be seminars on construction and engineering practices.

For information, call (253) 565-0769, or e-mail seawswchapter@comcast.net.

Trash Fashion Bash Feb. 22 at SAAM

Trash Fashion Bash, a fundraising event sponsored by the Urban Environmental Institute, has been re-scheduled for 6 to 9 p.m. Feb. 22 at the Seattle Asian Art Museum, 1400 E. Prospect St.

Money from the event will be used to host a multi-day international conference in Seattle June 14 through June 16, 2007, called "Great Places — Great Cities."

International Sustainable Solutions, along with other organizations, will bring speakers on sustainability and urban design here for presentations and workshops about creating great cities in the 21st Century.

Participants at the Feb. 22 event will be wearing "haute trash" created out of recycled and salvaged organic materials.

Models will include Bert Gregory of Mithun, William Justen of Samis Development, Mimi Gates, director of Seattle Art Museum, Lesley Bain of Weinstein A/U and Peter Steinbrueck of the Seattle City Council.

Cost is $85 at the door, or $65 online. For information, go to http://www.i-sustain.com or call Patricia Chase at (206) 349-4904.

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 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 through March 21 on new seismic rehabilitation standards for 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 are not intended for new building codes. Many new building codes include provisions 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.