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Design '97 Survey In the expanding local and national economy, design firms are learning to make growth and new opportunities a way of life. Here's how firms are meeting the challenges of the Puget Sound building boom. Architecure Callison ZGF ARC Bassetti Baylis Brand Wagner GGLO HOK KDF CNA Zervas Bumgardner Carlson Duarte Bryant Waterleaf Mithun Northwest Architectural Company Engineering Notkin KPFF EBDG R.W. Beck McGowan Broz Chalker Putnam Collins & Scott SvR GeoEngineers Coffman Abacus Interiors Degen & Degen Waterleaf

Research and biotechnology: Science buildings are for scientists Washington has a growing research and biotechnology industry, and local architects who wish to serve this growing industry will need to learn from the scientists themselves, understanding their goals, and experience their frustrations with facilities that do not work.   Big Russian and Far East market is not just for big design firms With the rapid pace of resource development in the Russian Far East, the giant oil, mining and engineering/construction companies are preparing to cash in on the region's emerging wealth.   What now? Engineers tackle tough ethical dilemmas online The following story is true, but the names have been changed for the new "Ethics in Professional Practice Case-of-the-Month Program," now on the Internet.   International Boulevard takes state Route 99 back to the future Pacific Highway South, today's state Route 99, used to be the main highway connecting Seattle, Tacoma and Everett -- reflecting the character of every community along its route.   On bringing neighbors together: Fremont, Quadrant: common ground Fremont has stayed true to its turn-of-the-century beginnings as a mill town with only tenuous connections to downtown Seattle. It's definitely not the typical corporate environment. But this didn't stop Quadrant from securing a 20-acre site in Fremont more than a decade ago.   Creative responses in changing water utility industry Many of our water utilities are old and need to be repaired or replaced to meet stringent regulatory requirements. Finding creative solutions to these problems will be critical in the coming years.   Market changes bring bright future for lighting designers When Miller and Associates first started their business in Seattle 14 years ago, visits to architects might end with an incredulous "You expect to make a living here doing what? Well, good luck." But today, the local market is quite different.   Form follows function... or the store dies There is a distinct science to retail and a science to shopping. These sciences must serve as the foundation for store design and construction for retail stores to remain competitive.   The new workplace and the technology model At first glance, the rise in telecommuters might seem a bad omen for office designers. But one local firm doesn't think technology will affect companies' needs for a coherent, well-designed office.   Building a sense of community: Town center projects Changes in the lifestyles of today's urbanite have demanded a new kind of urban planning and development: town center projects.   Portland moves ahead in transit-related development The Portland metropolitan area is using light rail as a primary tool for focusing growth, limiting sprawl and retaining a vibrant urban center.   The new Meany: A sense of place NBBJ renovated and transformed the Edmond Meany Hotel into a first-rate destination designing a facility that conveys a sense of being somewhere.   Shades of life: The color consultant and the built environment Color. It's probably the last thing you want to think about. But it's the first thing your client sees, and may be the first thing he imagines about his new environment.   Orchestrating a firm foundation for new Seattle Symphony Hall Geotechnical consultants faced complex challenges in preparing the site for the new Seattle Symphony: an underground railroad tunnel, bus tunnel and bus station; existing buildings, city streets and utility lines and serious surface settlement due to previous subterranean construction.   The jobless marketer: a new way to look at marketing services People on both sides of the design and construction game tend to think of "contractor" as the one that does the building. Designers sometimes get confused when they are themselves described as contractors -- by, for example, military Contracting Officers (COs). But in this matter (as in so many others), the COs are correct.   Learning from Mt. Vernon: One school district makes a place for the students of the future The Mount Vernon School District has just completed a major construction program that demonstrates the value of intensively managing the planning and design process.   Developers rise to challenge of industrial land development If you've ever tried to find a reasonably priced piece of industrial land ready for use in the Puget Sound area, you would know it's a scarce commodity.   New restaurants for all eyes, all hours The gulls, the Gortex and the small-town smiles tell you you're still in Seattle. But at dinner time in Belltown or on Sixth Avenue, there can be no mistake. You're in a real city.   Vision building: Architecture for communities and their cultural centers Community-oriented design projects bring unique demands but they also present special opportunities for exceptional design.   Future@work: Getting your office in shape for peak performance requires new exercises. Do you think the office is a place for you to work? Think again.

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