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A&E Perspectives: 1998 Firm Survey
NBBJ
NBBJ has been hiring staff at all levels. The firm ended last year at a staff level of about 700. Currently it is at 750 and will reach 800 before the end of the year.
NBBJ has opened new offices in Oslo, Norway, and in Taipei, Taiwan.
The firm has an annual gross fee revenue of approximately $135 million on projects with a construction value of $6.5 billion. This represents a 14 percent increase from last year.
The firm has made a move into sports, a major market in Asia, and has won projects with such corporate giants as Reebok and Telenor. The growth fueled by these successes is just now beginning to weaken. But the firm has also made further inroads in the health care market.
Principals at NBBJ are watching falling profits and layoffs in U.S. industries. But according to managing principal Jim Jonasson, there are signs of recovery in Asia.
The firm is not planning on growth next year. According to marketing projections, health care will grow, but sports and entertainment and commercial will hold or decline slightly, as will other markets such as retail, academic, and high technology.
Kovalenko
Kovalenko has added two staff members over the last year with 18 and 20 years' experience. These additions bring the staff size to six.
Over the last year Kovalenko has been involved in the construction phase of four multi-family housing renovation projects worth $17.5 million. All these projects are in the close-out phase and will be completed by the end of this month. On the boards for next year is $7.2 million in renovation work for Washington State University and a renovation project at Central Washington University.
For Kovalenko, growth in size is not high on the agenda. The firm places more emphasis on the interesting, high quality projects.
Cardwell Thomas
In the last year, Cardwell Thomas has added five architects, bringing the total staff size to 26.
Estimated fee income for 1998 is in excess of $3 million and represents an increase of approximately 25 percent from the previous year.
The firm recently completed a predesign study for the new 137,000-square-foot communications facility at Western Washington University. The building will house the departments of physics, computer sciences, communications and journalism. On the campus of Washington State University, construction has begun on the restoration and rehabilitation of Thompson Hall. The seismic retrofit of the south wing of Old Main at Western Washington University is in design. The firm has completed contract drawings for the restoration and rehabilitation of Suzzallo Library at the University of Washington, working with Mahlum Architects.
Library work includes the new 64,000-square-foot Carls-bad City Library in Carlsbad, and recently completed buildings include new libraries for Poway and Del Mar, Calif. A study has been completed for the Longview Public Library. For the City of Carlsbad, the firm will design a second library.
Cardwell Thomas is also now at work on the renovation of the historic Whatcom Museum of History and Art.
A new area of specialty is high-end residential design. The firm has completed ocean front residences in Gear-hart, Ore., and on Balboa Peninsula in Newport Beach, Calif.
The firm anticipates a downturn in the economy. Current contracts and new projects in the office will provide a base as Cardwell Thomas seeks projects in a more competitive market.
Coffman
Coffman Engineers has increased staff size company-wide by approximately 10 percent, with a 15 percent increase in the Seattle Office. Structural, mechanical, electrical, and construction management disciplines have all grown, primarily at the senior level.
Sales volume has increased from $15 million in 1997 to approximately $19 million for 1998, an increase of 26 percent.
In 1998, Coffman staffed specialized professional groups in the areas of lighting design, mechanical system commissioning, and communications.
The firm continues to consult with Northwest architectural firms while it does industrial work for clients such as Kaiser Aluminum. Coffman was selected to provide program and construction management services for the $160 million Lake Washington School District capital program. The firm has also been providing engineering services to Sakhalin Energy Services in Russia.
The big picture is uncertain. Speculative office buildings, which have been an important market for Coffman in 1998 will not be as important next year. In the meantime, the firm has built experience and knowledge in leading-edge technologies which will serve clients during an inevitable period of renovation and remodeling.
ARC
The workload and fee level at ARC Architects has remained constant in the last year, as the firm only takes on as much work as can be managed directly by one of its four principals. Prime service sectors are recreation, healthcare, bio-tech, military, housing and special populations.
The firm has consolidated relationships with landscape consultants and public artists as well as technical specialists such as aquatic designers.
New projects this year include the South Bellevue Community Center and ARC's first recreation projects in eastern Washington and Oregon.
ARC is following demographics and hoping its clients can secure funding in the short-term before any downturn in the economy. The demographics show an increase among aging populations along with a need for expanded healthcare and senior facilities. Additionally, younger families and immigration continues to increase the need for youth recreation. Non-profits - with the wealthiest generation of all time coming of age - will be ground for new business.
JPC
JPC Inc. has grown from 40 people in 1997 to 53 people in 1998. The Redmond firm opened a Seattle office this spring, which has grown from three full-time architects and intern architects to five in a four-month period.
The company forecasts revenues of $8 million in 1998, $1 million more than last year.
Dan Butler, president, said "If our client's growth forecasts come true over the next five years, then JPC will be very busy. Since JPC provides interior architecture services our work load comes after buildings come out of the ground." And "we continue to be optimistic about our growth based upon the upcoming expansion plans of our clients," he said.
The design practice of JPC Inc. has been transformed by the enormous growth spurt experienced on the eastside, where high-tech and corporate office clients consistently look for a wider range of services from their consultants. JPC now provides facilities management services such as site location assistance, owner/tenant representation, move management and relocation services. Facilities technology services are currently being introduced and include property-tracking tools.
At the same time, JPC will expand the shell and core building studio to include new build-to-suit projects.
Based on staff experience, JPC has expanded markets to include more retail and hospitality projects.
AHBL
AHBL has been actively seeking and hiring staff this past year, primarily in the areas of civil and structural engineering. It is currently staffed at 56, up from 52 at the beginning of the year. Revenues for 1998 are currently at $5 million, an increase from $4.4 million in 1997.
The Tacoma engineering, land planning and landscape architecture firm has established a new department within the company which provides full service design for industrial projects. This follows a shift in the industry towards a focus on market sectors and away from individual disciplines.
AHBL anticipates growth in the coming year in all of its markets, which include commercial, educational, and institutional sectors, and expects to add four to five members to the professional staff.
G2
G2 Architecture has added six new permanent staff this past year - a 25 percent increase in size to full-time staff members.
Simultaneously, the firm has added approximately 20 outsourced, temporary staff to accommodate workload.
Construction volume has also increased dramatically. Work in progress this year is in excess of 4 million square feet of office campus, corporate headquarters, high rise buildings, hospitality, and high technology projects. Work for the previous year totaled approximately 1.8 million square feet.
This year's projects include a 500,000-square-foot office campus in Bellevue. And G2 is working on its sixth project for CarrAmerica and its third for Hart Properties. In addition to two large projects in Bellevue, client E&H Properties has brought G2 new projects in Salt Lake City. The company is working on a new wind tunnel complex for Boeing after completing a project at Boeing Company Headquarters.
The firm has maintained a focus in China, where G2 has won four major international competitions. There is a 50-story building under construction and a 48-story tower on the boards. The Asia work, however, is not factored into revenue projections because of the historically volatile nature of offshore projects.
Because of anticipated future economic declines, founder Gerry Gerron intends to keep the firm small and broad-based in project types. "We will be expanding our project type diversification by continuing our involvement with the retail, hospitality, and industrial sectors. We are well positioned for our strong suit of corporate and speculative office projects," he said.
Bumgardner
Staff size at Bumgardner has remained stable over the past year, while revenue has increased by 10 percent over the last fiscal year.
Due to the requirements for managed growth in the Puget Sound region and out-of-state, Bumgardner continues to grow in the areas of planning and mixed-use development. One example is an urban center on the Sammamish Plateau, Saffron, which features a blend of shops, restaurants, and housing with an outdoor piazza. A Lake City Way project will feature office, residence, and retail, currently in design. Woodinview, an affordable housing project in Woodinville, includes senior housing, multi-family apartments, and single family houses.
Bumgardner continues to expand in the hospitality market. The Westview Building completes the Port Gardner Landing complex in Everett. The new complex also includes the Inn at Port Gardner and the West Marine Building.
Opening this past spring is the Walla Walla Country Club Clubhouse, and Bumgardner is also designing clubhouses for Gold Mountain in Bremerton and the Meadow Springs Country Club in Richland.
Bumgardner renovated Intiman Theatre and added a new rehearsal hall and second performance space. Also completed this year is the new Knutzen Family Theatre in Federal Way. Expansion of the Orcas Center for the Performing Arts in the San Juan Islands and a new theater for the City of Kent are presently in schematic design.
The firm continues to work with the University of Washington on extensive renovation and tenant improvements, particularly at Sand Point. Planning and design are also under way for several churches.
LMN
Over the past year, LMN Architects added staff to supplement capabilities in large-scale master plan, civic and public projects.
Current projects include the Downtown Tacoma Plan, which involves economic revitalization, housing infill and connections to a future enhanced transit system. LMN heads an interdisciplinary team that will work with the City of Tacoma to provide advice on policies, projects, guidelines, investments, use of taxation tools, a development authority and parking strategies. This dovetails with LMN's current design work for the University of Washington Tacoma Campus and Tacoma light rail.
The firm is also at work on a 200-acre park in Springfield, Mo., to be built over a period of 10 to 20 years on the edge of the city's mature historic downtown.
This year LMN's Hawaii Convention Center received the Design-Build Institute's award for the Best Project Over $15 million, while Benaroya Hall, the Seattle Symphony's new $118 million concert hall, celebrated its grand opening.
LMN anticipates maintaining a healthy workload in 1999.
Weber + Thompson
In the last year Weber + Thompson Architects' size has increased by 25 percent to a total of 19 staff architects, interior designers and administrative personnel. The firm has recently completed an office remodel doubling the number of workstations.
Construction volume has increased from $20 million in 1997 to over $60 million projected for 1998, up 300 percent from last year.
In the last year, Weber + Thompson has completed several interiors and hospitality projects including a new events facility for Lowell Hunt Catering on Lake Union, architecture and interiors for the Oakwood Corporate Apartments on lower Queen Anne, a luxury single family interiors project in downtown Kirkland, the headquarters for the newly formed Pacifica Bank in Bellevue, and a new branch for King County Credit Union in Issaquah.
Weber + Thompson Archi-tects' growth plan for 1999 includes a continued diversification into secondary markets of commercial, retail and hospitality projects.
Currently the firm's primary markets are mixed-use, multi-family, single family and financial facilities.
"The reality of high-technology in many of our client's industries has become a crucial part of own practice," said principal Blaine Weber.
The firm has recently added a powerful server for its intra-office network and improved voice mail.
Walter Schacht
Since Walter Schacht Architects was founded two years ago, the firm has focused marketing efforts among client groups planning museums, places of worship, educational facilities and private residences. Currently, the firm consists of four architects and an office manager - an increase of one architect from the beginning of the year œ and expects to hire another in the coming quarter.
Total fees for the current year are projected at $350,000. This is an increase of 21 percent over 1997.
Walter Schacht Architects recently completed Temple B'nai Torah, and is now working on projects for the Squaxin Island Tribe Museum and Library, the Port Townsend Marine Science Center, the Jewish Day School, Congre-gation Herzl-Ner Tamid and Music Works Northwest.
The firm was recently selected to be part of a team working on a museum-planning project in Anchorage.
Coughlin Porter Lundeen
Coughlin Porter Lundeen is a structural and civil engineering firm providing building structural design, historic renovation, existing facility review, seismic evaluation, site civil design, and surface water management services. Key markets include commercial buildings, housing, renovation, education and media projects with an increasing number of lab and medical, hospitality, recreational, retail, and public buildings.
In its fourth year of business, Coughlin Porter Lundeen Inc. has grown to 55 employees, up about 12 percent from last year. Anticipated total billings for 1998 are $6 million, up significantly from 1997.
Current projects include the Union Station and Quadrant Lake Union Center developments, the new business park within Quadrant's Redmond Ridge, the Cedar Court at Redmond office campus, the Archbishop Thomas Murphy Village student housing project, the Smith Tower and Downtown YMCA renovations, Puyallup High School and Seattle University Law School, and KCPQ Studios.
The firm continues to gain in the K-12 public and private school market and the higher education sector. Projects in new markets include medical and lab projects such as the Highline Community Hospital North Tower Addition, ZymoGenetics Research Lab, 401 Elliott West, and the Overlake Hospital Medical Office Building. Other projects include the Plateau Golf and Country Club Clubhouse and the King County District Courthouse in Issaquah.
Coughlin Porter Lundeen anticipates some growth next year, but less than in past years.
BOORA
BOORA Architects Inc. of Portland has grown from 77 to 89 people with an increase in fee volume of 16 percent to $10.1 million.
BOORA's growth markets include cultural arts, recreation, higher education, and "entertainment architecture." New work includes the $80 million National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati, and the $50 million Center for the Arts at the University of California, Davis. In Seattle, the firm is involved in the renovation of the Cinerama Theater for Paul Allen's Vulcan Northwest and the University of Washington's Intramural Athletic Facility.
Confidence by institutions, taxpayers and the philanthropic community about the national economic condition will influence growth next year. But BOORA expects Oregon's economy, like that of other western states, to continue expansion at a modest rate next year.
Baylis Brand Wagner
In the last year, Baylis Brand Wagner Architects experienced a 12 percent increase in staff size and a growth of 20 percent in construction volume.
Working primarily on the Eastside, the firm has been able to get behind the Growth Management Act. Many of the projects that BBWA is currently designing are urban infill projects in Bellevue and Kirkland's central business districts œ including Old Bellevue Mixed-use Apartments in Bellevue and the recently finished Brezza Condominiums in Kirkland.
There has been simultaneous momentum of all of the firm's markets, including multi-family residential, office, specialty retail, recreational facilities, and custom homes.
Transpo
For the previous two years, Transpo remained constant in size at 18 people, but today the staff size is 26. 1998 has been a good year for the firm, with gross sales expected to top $2.5 million.
Sports venue special events planning and operations have been a major component of the work load over that two year period. Projects include transportation environmental impact and traffic operational aspects of the Emerald Downs Racetrack, the Mariners Ballpark, and the Seahawks Stadium & Exhibition Center, and traffic control at the 1998 PGA Golf Championship at Sahalee.
Work with the private sector (both directly and through municipal tri-party contracts) on traffic impact assessment has been growing as well, in keeping with the unprecedented period of development work in both residential and commercial markets in the Puget Sound area. Recent work includes assisting Northgate Shopping Center with expansion plans within Seattle's Northgate Comprehensive Plan, Lincoln Square with downtown Bellevue transportation concerns and impacts, and Meydenbauer Performing Arts Center (Bellevue) with expansion plans. The firm is assisting several communities in developing comprehensive transportation plans .
Transpo has ongoing work for King County Metro on two on-call agreements: one for a transit hub and one for transit speed and reliability work.
Transpo has relocated its offices from Bellevue to Kirkland.
Recent staff additions have positioned the firm to enter the state of the art field of intelligent transportation systems (ITS). Challenges in the field continue to be those of funding and funding allocation methodologies.
Earth Tech
This has been a very strong year for Earth Tech Inc.'s Western Washington operations. The firm hired 10 staff members for a total number of 62 in the Northwest. Sales were $10.5 million, 10 percent increase over 1997. Business focus has shifted from 75 percent water, wastewater, and surface water and 25 percent transportation to approximately 50/50 last year. Significant new projects include the "C" Street interchange design project in Auburn, the inflow/infiltration sewer study in Aberdeen, construction administration of the wastewater treatment plant in Ocean Shores, stormwater planning in Blaine, industrial wastewater services in Sunnyside, roadway rehabilitation in Yakima, and on-call surveying services for WSDOT.
Recently, the Bellevue office was awarded its first environmental services contract, providing remediation consulting and other services to the Port of Anacortes.
According to regional manager Gary Bourne, Earth Tech is watching the listing of salmon by the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and other stormwater regulations that will affect nearly all municipal clients. The firm is also tracking the outcome of Referendum 49 - the State Transportation Funding Referendum - in the November elections.
In the coming year, Earth Tech anticipates an increase in sales as a result of the strong economy in Washington State and additional staff capabilities - including the addition of two new bridge engineers. The firm expects transportation sales to increase significantly if Referendum 49 passes, funneling more money into roadway projects. Earthtech looks for the core water resources market to grow as well, as a result of Washington's growth and the need for infrastructure improvements statewide.
Earth Tech is a world-wide engineering and environmental services firm with 50 offices, 4,000 staff members and revenues of $700 million. Recent acquisition of Rust Environment & Infrastructure doubled the number of employees, reinforces the firm's technical capabilities, and provides experience in larger wastewater and transportation projects.
The firm's Western Washington regional offices in Bellevue, Federal Way and Bellingham have provided engineering consulting to municipalities and agencies since 1979. The region focuses on wastewater, water, surface water, and transportation engineering; urban planning; and surveying.
Callison
The size of the Callison staff is currently over 420, a 12percent increase in the last year. Revenues for 1998 are $58.4 million, a 15 percent increase.
Callison's markets include the corporate, retail, healthcare, residential and hospitality sectors. In the last year, Callison has re-focused its studios to create the places where people live, work and play œ and to explore exciting new ideas and projects where these activities intersect. The Wells Fargo/Starbucks project in San Francisco, recently featured in the Wall Street Journal, is a good example of this, as well as the Future@Work laboratory which offers an experiential tool for clients seeking to improve office space.
The firm has added strategic real estate planning and improved services in corporate consulting to include discovery and workplace evolution to the traditional programming pro-cess.
In retail, the firm is pushing further into merchandising strategy and branding. Callison has designed "lifestyle" centers in Scottsdale, Dallas, Boulder and San Jose. The Nordstrom flagship store, opened this fall, re-uses a historic building here in Seattle.
Callison also formed an image design team that is currently working with industry-leading clients like Nike, LL Bean and LA Cellular and is designing learning and entertainment centers like the Pacific Science Center, new IMAX theater and Toronto's Powerhouse at Square One.
The firm continues to expand services in the healthcare market, leveraging knowledge of retail and hospitality design and working with clients like Providence and St. Charles.
Callison has practiced in Asia for over eight years, and now has more work there than ever before - particularly in Japan with Seibu Department Stores. The firm is looking to expand work in Europe, anticipating the effects of the coming common currency -the Euro - and all the market changes it will create.
The firm is planning to add strategic talent to its organization next year, but anticipates a slower rate of growth than 1998.
Bouillon
While mechanical engineering remains the core competency at Bouillon, there is emphasis on attracting employees who have advanced technology and computer skill sets.
"Information and communications systems have become integrated into facilities to an unprecedented degree, so they must be addressed in the design and engineering phase rather than being applied later," said Jim Masten, Bouillon executive vice president.
Bouillon has, over the past few years, invested in research, development and implementation of new technologies and technology services.
"Owners, occupants and end-users are increasingly technologically aware and have needs that simply did not exist in the past," said Masten.
Bouillon staff size and hiring rate remain at about the same levels as last year and business volume remains stable at approximately $6.5 million a year.
Space
Space Seattle opened in January of this year, and grew to 20 professional staff members in 10 months. The entire company includes 200, with offices in Chicago, New York and Oakland and now in Tokyo, Denver, Amsterdam and Mexico City.
The firm provides a range of real estate and facility planning, design, management and research services. Projected total sales volume for 1998 will be $20 million in professional fees - a growth of 60 percent from last year.
The firm expands geographically and with service areas in response to clients' growth. These clients include AT&T, Lucent Technologies, Microsoft, and Amazon.com. The facilities management practice has grown along with strategic consulting and design services. Program management is seen as a significant future service area.
The most significant industry indicators are in the global economy, where corporations are impacted by reduced earnings. There is a corresponding reduction in capital investment, and this limits the marketplace and minimizes opportunities.
However, Space is planning on aggressive growth, continuing with the technology and financial service industry sectors. Further European and Latin American expansion is also projected.
Entranco
Entranco has had an active hiring campaign over the past 12 months to fill positions at all staff levels. Currently, Entranco has over 130 staff in Washington, representing a 20 percent increase over 1997 levels. Overall staff exceeds 260 in eight offices in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Utah, Arizona, and California. Strong growth was also reflected in increased sales volumes, 28 percent over 1997 goals.
Entranco has focused this year on increasing market share in its key services areas: transportation, water re-sources, site/civil, and construction services. Major transportation projects include the Bellevue Transit Center for Sound Transit, state Route 202 (Sahalee Way to SR 520), a state Route 99 planning study, West Lake Sammamish Parkway improvements for the city of Redmond, and the Seahawks Stadium traffic studies.
The firm is under contract for on-call erosion control services for the Port of Seattle as part of the Third Runway construction project, and has also won the Spokane County watershed planning and policy development services project. Its site/civil group has been working on the expansion of Microsoft's World Headquarters in Redmond, the Safeco Campus in Redmond, and traffic studies for projects in downtown Bellevue.
Construction services clients include the city of Tukwila and the city of Seattle Public Utilities (SPU).
This year, Entranco opened an office in Olympia where five full-time employees are working on a corridor improvements program. The Beaverton, Ore., office has grown to eight.
The firm is seeking to increase work for architectural and developer clients - ports and harbors - by increasing structural engineering capabilities. The firm is also increasing capabilities in the areas of stream restoration work and wastewater/water system design. Entranco is carefully watching the trends in design/build, particularly in the public infrastructure arena.
The firm is watching salmon protection legislation and awaiting the outcome of Referendum 49, which will have a serious impact on transportation related consulting services.
Entranco anticipates maintaining a 20 percent growth pattern during 1999. The majority of this expansion will be in the growing transportation marketplace.
DLR
The DLR Group, previously know as DLR/John Graham Associates, simplified its name on Sept. 1. The staff of 75 reflects the growth in revenue from $4 million in 1994 to $10 million in 1998.
The Seattle office is one of 19 offices within the DLR Group, with employees totaling nearly 600. The firm currently ranks as the fifth largest architecture and engineering firm in the United States, according to Building Design and Construction Magazine, and the 65th largest in the world according to World Architecture Magazine.
Current DLR Group projects include three new schools for the Seattle School District; an addition to Kamiak High School in Mukilteo; programming of a multi-custody state prison of 1,936 beds for the Washington Department of Corrections; new police and courts facility for the Mt. Vernon Police; on-going work as a design partner for Boeing; the renovation of the Ala Moana shopping center in Honolulu, and renovation of Cheney Stadium, home of the Tacoma Rainiers Baseball Club.
McGranahan
During the last few months of 1997 and early into 1998, McGranahan Partnership of Tacoma was hiring entry and upper level staff. Low staff turnover and natural attrition has caused the total staff size to remain the same today as it was at the end of 1997.
Design work in 1997 represented a construction dollar amount of around $48 million. Current workload projected to the end of 1998 represents construction dollar amounts of approximately $61 million. This change represents a 26 percent increase.
McGranahan Partnership has always been a general practice firm with a diversity of project types. Much of the work is in the K-12 school market.
Current significant projects are include Renton Junior High School and Renton Senior High School, Lake Washington School District; East Wing renovation for Bates Technical College; Aviation Trades Facility, Clover Park Technical College; Hyundai Terminal, Port of Tacoma; a co-location office building for the state of Washington; County Jail for Pierce County; the second phase of the University of Washington, Tacoma Branch; Salishan neighborhood master plan for Tacoma Housing Authority; and Snohomish County Juvenile Facility.
Industry changes the firm is watching carefully include alternative project delivery methods, project funding source movement and public participation in the design formulation and approval process. Over the next three to five year period, the market mix will include more housing and more significant local projects than today, even as the firm maintains emphasis on our K-12 clients.
Bassetti
The year has seen a 19 percent increase in revenue and the addition of several new personnel.
Major projects completed this year include WaHeLut Indian School and the Edmonds-Woodway High School. Redmond Regional Library, Mary Gates Hall at the University of Washington, and a 227-unit apartment complex in Bellevue are under construction. The staff is currently busy on several projects including the renovation of West Seattle High School, Woodmont Library, Overlake School Performing Arts Center and the conversion of 4th Church of Christ Scientist to Town Hall.
In January Marilyn Brockman and Rick Huxley joined Lorne McConache as principals of the Bassetti Architects, and in March they were joined by Joshua Reyenveld.
The firm has benefited from an excellent business environment this past year and anticipates continued - though slower - growth through 1999. Bassetti will continue to focus on educational facilities while expanding in civic and cultural enrichment markets.
Greif
Joseph Greif Architects was started in 1991, and in the last year the staff has grown from one to two full-time architects and one part-time architect and bookkeeper. This year the work load has increased by approximately 25 percent to approximately $5 million in construction volume.
New and ongoing projects of the last year include residences, office buildings, and a mausoleum. The firm has also participated in the design of the Waldorf School, where the site and its buildings are a teaching experience complementary to the school curriculum.
In the Northwest and in the world there is strong interest in the environment and the related business of sustainability, according to Joseph Greif. "We see the need to look for those designs concepts that will balance and 'ensoul' these new trends with meaning."
Mahlum
Staff and billings for Mahlum Architects has increased in 1998 and the year has brought solid growth to both the Seattle and Portland offices.
The West Coast healthcare market has increased in Washington, Oregon, and Alaska according to principal Vince Nordfors. Existing and new healthcare clients alike are releasing projects. The firm has begun a marketing push into Eastern Oregon and gained a new project at Holy Rosary Medical Center in Ontario.
In Eastern Washington, the firm has two more projects at Spokane's Sacred Heart Medical Center and further work with Good Samaritan Hospital in Puyallup.
At Mahlum, planning for higher education is paramount, knowing that within 10 years there will be 50 percent more university and college level students. The firm is performing master planning or planning for specific facilities at Clatsop Community College in Astoria, The Evergreen State College in Olympia, and Oregon Coast Community College in Newport.
The market for primary education also shows steady growth. Schools continue to need upgrading, technology enhancements, and new replacement facilities in answer to aging structures and population growth.
Construction of the new Ballard High School, the new Lake Forest Park Elementary School in Portland, Lincoln High School addition in Tacoma, Seattle Preparatory School addition, and Mercer Island High School renovation/addition continued during 1998. New design projects include renovations to Governor Rogers High School in Puyallup, restoration/additions to Coe Elementary School on Queen Anne, and planning work for a new high school in Dayton.
There is also steady growth in the new commercial and renovation market. This year's success resulted in new corporate headquarters for Timberline Software in Portland, renovation of the Polson Building in Seattle, and renovation of an existing 1916 building for the North American corporate headquarters of Dr. Martens AirWair in downtown Portland.
Mahlum Architects is not planning on adding staff in 1999, although the firm looks for institutional markets to continue to grow.
Abacus
The mechanical and electrical engineering firm has increasingly taken on the responsibility of prime consultant in performance contracting work requiring comprehensive services, and has augmented technical and support staff accordingly. In the past year, staff has grown from 70 to 80. As Abacaus continues to expand the scope and geographical area of services, it will recruit engineering and management personnel.
Recent and current projects include several Palomino Restaurants with Mithun Partners, the new Redmond Library with Bassetti Architects, Seattle University Law School Library with Olson/Sundberg, the new Seattle Municipal Courthouse with NBBJ and University of Washington's new Oceanography Building with Bohlin Cywinski Jackson.
The firm has performance contracting projects with the Kennewick and Aberdeen school districts, at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard, Central Washington University, and the VA Hospital in Omaha.
With project locations ranging from Okinawa to Washington DC; Kodiak, Alaska, to Charlotte, NC; and San Diego to Cincinnati, Abacus is establishing a presence outside the Pacific Northwest.
Makers
Makers' clients include municipal governments, port districts, and state and federal agencies. This business environment is affected by both politics and the local and national economies.
The firm's gross sales typically average between $800,000 and $1.2 million per year, with 1998 generating approximately $1 million. The workload is approximately two-thirds facility and community planning and one-third architectural projects.
Current projects include: Navy and Coast Guard work on the West Coast and in Hawaii; revising and updating portions of Seattle's Downtown Comprehensive Plan; neighborhood planning projects for Capitol Hill, University District, Roosevelt, and Columbia City; Port of Anacortes and Port of Bellingham planning projects; completion of a downtown improvement plan for Bozeman, Mont.; assistance to the Department of Ecology in provisions for the Shoreline Management Act.
Partner Gerald Hansmire sees two major changes in the sectors of the industry Makers works with. There is a growing public awareness of the need to plan for and manage growth. New technologies continue to impact the way planning and facility development information is developed, along with a growing client interest in electronic (GIS-based) planning solutions.
The electronic evolution in planning has created a need for professionals who can use this information creatively, said Hansmire.
Public awareness of the need for planning will promote an increasingly complicated project implementation process.
"We are content with our current office size and have limited growth plans in the near future," said Hansmire.
Chalker
Chalker Putnam Collins & Scott of Tacoma saw over a 20 percent increase in work load this past year and over 35 percent in the last two years.
Although a majority of the work is public projects, most of the increase was in private sector work. Assisted living/skilled nursing projects accounted for nearly half of the increase this past year. Higher education and K-12 educational design still accounts for over 50 percent of the work, a steady rate.
This was a year that saw many of its major projects either completed or under construction, including Seattle University Law School, Olympia High School, Mercer Island High School, Denny Justice Center (Snohomish) and Central Washington University's Black Hall.
"As structural engineers who specialize in consulting to architects, our work load is a direct reflection of the fact that most of our architectural clients are busy," said Dan Putnam, president. "It took over $350 million in building construction last year to keep our medium-sized firm of 31 busy. We added five engineers and three CAD technicians in the past 18 months along with lots of overtime and contract CAD labor to meet our work load. We also made our largest technology upgrade investment ever. Networking, hardware, software and training is starting to payoff in increased productivity."
The increased level of work appears to extend well into next year. Major projects currently in design include the second phase of the University of Washington Tacoma Campus, University of Puget Sound Academic Building, Pierce County Jail expansion and a number of major K-12 school projects. Assisted living, office buildings and numerous small- and medium-sized private projects are also continuing.
Miller/Hull
The Miller/Hull Partnership strives to create simple, elegant and authentic designs. Established in Seattle in 1977, Miller/Hull has four partners; founders David Miller and Robert Hull, two additional partners Norman Strong (1986) and Craig Curtis (1994) and a staff of 28.
Miller/Hull has developed a community-based architecture for a variety of clients ranging from regional governmental agencies, colleges and universities to private corporations. In public architecture the firm attempts to capture the spirit and vitality of the project by focusing on the tensions between context and materiality; detail and structure.
Residential projects comprise about 25 percent of the firm's work.
Miller/Hull increased in staff size in 1998 by twenty percent. Marketing efforts have expanded into new territories, and the firm has been receiving commissions for larger projects, and the current economic boom in the Puget Sound region has increased opportunities.
Construction volume 1998 is $24 million, with another $15 million in design. This compares to 1997's total volume of $14 million.
Miller/Hull has expanded beyond the State of Washington with projects in Northern California, Idaho, Oregon, Alaska and Colorado, and the firm has been approached by potential clients in New York State, Florida and Georgia. Exposure of Miller/Hull work has been increased with projects featured in international publications in Italy and Germany. A book of 10 recent residential projects, published by Rockport Press, will be out in early 1999.
Recent projects on the boards in 1998 include King County Library System Service Center, Issaquah; Seattle Pacific University Science Laboratory; Mercerview Community Center, Mercer Island; Seattle Center Flag Pavilion & Green; UW Tacoma Campus, second phase (with McGranahan Partnership and Boyle Wagoner Architects).
Notkin
A tight labor market and a booming construction industry have Notkin Engineering Inc. recruiting nationally to support its local projects. The firm's 1998 projects, œ including the recent completion of Benaroya Hall - have paved the way for entering new markets.
This year the mechanical engineering firm hired only to accommodate attrition and expand its CAD services. Now the firm seeks to boost its senior engineering staff, according to Tom Ferlan, principal and owner with the firm.
The mechanical construction value of Notkin Engineering's projects in 1998 exceeded $30 million. According to Ferlan, this amounts to a 10 percent increase over the previous year.
New market sectors at Notkin include performance halls and museums. Ferlan believes that the completion of the Mary Baker Russell Music Center for Pacific Lutheran University allowed the firm to compete for and win the Benaroya Hall project. Then came the Experience Music Project and the International Glass Museum.
Meanwhile the firm continues to work in the medical, research, military, public and educational markets. The firm is also at work on Naval Hospital Bremerton, Benaroya Research Institute at Virginia Mason, and the Holly Park Redevelopment.
In the Northwest, Ferlan sees the software, aerospace and biotechnology industries consolidating. But he predicts a "shift in momentum" - not a recession - for the area.
C3MG
C3MG staff size has grown from 14 to 20 in the last year. The 16-year-old Kirkland cost estimating firm, a certified woman-owned business, has maintained 20 percent growth annually and currently works on projects totalling approximately $2 billion in construction cost. Projects range from transportation facilities and infrastructure projects to schools.
Recent projects include numerous stations for the Sound Transit Commuter and Light Rail System, Port of Seattle Concourse A Expansion and Parking Terminal Expansion at SeaTac International Airport, interstate access improvements, the King Street Station restoration and the King County Denny Way/Lake Union CSO Project.
New areas of interest include document control systems to manage the submittal process and CAD documentation during construction. Marketing strategies are continually refined to meet the needs of traditional design-bid-build, design-build, design-build-operate, and GC/CM processes.
"We target clients, not necessarily projects," said business manager Jamie Awford. The firm tracks local development, capital budgets, specific clients, and public agencies to understand its overall projections and anticipated needs.
"Our continued growth over the next year will be focused predominantly on transportation and infrastructure projects followed by more traditional building construction," said Awford.
KPFF
KPFF Consulting Engineers has increased staff size by 15 percent. With 146 employees, the structural and civil engineering firm expects increased workloads as population grows and industries continue to emerge in the Northwest. Gross billings have seen a 12 percent increase over 1997.
KPFF continues expand services in seismic engineering and analysis with the addition of two doctoral professionals, Andy Taylor and Andres Lepages. Current projects include the Emergency Operations Center at Camp Murray, Safeco Data Center in Redmond and a case study for the US Courthouse in Seattle.
There has also been steady growth in commercial office parks and mixed used facilities, particularly located in outlying areas, according to vice president Ralph Iboshi. Other growth opportunities include healthcare, education, hospitality and infrastructure to support these facilities.
"In order for the economy to continue to grow, the development of our infrastructure must keep pace," said Iboshi. Accompanying infrastructure is also mandated by the Growth Management Act, he added.
Another crucial growth element is housing. KPFF recently teamed with Quadrant for the urban planning of Redmond Ridge, a 1,000-acre site with 1,500 residential lots, 1.2 million square feet of business park and mixed-use.
The firm completed design and construction of the Port of Seattle's latest milestone œ the $275 million expansion and modernization of Terminal.
CNA
Working with such clients as Paul Allen's Vulcan Northwest, Intracorp, Schnitzer Northwest, Opus and Overlake Hospital, CNA Architecture has completed a number of high-profile projects throughout the Puget Sound. Current and recent projects include the Overlake Medical Office Building, Sammamish Park Place, Schnitzer Northcreek, Intracorp Seaway Properties and relocation planning for bsquare, NeoRx and Cell Therapeutics Inc.
Sixteen people have been added to the staff, and revenue has increased by 35 percent.
CNA intends to continue focusing in commercial, healthcare, technology and industrial categories while increasing its market share in the area of interior design. Because the Seattle-area building boom of the last few years may be approaching a downward curve, CNA has strategically targeted those types of businesses likely to withstand an economic slump.
CDi
The addition of several new personnel CDi Mechanical Engineers has pushed the staff size to 31, making the 10-year-old company one of the largest mechanical engineering design firms in the Puget Sound area.
There is an expanding backlog of new work for healthcare, commercial, industrial, criminal justice, Department of Defense, higher education and municipal clients at CDi. Recent projects include: The Henry Art Gallery renovation and addition, St. Charles Medical Center renovation and addition, Bend, Ore.; UW/Cascadia College co-located campus, Bothell; UW Medical Center Cancer Care Alliance project; Seattle Center central plant upgrade; and Seafirst Performing Arts Center, Wenatchee.
Shannon & Wilson
The economy has fueled numerous large infrastructure and community projects for Shannon & Wilson. They include Benaroya Hall, Safeco Field, Experience Music Project, Seahawks Exhibition Hall and Parking Garage and Washington State Convention and Trade Center Expansion. The railroad, geotechnical, and environmental services groups are currently very involved with Sound Transit, various geotechnical and natural resources railroad and highway projects, and work with the Corps of Engineers Seattle and Alaska Districts.
The geotechnical engineering firm has grown in staff size from 107 to 129 in the last year, with sales increasing 9 percent to $14.8 million. The Seattle office has grown by 22 percent this year, following a period of unprecedented growth.
"We are eagerly watching the health of the local economy and how it effects infrastructure needs," said senior vice president and branch manager J. Duncan Findlay, who is also wary about the potential effects of the Asian economic crisis on our region and the subsequent slow-down of growth.
"We expect moderate growth in the next year in infrastructure projects, particularly under federal and state budgets," said Findley.
RWE
RoseWater Engineering Inc. (RWE) has been hiring steadily for the past two years, growing from 17 to 35 employees since mid-1996.
Eight have joined the civil engineering firm since January. Gross revenues of $2.8 million are expected for 1998, over twice the revenues of 1996.
Major projects on the RWE boards include the drainage design for the Sounder commuter rail improvements between Tacoma and Seattle, and hydraulic analysis and design for a number of Department of Transportation projects in Western Washington.
RWE, a certified woman-owned business, is focused on the public sector engineering market.
"If Initiative 200 passes," said owner Amy Haugerud, "watch for mergers and acquisitions among minority and woman-owned businesses. There will be some confusion among public agencies that now have programs to encourage the use of use of MWBE firms."
"If it fails," said Haugerud, "expect some other efforts to refine and improve affirmative action approaches."
If Referendum 49 passes, she said, the state will continue to spend money on transportation design and engineering firms will be busy, busy, busy. "There may be some minor hesitation while the legislature hammers out the final project list, but not much."
On the other hand, "If the referendum doesn't pass, transportation funding will be in limbo until the Legislature meets. It's a toss-up as to whether the Legislature will take a 'no' vote as a sign that the voters don't support transportation funding or will decide that the voters just didn't like the methodology."
Since most RWE work is in the public sector, the impact of a recession will be delayed.
"A few months ago," said Haugerud, "conventional wisdom was that the boom in public sector engineering was likely to last at least five years. I wonder if the surrounding economic environment will cut that short in spite of tremendous infrastructure needs."
Haugerud projects growth in the range of 10 percent in the next year based on existing and pending contracts in the transportation, school and wastewater arenas.
URSGWC
URS Greiner Woodward Clyde (URSGWC) is banking on diversification of services. When URS Greiner and Woodward Clyde officially merge this month.
Along with the merger, a four-person aviation group specializing in baggage/security systems and planning has become part of the Seattle office. Now totaling 20, the group is working with Lockheed Martin and the FAA to design the next-generation security system, which will be implemented at 70 U.S. airports. The new system provides enhanced automated and monitored explosion detection of checked baggage.
Sales volume in 1998 for the group is expected to exceed $38 million, up 15 percent from 1997. The Seattle offices now employ 250 staff members, up 10 percent from last year.
"We are monitoring the Asian financial crisis and its effect on our local economy," said vice president John Butts.
Closer to home, "with the FAA's forecast that US air carriers' domestic passenger levels will rise 51 percent from 1997 to 2009, air carrier airports are carefully planning and budgeting for construction improvement projects," he said.
The facilities architecture group, initiated as a stand alone business line in June of 1997 and now a staff of ten, recently completed a large communications upgrade at the University of Washington's Terry Residence Hall. The goal was to obtain "one port per pillow" and to upgrade outdated furniture. The project was the first of its kind on campus and met a rigid 12-week construction schedule.
URS Greiner Woodward Clyde is experiencing rapid growth in infrastructure engineering work, specifically water/wastewater and storm-water. The firm is now working with King and Pierce counties, Midway Sewer District, and the cities of Ocean Shores and Cle Elum in expanding their capabilities and capacities.
Butts sees water, wastewater, and stormwater needs rapidly expanding as a result of population growth combined with the impacts of listing salmon on the Endangered Species Act, and is looking forward to meeting burgeoning demand through projects such as the King County Regional Wastewater Services Plan (RWSP), which involves numerous improvements to water quality.
Berger/ABAM
Berger/ABAM Engineers Inc. now counts 108 employees, which represents 10 percent growth over the past year and includes the firm's Federal Way and Portland offices. Gross in the same time totaled $17.1 million, which has created a solid backlog of work.
The biggest expansion has been in the areas of transportation, waterfront, and seismic design and program management. Recent projects include on-call services to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; ground access and seismic improvements to Sea-Tac International Airport; design of the City of Kent's Green River Bridge and construction administration for the city's 277th Corridor development project; design of the U.S. Navy's Pier 205 breakwater at the Everett Naval Station; and port development projects in India, Bangladesh, and several other Asian and Latin American countries. For the upcoming year, Berger/ABAM is watching the design-build trend and privatization of public facilities and infrastructure.
"We see a great many agencies and organizations 'testing the waters' for design-build," said Bob Wallace, president. The firm is forming strategic alliances to address upcoming design/build opportunities.
As for the international market, Berger/ABAM will be less aggressive in going after projects where fees are in local currency. "However, we will still pursue World Bank and USAID projects," said Wallace.
The moderate growth that Berger/ABAM anticipates will be centered around transportation improvements and local development. In addition to design-build, the firm expects expansion in construction administration and management services.
Buffalo
Buffalo Design has been hiring staff over the last year. After several years of fairly stable staffing, Buffalo Design employee turnover has increased this year.
According to principal Chris Carlson, turnover is due to the large number of jobs available to good people in the profession here.
"We have not been able to find enough qualified new people to comfortably handle the volume of work in the office," he said. "Our solution has been contract labor and significant amounts of overtime. Our in-house staff level remains steady at between 10 and 12 people."
The company is expecting revenue to exceed $1.25 million for 1998, an increase of about 10 percent over 1997.
Buffalo is working with public and governmental clients on community based projects like new libraries in Kennewick and Monroe. The firm is also working with the Metropolitan Development Council of Tacoma and the AIDS Housing Association of Tacoma on a complicated residential/re-tail/office facility in Tacoma's Stadium Historical District.
The number of healthcare-related commissions has also continued to grow over the past year as projects which have been on hold come back to life.
"We see more conservatism in our clients these days; less propensity to take risks on new ideas," said Carlson.
The firm plans to increase revenues again in 1999 through more effective management and upgraded computer systems, while staffing levels may remain steady.
Buffalo looks for continued growth in healthcare and related fields, particularly in specialty centers and complicated renovations.
Integrus
The past 12 months have been stable for Integrus, with 53 staff members in Seattle and Spokane, and hiring on an "opportunistic" basis. When it finds a great designer or project architect, it adds them to the team.
Construction volume has also remained steady at about $85 million for each of the past two years.
Business development has been four prime areas; education, justice, civic, and private. Integrus has completed three significant High Schools in the Bellingham, Edmonds, and Kennewick school districts within the last year.
According to principal Doug Bailey, "We find two areas of integration are increasingly important in all our projects, sustainablility and technology. Clients find it more and more important to include responsible resource usage in their projects.
"Technology has become such a driving force in shaping today's buildings, we now have an architect who is a Microsoft Certified Professional on staff to help our clients," he said.
The firm is increasing investments in professional and academic research into the influence of architecture on the educational process.
RSP/EQE
RSP/EQE has been actively hiring staff over the past two years, and is presently adding to the current staff of 20. Over the past year, the design staff has grown approximately 30 percent.
Local office billings were over $2 million last year and close to $3 million is anticipated this year.
"Our marketing efforts were put to the test almost two years ago, when several principals left the firm to join a competitor," said principal Jack Wiggins.
This was a year of regrouping and marketing challenges for the Seattle office of the structural engineering firm.
Recent projects include the Sea-Tac Passenger Terminal renovation, several Belltown mixed-use projects, Latona and Sanislo elementary schools, Lakeside School, the Leavitt Building in Bellevue (award winner), and several assisted living projects in Western Washington.
Broweleit Peterson
"Our firm made a decision three years ago to keep our staff size around 10 to 14 people to insure that we can keep control of our projects," said Dave Peterson, principal of Broweleit Peterson Architects. "We had, at times in our firm's 20-year history, a staff as high as 29 - but felt projects suffered and it just was not as much fun."
The firm added one architect in 1998, and will hire one additional staff person soon.
The present work load totals $46 million in construction, higher than the past two years. Markets include church-related and educational projects.
"The majority are built using the team approach with negotiated contracts," said Peterson, "which seems to keep our staff needs down during the construction phase."
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