52
Exploring the Changing Practice of Architecture • A publication of AIA Seattle | Winter 2008/09 Vol.1 No.3 Designers Making Change A Gentler Gentrification Designers Making Change Perform/ Transform

AIA Seattle article on disaster aid

Embed Size (px)

Citation preview

Page 1: AIA Seattle article on disaster aid

Exploring the Changing Practice of Architecture • A publication of AIA Seattle | Winter 2008/09 Vol.1 No.3

DesignersMaking Change

AG

entle

rG

entr

ifica

tion

Des

igne

rsM

akin

gC

hang

e

Per

form

/Tr

ansf

orm

Seattle Winter Cover B:Layout 1 2/12/09 3:18 PM Page 1

Page 2: AIA Seattle article on disaster aid

Covers:Layout 1 11/19/08 2:56 PM Page 2

Page 3: AIA Seattle article on disaster aid

Forum Winter 09:Layout 1 2/13/09 10:19 AM Page 1

Page 4: AIA Seattle article on disaster aid

2 | AIASEATTLE.ORG

Winter 2008/09Vol 1, No. 3Forum, a publication of AIA Seattle

AIA Seattle provides the architectural community with resources andrelationships to make a difference through design.

Forum is a platform for critical dialogue about architecture.

FORUM EDITORIAL BOARDDaniel Williams FAIA Brad Khouri AIAMark Hinshaw FAIA Ken Tadashi Oshima PhDRico Quirindongo AIA Tony Gale FAIA

FORUM DESIGN CONCEPT/ART DIRECTIONWolken Communica

PUBLISHERDawson Publications, Inc.

2008-2009 AIA SEATTLE BOARD OF DIRECTORSMarilyn Brockman AIA, PresidentAnne Schopf FAIA, President ElectDavid Spiker AIA, SecretaryTammie Schacher AIA, TreasurerLee Copeland FAIA, Past PresidentDavid Kunselman AIAPeter Steinbrueck FAIALarry Hurwitz AIAGeoff Anderson AIACraig Curtis FAIAAmanda Sturgeon AIAPeter Locke AIAConnie PetersenBob Shrosbree ASLADan SayJohn EdwardsGladys Ly-au Young AIA

AIA SEATTLE STAFFLisa Richmond, Executive DirectorBrad Barnett, Office and Gallery ManagerKristin Boyer, ControllerLisa Duncan, Events and Programs ManagerDebra Haraldson, Information and Membership ManagerStephanie Pure, Director of Marketing and CommunicationsJanet Stephenson, Program DirectorIsla McKetta, Marketing AssistantKaren Dale, Forum Copy EditorRobin Bundi, Intern

AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTS SEATTLE CHAPTER1911 First Avenue Seattle, WA 98101 • 206.448.4938www.aiaseattle.org • e-mail: [email protected]

Forum is distributed as a benefit of membership of AIA Seattle and AIA WashingtonCouncil. For more information on membership, call 206.448.4938.

One-year subscription (4 issues): $40 (US), $60 (foreign). To advertise in Forum,please call Dawson Publications at 800.322.3448

The opinions expressed herein or the representations made by advertisers, includ-ing copyrights and warranties, are not those of the Board of Directors, officers orstaff of AIA Seattle, or Dawson Publications unless expressly stated otherwise.

Forum is produced on paper that has recycled content, and printed with green inksthat do not contain solvents and are VOC-free. Alcohol substitutes, water-misciblepress washes, acid-free paper, and VOC-free cleaners are used. Our printer haseliminated film and film processing, and uses aqueous plates, waste recoveryprograms, and EPA-licensed handlers.

© 2009 AIA Seattle

All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission isstrictly prohibited.

Comments and contributions welcome.

Some sales insertion orders may reflect Winter 2008 only.

EDITORIAL CALENDAR

February 2009Designers Making Change

May 2009New Ways of Living: Residential Design

ON THE COVER

107

DON BRUBECK, AIA, BASSETTI ARCHITECTSKATE CUDNEY AND TOM MULICA WITH AWB MASON STEINBRUECK

ART DIRECTORJames Colgan

Members of The Global Studio at work on a project with Agros International inNicaragu. See story on page 23. Photo courtesy of The Global Studio.

15

Forum Winter 09:Layout 1 2/13/09 4:49 PM Page 2

Page 5: AIA Seattle article on disaster aid

38

40

41

42

45

18

AIASEATTLE.ORG | 3

Departments

Why “Designers Making Change”Marilyn Brockman AIA

CurrentsArchitects Without Borders Seattle help create atraining center in Kenya

Dear LibraLibra suggests engaging with your community toachieve positive change

IndustryRachel Minnery AIA explains how architects can stepup after disaster strikes

Up CloseRick Browning AIA interviews Ray Gastil, Seattle’s newPlanning Director

GroundworkJim Nicholls inspires the next generation of architect-activists with his Storefront Studio

PracticePeter Steinbrueck FAIA sheds light on Seattlearchitects’ long history of Viaduct activism

RimJeff Hou discusses design activism in the Pacific Rim

EdgeKrishna Bharathi Assoc AIA chats about communitywith Steve Badanes AIA

PartnerLandscape architects at Jones & Jones reinvent thehighway

Program HighlightsWhat Makes It Green? Awards, Water Forum

Buzz2008 Honor Awards at Benaroya Hall

Meet the ChairsAIA Seattle welcomes its 2009 committee chairs

Index to AdvertisersCategorical and Alphabetical listings

Features

A Gentler GentrificationLinda Baker asks how good design can mediate theimpacts of gentrification

Designers Making ChangeJulia Levitt introduces seven young professionals whoare focusing their energies on the public realm

Perform/TransformAIA Seattle announces the winners of the 2008 HonorAwards for Washington Architecture

TABLEOFCONTENTS

Win

ter

2008

/09

5

7

9

10

12

13

15

17

36

18

23

28

2823

PHOTO COURTESY OF PROJECT ROW HOUSES ROBERT HUTCHISONPHOTO COURTESY OF BEN SPENCER

1

Forum Winter 09:Layout 1 2/16/09 9:46 AM Page 3

Page 6: AIA Seattle article on disaster aid

4 | AIASEATTLE.ORG

www.windowshowroom.com

For more information on beautiful Coastal Douglas Fir and Mahogany products from Loewen contact:

Discover the world’s most inspiring windows and doors at www.loewen.com Design. Create. Inspire.

WINDOWS DOORS & MORE, INC. Authorized Loewen Dealer

Seattle Showroom: 2423 NW Market Street P. 206.782.1011

Redmond Showroom: 15324 NE 92nd Street P. 425.882.1087

s t ruc tura l

mechan i ca l

e l ec t r i ca l

Seattle Spokane Anchorage Los Angeles

LASTING creativity | results | relationships

coffman.com

Recognized as aleader in the consulting engineering industrywhen it comes toapplying the concept of integrated buildingsystem design and building information modeling.

Member of Seattle RevitUsers Group (SeaRUG)

B IM

Forum Winter 09:Layout 1 2/13/09 10:23 AM Page 4

Page 7: AIA Seattle article on disaster aid

When I was in college, I taught art in the public school sys-tem as part of an NEA grant to provide arts education tochildren in extremely low-income communities. I volun-

teered for this mostly to get myself out of the university’s ivory tower,and to explore parts of St. Louis that I would normally be too afraidto visit. It was a life-changing experience for me. Each week, myteaching partner (also an architecture student) and I would make ourway through partially demolished neighborhoods, littered with bro-ken bottles, used needles, and trash, to work with a group of kids,age 5–17. They were black and poor; we were white and privileged.

Our teaching goal was to get them to think about their com-munity. We asked them to draw their homes, their city, and theirworld. What they drew were their dreams of what their worldshould be. We learned more from them than we could ever teachthem: that design is a way to imagine the future, using its inspira-tional language that we all share. We took a field trip to the uni-versity; our students saw models of what we imagined the futureto be. I hope they were encouraged to act on their dreams. I wasmotivated to continue volunteering.

Participation matters. The world needs whatever you can con-tribute. Join a board or commission and influence planning and de-sign in your neighborhood. Mentor a child in their quest to understandbuildings and the environment. Help a community envision some-thing beyond what seems reachable. Dig wells, build houses, plantgardens, re-use cardboard creatively. Architects are trained to believethey can make the world a better place. Act on that.

This past year, AIA Seattle members have been recognized fortheir willingness to step up to the needs of the larger community.Grace Kim AIA received a National AIA Young Architect Award for herextraordinary effort to build a roadmap for architectural licensure forIDP candidates. Norman Strong FAIA received the AIA Pacific North-west Region Medal of Honor for his push to elevate sustainability inthe national AIA agenda. If you talk with either of them, they will tellyou that they have spent countless hours in these pursuits, and thatit has been worth every minute to make such an impact.

AIA Seattle is a great place to make a difference. By joining acommittee or task force, you will find like-minded individuals workingtogether to make our world better. Members of the Committee onthe Environment lobby for changes in state legislation. The ViaductTask Force advocates for an urban design solution that benefits citylivability. The Laddership Group mentors interns on their IDP path.

Visit www.aiaseattle.org and find out what’s happening and howto join in. You will be surprised by what a difference you can make. �

President Marilyn Brockman AIA

COURTNEY ROSENSTEIN, BASSETTI ARCHITECTS

WH

Y“D

ES

IGN

ER

SM

AK

ING

CH

AN

GE

AIASEATTLE.ORG | 5

Since 1888, the AIA has been leading the

industry with the most widely accepted

construction and design contracts. In 2008,

there’s a new standard – Integrated Project

Delivery (IPD). IPD encourages intense

collaboration among contractors, owners,

architects, and engineers – right from a project’s

strengths of your construction and design team

using the AIA’s new IPD Agreements.

To learn more, visit

www.aiacontractdocuments.org to

download your free copy of Integrated Project

Delivery: A Guide, and to purchase the IPD

Agreements today.

The American Institute of Architects1735 New York Avenue NW

Washington, D.C. 20006-5292

A NEW INDUSTRY STANDARD.

Forum Winter 09:Layout 1 2/13/09 10:23 AM Page 5

Page 8: AIA Seattle article on disaster aid

6 | AIASEATTLE.ORG

BBUUIILLDDIINNGG IINNFFOORRMMAATTIIOONN MMOODDEELLIINNGG is changing the architectural industry. Weunderstand that change can be potentially disruptive to an operation. The PPI Group�sin-house BIM experts can help you move to building information modeling technologythrough superior quality consulting, customization and implementation of your BIMsoftware with the least amount of distraction for your organization.

CCOONNSSUULLTTIINNGG && CCUUSSTTOOMMIIZZAATTIIOONN We assess your immediate and long term needsand offer creative, effective solutions. This may include customizing your individualstaff�s software needs or customizing on a per project basis, such as on-the-job training.

IIMMPPLLEEMMEENNTTAATTIIOONN We want your BIM launch to be a gradual change and asuccessful one at that. After meeting with your organization to assess your needs,we will help you establish a BIM rollout strategy that will include training andimplementation for all of those involved in establishing your BIM standards.

GOT BIM?

PPIGROUP

NW Washington: 425.251.9722 or 800.558.5368

OR/SW Washington: 503.231.1576 or 800.247.1927wwwwww..tthheePPPPIIggrroouupp..ccoomm

Forum Winter 09:Layout 1 2/13/09 10:23 AM Page 6

Page 9: AIA Seattle article on disaster aid

AIASEATTLE.ORG | 7

The Seattle chapter of Architects Without Borders(awb-seattle.org/) has recently completed contruction docu-ments for the Rabuor Village Project’s Vocational Training Centeroutside of Kisumu, Kenya. The RVP is a non-profit women’s co-operative that arose in response to HIV/AIDS’s devastation intheir local community. The Vocational Training Center is the nextlogical step in their continued effort to break the cycle of povertyand HIV/AIDS in the region. The center addresses these needsby providing training for the area’s youth, who have few, if any,prospects for work in the area’s struggling economy.

In addition to training, the center will provide opportunities forentrepreneurship. Students will learn applicable skills in suchareas as business, computer technology, carpentry, metal work-ing and culinary arts, and then use the center for production,sales and service. For example, after being trained in metalwork, a student can use the shop for a small fee to producegoods on commission or sell them directly in the center’s retailstore. In addition to classrooms, workshops, and retail space,

the center will house a business center, a commercial kitchen,and an internet café.

Architects with AWB traveled to Rabuor over the last yearand, with significant community design involvement, developed amodel for a site near the village. Goals need to encompass—• readily available and sustainable resources, such as the locally-

produced and durable compressed brick• a flexible plan that adapts to alternative demands• mitigation of extreme heat and rainfall• a construction design that allows the participation of local

carpenters and craftspeople.The design and documents were developed pro bono by an

interdisciplinary team including architects and landscape archi-tects with AWB-Seattle as well civil and structural engineers fromEngineers without Borders. With funding now secure, construc-tion of the center is slated to begin June 2009. �

Kate Cudney and Tom Mulica currently work in Seattle at Owen Richards Architects(www.orarchitects.com), a firm focused on cultural and community projects.

CU

RR

EN

TS

Rabuor VillageProjectA community center in Kenya adapts tolocal conditions

By Tom Mulica and Kate Cudney

Program Goal: To partner with communities in rural Africaas they develop sustainable solutions to overcome thechallenges of poverty and HIV/AIDS.

AWB

-SE

ATTL

E

AWB-SEATTLE

LEFT: View at entry toward courtyard RIGHT: View from International Highway ABOVE: Phase I Site Plan

Forum Winter 09:Layout 1 2/13/09 10:23 AM Page 7

Page 10: AIA Seattle article on disaster aid

8 | AIASEATTLE.ORG

D

Forum Winter 09:Layout 1 2/13/09 10:24 AM Page 8

Page 11: AIA Seattle article on disaster aid

AIASEATTLE.ORG | 9

DE

AR

LIB

RA

I agree: many issues that an architect deals with in the context ofa design project are societal and outside the architect’s ability tochange. However, an architect has a responsibility to mediate be-tween their client’s goals and the public’s welfare.

You must educate your client about the seriousness of losingmature trees. Seattle has lost more than 50% of its tree coversince 1972, which will take decades to replace by planting newtrees. This loss of tree cover negatively impacts climate changeand air quality and affects runoff to our streams, lakes, rivers,and Puget Sound.

But you are also obliged to do more than just work with yourclients to affect change. Because the public has entrusted you toresolve how society builds, you also have to be engaged in yourcommunity to help it achieve its goals.

To create positive change that will transform the underlyingcondition and not get stuck reacting to single issues, you need toaccurately take stock of where we are now and then create a vi-sion of where we want to go. As architects, we have the specialability to observe what is and to illustrate a vision of what can be.We can help our communities see that difference and motivatethem to act.

And you are right to remember Victor Steinbrueck’s leader-ship in the historic preservation movement because, in manyways, saving trees today is like the historic preservation move-ment. Steinbrueck knew that the Pike Place Market made Seattle

DEAR LIBRA,

unique and healthy and that it was valued by the community. Heused his artistic and architectural skills to illustrate the market’suniqueness and raise the public’s awareness, thereby motivatingand empowering them to save the market and create protectionsto preserve it.

In the case of preserving trees, the City of Seattle has set thegoal of increasing the urban tree canopy by 1% a year until it isonce again covered by at least 40%. Many other citizens acrossSeattle are also fighting to save existing trees.

Join these other activists to help discover the scope of theurban tree issue. You can assist in explaining the problem to thatcity council, along with the steps necessary to write a treepreservation ordinance that will actually save groves of maturetrees, rather than one tree at a time.

You can also attend the neighborhood’s design review boardmeetings. Help the public articulate their desires and suggestways of resolving conflicts with the developer’s goals. Or betteryet, join a design review board or other neighborhood organiza-tions that encourage and promote saving mature trees. �

Libra

AIA Seattle Practice/Ethics Committee Co-chair Jerome J. Diepenbrock AIA provided material forthis Dear Libra Column.

DEAR OVERWHELMED,

We recently worked on a project in which the client proposed to develop a site with magnificent, mature trees. The client’sprogram to maximize the site meant cutting down about 30% of them. It seemed like a victory to lose so few. However, neigh-bors to the site were very upset about losing even one tree.

I agreed with the client’s argument that we can’t stop suburban sprawl and save trees. I also agreed with the neighborsthat living next to this grove of trees was what made living in the city desirable. And I know that saving trees helps to solvethe climate crisis.

But even so, I felt I hadn’t been able to sufficiently influence my client to pursue a design that achieved the right balance. Iwas also dismayed that the local tree protection ordinance didn’t have more teeth, and that the neighbors had so little voicein the dispute or impact on the final outcome.

I remember stories about other prominent architects in the generation before me that had made a big difference bystanding up for their values; for instance, Victor Steinbrueck, who was able to help save the Pike Place Market from demoli-tion. I wonder where are the Victor Steinbruecks of today? With the overwhelming array of problems facing us, how can any-one be an agent of change?

— Overwhelmed in Olympic Hills

CO

UR

TES

YJE

RO

ME

DIE

PE

NB

RO

CK

AIA

Forum Winter 09:Layout 1 2/13/09 10:24 AM Page 9

Page 12: AIA Seattle article on disaster aid

When disaster strikes, architectsheed the call to helpWith Rachel Minnery AIA

thm

wtewof

toenquof

Ath

AW“Ocotech

plloRNa

(Rto

DO

NB

RU

BE

CK

,AIA

,BA

SS

ETT

IAR

CH

ITE

CTSSTA

NB

OW

MA

N,E

XEC

UTI

VE

DIR

EC

TOR

OF

THE

AIA

WA

SH

ING

TON

CO

UN

CIL

STAN BOWMAN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE AIA WASHINGTON COUNCIL

LEFT: Assessing damage after a flood. RIGHT: Flood victim points out water level.

In her years working with the AIA Seattle Disaster and Prepared-ness Committee, Rachel Minnery AIA often has been asked “Canarchitects really help respond to a natural disaster? Isn’t it better

to leave these tasks to emergency crews and local officials?”In fact, architects are critically important because of the skills

and knowledge they can apply to assessing buildings after disas-ter strikes, says Minnery, Washington State’s AIA Disaster Assis-tance Coordinator.

In normal times, building officials ensure their city’s buildingsare safe through permitting and inspection during construction.But after a disaster, many or all of the buildings in a jurisdictionmay need evaluation. “Overwhelmed by the extent of damage intheir city, building officials will call on the AIA to augment theirstaff with licensed and trained architects to assist them in per-forming safety evaluations of homes and small businesses,” saysElenka Jarolimak, Emergency Management Coordinator forFleets and Facilities at the City of Seattle.

In the case of the Centralia floods of 2007, says Minnery, “Wewere called, gave a Saturday training on damage assessment, andwere in Centralia by Sunday morning. Centralia has only a fewbuilding inspectors, but we added twenty volunteers to their effort.By that Thursday, four times more buildings had been inspectedthan if the local officials had been left to do the job themselves.”

Receiving preparedness trainingTo assess buildings damaged by disaster, one needs to take theApplied Technology Council’s “ATC 20/21” classes called “Pre- &Post-Evaluation of Structures Affected by Seismic Events.” Thiseight-hour workshop, which is often offered by AIA Seattle orStructural Engineers Association of Washington (SEAW), helpsarchitects and other building professionals develop the skills to

IND

US

TR

Y

do seismic evaluations of buildings before, and assess damageafter, an earthquake.

“ATC-20 Post Earthquake Safety Evaluation of Buildings”gives training in the methodology for inspecting buildings after aseismic event. Included in the course is a review of building in-spections from the Nisqually, Kobe (Japan), and San FranciscoEarthquakes. “ATC-21 Rapid Visual Inspection of Building for Po-tential Seismic Events” teaches a scoring method for buildingtypes and evaluates their ability to withstand an earthquake.

AIA Seattle will sponsor a class in Spring 2009: seewww.aiaseattle.org for details.

Answering the callAfter completing the ATC 20/21 courses, an architect can signon as a Disaster Volunteer with the local AIA component. Once adisaster strikes and an emergency has been officially declared, abuilding official can call upon the local component’s Disaster Co-ordinator to tap those volunteers.

In the case of the December 2007 floods in Centralia, theirbuilding official did the initial windshield assessment and thencalled Minnery to bring volunteers once I-5 was clear. “Typically,once we rendezvous with the building official, we caravan out toa site together,” says Minnery. “We spread out over severalblocks in two-person teams, conduct as many 30-minute as-sessments as we can while it’s still daylight, then turn in our clip-board reports at days’ end.”

In Centralia as elsewhere, the rapid assessment teams work inpairs to evaluate the safety of a structure. “First you look at thesite, watching for hazards such as downed power lines, sinkholes,the possibility of objects falling from above,” Minnery explains.“You use your eyes, your nose. Then you examine the exterior of

10 | AIASEATTLE.ORG

Forum Winter 09:Layout 1 2/13/09 10:24 AM Page 10

Page 13: AIA Seattle article on disaster aid

the structure. If the owners are around—and in Centralia they al-most always were, cleaning up—you ask to inspect inside.”

“Some homeowners have questions, want confirmationwhether what they are doing is okay.” And while she says volun-teers have to be sensitive about what is flood damage and whatwas bad design or faulty construction, “you can still point out areasof caution, such as floor framing detached from foundations.”

“Every jurisdiction does things differently,” she says. “It’s upto us to apply our accumulated experience and be nimbleenough to respond to their specific needs when our help is re-quested. Disasters don’t happen often, so people don’t get a lotof practice with this. But we’re getting better.”

After the Centralia flood, Stan Bowman, Executive Director forAIA Washington Council, had this to say about the effort, “The onlything we could have done differently was to have more volunteers.”

Architects’ help is recognizedWhy should architects serve in this way? In Minnery’s view,“Other professionals do pro bono work when asked: lawyerscommonly do so as part of their practice, as do doctors volun-teering for medical emergencies and volunteer organizations. Ar-chitects are probably an under-utilized resource.”

In 1972, AIA formally recognized the role that architects canplay in disaster response and encouraged components to formlocal response programs. AIA Seattle’s Disaster Preparedness &Response Taskforce (DP&R) helped guide response to the 2001Nisqually Earthquake and, in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, senta “Mississippi Mission” team to help with damage assessments.

In 2005, Washington state passed a “Good Samaritan” law(RCW 38.52.1951) that protects an architect licensed in Washing-ton state from liability for damages while doing volunteer emer-

gency work under the direction of local building officials. Shouldthe disaster reach a catastrophic scale and trained architectsoutside of Washington State are needed, the WA State Board ofLicensing has established protocol to review temporary licensesto allow for their disaster assistance. AIA is working toward a na-tional Good Samaritan Law.

If you would like to help:• Sign up for the next ATC 20/21 class with AIA Seattle,

scheduled for Spring 2009.• Once you have taken the class, contact AIA Seattle and ask to

be placed on the disaster volunteer list. �

Rachel Minnery AIA is Chair of the AIA Disaster Assistance Task Force and Coordinator of AIA Dis-aster Assistance for Washington State. She can be reached at [email protected].

DO

NB

RU

BE

CK

,AIA

,BA

SS

ETT

IAR

CH

ITE

CTSSTA

NB

OW

MA

N,E

XEC

UTI

VE

DIR

EC

TOR

OF

THE

AIA

WA

SH

ING

TON

CO

UN

CIL

ABOVE: AIA Seattle volunteer Scott Boyer begins assessing the site of this house. BELOW: Tornado damage in Galatin, Tennessee.

AIASEATTLE.ORG | 11

Forum Winter 09:Layout 1 2/13/09 10:24 AM Page 11

Page 14: AIA Seattle article on disaster aid

12 | AIASEATTLE.ORG

Ray Gastil, native son and M.Arch graduate from Princeton,has returned to Seattle to work as Planning Director for theDepartment of Planning and Development after holding asimilar job for the Borough of Manhattan. Urban Designcommittee chair Rick Browning AIA talked with Ray over acappuccino in downtown Seattle.

RB: You grew up here. What are your impressions now aftercoming back from NYC?RG: I lived in Seattle from the end of elementary school throughhigh school and then I went back east to college. After gradua-tion, I came back to Seattle for close to a year and a half. So Iwas both a kid here with a station wagon and I also had achance to experience the city in my early twenties. I lived withand without a car, used the bus, biked, walked.

When I lived here, Seattle went through its first townhouseand condo period… the city wasn’t used to that type of con-struction and it took them awhile to adjust.

I think it’s healthy that Seattle has a variety of ways to livenow, but Seattle is not like Manhattan. We are a smaller metropo-lis and will remain so, even as the city grows. We have a differenttake on urban living.

Seattle is just an unusual place: look at the things people sayand do, the things they wear. This is a non-conformist town, in-cluding its architecture, urban design, even retail. There is somespecial character to Seattle, things that don’t fit any kind of mar-keting formula. I hope we are all working toward something thatallows that Seattle to thrive.RB: Are there any lessons from the way NYC revitalized their wa-terfront that you think might apply to Seattle?RG: Once most shipping moved to New Jersey in the 1960s,Manhattan’s shoreline of empty piers and sheds created an op-portunity for adaptive reuse on an enormous scale. Here, thecontainer port is still downtown, though the central waterfrontpiers, as in NYC, have outlived their freight-handling days.

I think it’s important to mention that New York put a lot intobuilding waterfront parks. Hudson River Park, running from the

tip of the island to beyond 59th Street, is an extraordinaryachievement. While these parks were being built, the city in-stalled temporary gestures, like walkways with benches, a tra-peze school. Some questioned their value, but I found itenormously effective for creating a constituency for the new wa-terfront. And the private sector played a big role: public-privatepartnering built Chelsea Piers.RB: What motivated you to come back to Seattle? What do youhope to accomplish, and what are some of the challenges youthink you may face?RG: In New York we didn’t have all the things that Seattle has interms of sustainable development. In some ways, Seattle is muchfurther along. Here we work in an environment that’s supportive ofthis big idea, and I want to work within that environment.

One of the big things that’s happening is light rail. How doyou derive from it the most benefit? It’s something I’ve beenworking on throughout my career; virtually everything I did inManhattan was transit-oriented. Redundancy is the key: you canhave buses and light rail, as well as the streetcar, to create a lotof ways for people to get around. That’s what cities that are reallyserious about transit do.

The question always is: how do you make this station work?You want a place where people can walk from the station to theirhouse or to a job. There’s a way to get to the station through asystem that delivers you there. There’s an airport at one end, butwhat’s located at the other stops? Where do you go once youget off the platform? The tools of zoning, urban design, andlarger policy are all part of how you deal with this question.

Seattle’s diversity, its range and mix of densities, its stock ofsignificant new buildings—they are all engaging. Seattle is aplace that definitely has its best days ahead of it.RB: Last question: I hear you are thinking about getting a bikeand occasionally riding to work?RG: It has to be a bike light enough to carry up three flights, butI’m going to do it. �

Rick Browning AIA is a supervising architect at Parsons Brinckerhoff and 2009 chair of AIA Seat-tle's Urban Design committee.

UP

CLO

SE

Up Close withRay GastilBy Rick Browning AIAP

HO

TOC

OU

RTE

SY

OF

CIT

YP

LAN

NIN

G

Ray Gastil

JIM N

Forum Winter 09:Layout 1 2/13/09 10:24 AM Page 12

Page 15: AIA Seattle article on disaster aid

AIASEATTLE.ORG | 13

GR

OU

ND

WO

RK

An asset map is prepared, unique to each location, to identifyopportunities for preserving historic character and promotingeconomic development. Through archival research, photographicdocumentation, mapping exercises and digital collages, the stu-dents generate before-and-after streetscapes including individualbuilding renovation proposals. Local stakeholders provide criticalfeedback, helping to shape and refine the students’ work. Theirideas are illustrated with digital alterations of found potentials,leading to proposals for complete makeovers of entire streets.These inspiring images show how current conditions of down-town districts can be transformed through appropriate interven-tion and restoration.

The Storefront Studio becomes an attraction to its neighbors,engaging them over an extended period of time rather thanwithin the intense but brief duration of charettes. By allowing asecond, third, even fourth wave of participation, the investigationbroadens and deepens. Design work expands to includestreetscapes, storefronts, urban design strategies, and publicopen space proposals. There is time for sustained interactionand communication. Released from the constraint of needing im-mediate solutions, the proposals become emergent, multi-voicedand productively revised. The students observe physical and so-cial fabric over time. The biggest change is often in their own vi-sion, moving from surface observations to in-depth discoveries.Often for the first time, architecture students successfully applytheir pre-professional design skills to difficult real-world scenar-ios, with actual and appreciative clients.

A collective vision, generated through public participation, iseventually condensed into a proposed Enhancement Plan. Pro-posals act as tools for the community to use for historic buildingrenovation and new construction, as well as to assist in the for-mulation and implementation of planning and design standards.A web site, www.storefrontstudio.org, makes the studio workbroadly accessible. �

Jim Nicholls is a Senior Lecturer with the UW Department of Architecture and is responsible for teach-ing classes and studios in materials, tectonics, design-build, and public outreach.

The Storefront Studio is where architecture training at theUW meets Main Street—literally. Begun in 2003 when de-sign studio students took over a vacant storefront on a be-

leaguered shopping street near the UW campus, StorefrontStudio has moved on to do work on the underserved mainstreets of White Center, Auburn, Renton, Skyway, Kent, Carna-tion, Puyallup, Des Moines, and Morton.

The Storefront Studio concept is to join the academic capitalof the UW Department of Architecture with the social and eco-nomic capital of local communities, right at the center of eachcommunity. Students begin by identifying the existing physical,cultural, and historical assets of each neighborhood. Then,through open houses at the Storefront Studio and design collab-oration with faculty, students and community members, strate-gies of preservation and development are created, ranging fromfaçade renovations to public art master plans. The programhopes to strengthen the connections between community mem-bers and their physical setting and to provide anchors for emer-gent identities, economic growth, and social interaction.

Architecture students and faculty work in collaboration withresidents, business and property owners, city councils, plannersand economic development officers, downtown commerce andtourism associations, the King County Executive Office, and theWashington State Department of Transit.

The venue of a storefront, combined with digital design andcommunication tools, means that within days students can mo-bilize a fully illustrated public exhibition. The storefront becomesmeeting room, studio, and gallery. A motor pool van deliverssawhorses, tabletops, and plastic lawn chairs, followed by twelvestudents with laptops, cell phones, and digital cameras. The stu-dio’s location within the heart of the community is highly visibleand immediate—key to the resonance of this program.

By moving off-campus into a donated storefront, each ten-week-long studio can host a series of public open houses, ex-hibits, and information exchanges, all of which will be used todevelop a visual analysis of the host city’s existing main street.

The Storefront StudioBy Jim Nicholls

JIM NICHOLLS

JIM NICHOLLS

LEFT & RIGHT: UW Storefront Studio on West Meeker Street, Kent WA,Autumn Quarter 2006

Forum Winter 09:Layout 1 2/13/09 10:24 AM Page 13

Page 16: AIA Seattle article on disaster aid

14 | AIASEATTLE.ORG

Renton Technical College does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, sexual orientation, or age in its programs and activities.

Renton Technical College | 3000 NE Fourth Street | Renton, WA 98056 | (425) 235-2352

AIA-CES Approved Courses at Renton Technical CollegeIf you are a registered architect you can now earn Learning Units with these AIA-CES approved courses. Courses include lecture and hands-on lab sessions. Learn the fundamentals of Autodesk software and how it can make your design of!ce more productive. Note: Learning Units (LU) are non HSW. Textbook cost additional.

For more information, visit http://autodesktraining.RTC.edu or contact Dante Leon at (425) 235-5831 or at [email protected].

Explore your options at www.RTC.edu

REVIT ARCHITECTURE ESSENTIALS(Note for architects: program number RS2008, 24 LU hrs, non HSW)

DFTS 136 7752 24 hrs/1 credit Fee: $229.90 J315 1/24-2/7 8:00AM-4:30PM Sat LEPESKA 5/2-5/16 8:00AM-4:30PM Sat LEPESKA

REVIT ARCHITECTURE ADVANCED(Note for architects: program number RD2008, 24 LU hrs, non HSW).

DFTS 137 7814 24 hrs/1 credit Fee: $229.90 J315 2/14-2/28 8:00AM-4:30PM Sat LEPESKA 6/13-6/27 8:00AM-4:30PM Sat LEPESKA

AUTOCAD CREATING 3D MODELS(Note for architects: program number 3D2008, 16 LU hrs, non HSW)

DFTS 138 7815 16 hrs/1 credit Fee: $101.30 J304 3/7-3/14 8:00AM-4:30PM Sat MONTGOMERY 6/6-6/13 8:00AM-4:30PM Sat MONTGOMERY

AUTOCAD ARCHITECTURE ESSENTIALS(Note for architects: program number AS2008, 24 LU hrs, non HSW)

DFTS 133 7858 24 hrs/1 credit Fee: $229.90 J304 2/10-2/27 5:30PM-9:30PM TTh HUH 5/5-5/25 5:30PM-9:30PM TTh HUH

AUTOCAD 2009 ESSENTIALS(Note for architects: program number LS2008, 24 LU hrs, non HSW)

DFTS 134 7059 24 hrs/1 credit Fee: $229.90 J204 1/10-1/31 8:00AM-4:30PM Sat KATONA 4/18-5/2 8:00AM-4:30PM Sat KATONA

AUTOCAD CONCEPTUAL DESIGN (Note for architects: program number 01102D, 6 LU hrs, non HSW).

DFTS 139 7810 6 hrs Fee: $101.30 J204 3/21 8:00AM-4:30PM Sat LEPESKA 4/25 8:00AM-4:30PM Sat LEPESKA

Forum Winter 09:Layout 1 2/13/09 10:25 AM Page 14

Page 17: AIA Seattle article on disaster aid

AIASEATTLE.ORG | 15

PR

AC

TIC

E

The concept of architects stepping into civic leadershiproles is nothing new. Take Seattle’s central waterfront: forover fifty years since the Alaskan Way Viaduct was built,

architects and civic leaders have publicly commented on the un-fulfilled promise of reconnecting the city with the water’s edge.

Even before construction of the viaduct had begun in 1949,when there was little public controversy or opposition, prominentSeattle architect Paul Thiry AIA admonished that the viaductwould “block off all bordering buildings from the bay.” Anotherarchitect of that era, Victor Steinbrueck, wrote in his 1962 SeattleCityscape that “the ruthless brutality of the latest freeways, ex-pressways, and their structures, in ignoring the qualities of the lo-cations through which they move, is an obvious example ofshort-sighted disregard for human and natural values in favor ofnarrow technical considerations of the automobile movement.”

The times have changed, but the arguments have remained thesame. Over the past decade, architects and allied design profes-sionals have shared a sense of urgency in the need to remedy thefailing seawall and viaduct. At the same time, they have promotedthe opportunity to rethink our transportation and mobility needs inthe twenty-first century. They have pointed out that removal of theviaduct would restore the natural grandeur of the bay, enhanceviews for all, expand parks and open space for people, and createvitality and new economic opportunity for the city.

For these reasons, architects and other design professionalshave continued to push for a better waterfront solution. Commu-nity leaders like Cary Moon Hon. AIA Seattle and organizationslike Allied Arts have drawn on the passion, as well as the plan-ning and visualization skills, of the design community to improvepublic understanding of viaduct options and significantly reframethe issue to one of system-wide mobility and a waterfront for all.

AIA Seattle members have been keen participants in thismovement. AIA Seattle took a strong “no elevated” position in2006, calling for the permanent removal and non-replacement ofthe viaduct. AIA Seattle’s advocacy statement identified fourpublic benefit and urban design objectives:• Connect the city with the waterfront• Create a sustainable solution for Seattle’s future• Contribute to a citywide transportation plan• Support a mix of vibrant uses along the waterfront.

What did AIA Seattle and its members do to actively advo-cate for a more inspired and holistic civic vision for the water-front? In 2006, AIA Seattle invited voices from outside Seattle tobring their expertise to our problem, hosting Walking WorkingWaterfront, a day-long symposium that drew hundreds of designprofessionals, planners, and policy makers from around thecountry. In 2007, members worked with partner organizationssuch as the Downtown Seattle Association in a “no more ele-vated” campaign. AIA Seattle members participated in a week-end-long waterfront design charrette that was sponsored by theplanning department to inform the city’s Central Waterfront Plan.

Also in 2007, a team of AIA Seattle board members led visitsto Olympia to advocate for better, more civic-minded solutions forreplacing the viaduct. Led by Jim Friesz AIA of Olson SundbergKundig Allen Architects, members spoke at community meetingsaround the city. Supported by national AIA staff, AIA Seattle alsoconvened a small weekend design charrette at the request ofSpeaker of the House Frank Chopp.

In 2008, AIA Seattle formed an expert review team to analyzeand make recommendations on the eight replacement scenariosidentified by WSDOT and delivered its revised position to stake-holders and decision makers.

In January of 2009, Governor Chris Gregoire, Mayor Greg Nick-els, and Executive Ron Sims, announced their decision to replacethe Viaduct with a deep-bore tunnel under downtown Seattle. Theplan also includes investment in improved bus service, east-westcity streets, a new seawall, relocated utilities, and an upgraded wa-terfront. The executives were flanked by the Port of Seattle, mem-bers of the Seattle City and King County Councils, andTransportation Committee Chairs Representative Judy Clibbornand Senator Mary Margaret Haugen. Thanks are due to the manyarchitects who continuously advocated for a non-elevated solution.

By the time this magazine is published, the Washington Statelegislative session will have ended and we hope the decision en-dured. You can be sure that architects will remain vigilant and com-mitted, regardless of the outcome. Because who better thanarchitects to lead us toward a more livable, sustainable city for all? �

Peter Steinbrueck FAIA is former chair of the Seattle City Council’s Urban Development and Plan-ning Committee and principal of Steinbrueck Urban Strategies, LLC.

Advocatingfor a BetterWaterfrontAlaskan Way Viaduct

By Peter Steinbrueck FAIASEATTLE CENTRAL WATERFRONT CONCEPT PLAN, © STEPHANIE BOWER, ARCHITECTURAL ILLUSTRATION

A rendering of the Seattle waterfront without the Alaskan Way Viaduct.

Forum Winter 09:Layout 1 2/13/09 10:25 AM Page 15

Page 18: AIA Seattle article on disaster aid

JEFF

HO

U

16 | AIASEATTLE.ORG

Daniel Kruse, Presidentwww.krusebrothers.com

Quality Commercial,Residential and

Preconstruction Servicesover the last 30 years.

3808 18th Ave., SWSeattle, WA 98106

206.932.1014206.932.1015 f

www.aiaseattle.org

Forum Winter 09:Layout 1 2/13/09 10:30 AM Page 16

Page 19: AIA Seattle article on disaster aid

AIASEATTLE.ORG | 17

RIM

Huinien Tsai, an undergraduate student in landscape archi-tecture at Chung Yuan University in Taiwan, has come tohelp our town. She and thirteen other classmates are par-

ticipating in a study abroad program in Seattle, working withcommunity members in Seattle’s Chinatown/International Districtto design an expansion of Hing Hay Park.

Huinien belongs to a new generation of students in East Asiafor whom design activism is a part of their professional training.In her freshman year, she took part in the Big Tree Studio, led byveteran design activist Prof. Chao-Ching Yu, in which studentsdemolished sections of the campus wall that separated the uni-versity campus from the surrounding community.

The phenomenal growth of design activism across the Pacificmirrors its resurgence in North America. In Hong Kong, battlingagainst top-down redevelopment projects, activist scholarsJackie Kwok and Michael Siu at Hong Kong Polytechnic Univer-sity have developed innovative techniques to identify the interestsand needs of the local community. In one project, public housingresidents placed models of buildings representing different func-tions and services upon a floor mat marked with concentricrings. The placements in the rings indicated their relative impor-

tance and interrelationships. The model became a powerful toolfor understanding the life of the low-income residents and voic-ing their interests.

In Japan, to overcome the rigid social hierarchy and commu-nity apathy, activist designers have also come up with innovativeways to engage local communities. In the Setagaya Ward ofTokyo, veteran community organizers Yoshiharu Asanoumi andYasuyoshi Hayashi worked with local homeowners to open upunused properties to create “third places” in the community,which can lower social barriers while providing social services toresidents. In Kogane, a neighborhood just outside Tokyo, IsamiKinoshita of Chiba University helped organize discovery tours forschoolchildren to identify neighborhood treasures; it’s become away to organize and revitalize the historic community.

In Taiwan, the rapid democratization of the 1990s gave birthto a large number of activist organizations, including the Organi-zation for Urban Re-s (OURs), a group of design and planningprofessionals, faculty, and students based in Taipei. Since 1991,OURs has been a leading force in preserving historic structuresand protecting the livelihood of disadvantaged populations in thecity. In the early 2000s, OURs succeeded in preserving a post-WWII squatter settlement near downtown Taipei. The newly pre-served Treasure Hill settlement allows old residents to stay in thehouses they built; new programs are introduced to transform thesettlement into a center for alternative culture in Taipei.

With students from Taiwan working in Seattle’s Chinatown/International District, the practice of design activism has come fullcircle. As design activism focuses largely on marginalized andeconomically disadvantaged communities, there are many lessonsto be learned from the other side of the Pacific. These include de-veloping innovative yet culturally appropriate means of communityparticipation, as well as engaging a younger generation of design-ers who will one day reshape the practice of design. �

Jeff Hou is an Associate Professor of Landscape Architecture and Adjunct Associate Professor ofArchitecture at the University of Washington. He is also a coordinator of the Pacific Rim Commu-nity Design Network.

Coming to aNeighborhoodNear YouDesign Activism in the Pacific Rim

By Jeff Hou JEFF

HO

U

JEFF

HO

U

ABOVE: Design activists in Taiwan helped rebuild homes for the indigenous Ta'u tribe on Pongso-No-Ta'u, an ethnicgroup with ancestral ties with the Batan Islands of Northern Philippines. BELOW: Design professionals and studentsdemanded and succeeded in the preservation of the former U.S. military housing quarters in Sanzihou, Taipei, one ofthe last green open spaces in the city.

Forum Winter 09:Layout 1 2/13/09 10:30 AM Page 17

Page 20: AIA Seattle article on disaster aid

18 | AIASEATTLE.ORG

Over the past 15 years, Vancouver in British Columbia hasearned international acclaim for its high-density urbanplanning initiatives. But the city has garnered almost as

much attention for its skyrocketing housing prices, which haveput inner-city living out of reach for many middle-class residents.Now, as development pressures encroach on Vancouver’s Down-town Eastside neighborhood, which is in Canada’s poorest zipcode just a few blocks from downtown, affordable housing advo-cates are concerned about yet another cycle of displacement—this time of the city’s most vulnerable populations.

The Woodward’s District project, a mixed-use complexspringing up from the site of a 20th-century department store atthe gateway to the Downtown Eastside, aims to reverse these

trends with a socially inclusive design. When completed next fall,the $300 million complex will encompass four interconnectedbuildings containing 500 market-rate and 200 low-income resi-dential units, plus a supermarket, drug store, daycare, and of-fices for nonprofits such as AIDS Vancouver and Simon FraserUniversity’s School for the Contemporary Arts.

Instead of a penthouse, the top floor and roof of the project’s400-foot “W” tower will hold a shared lounge and garden. Atstreet level, a shared atrium will be open to the public, with agoal of creating “the feel of a train station instead of a lobby,”said project architect Gregory Henriquez, Managing Partner ofHenriquez Partners Architects. He described the entire develop-ment as “a mitigated form of gentrification.”

A Gentler GentrificationRetaining cultures within a revitalization

By Linda Baker

PH

OTO

CO

UR

TES

YO

FP

RO

JEC

TR

OW

HO

US

ES

ABOVE: Project Row Houses in Houston, Texas.

Forum Winter 09:Layout 1 2/13/09 10:30 AM Page 18

Page 21: AIA Seattle article on disaster aid

“The question is, can you find a way to do projects that per-form the revitalization portion of gentrification, but don’t displacepeople?” said Henriquez, a fellow of the Royal Architectural Insti-tute of Canada and the author of Toward an Ethical Architecture(2007). “That’s the crux of what we are trying to do, and it is thefundamental struggle of my career.”

Henriquez is not alone in his struggle. Over the past decade,renewed interest in urban living has brought thousands of youngprofessionals and retirees back to inner-city neighborhoodsaround North America. Concerns about the economic and envi-ronmental costs of sprawl have also prompted city governmentsto increase densities not just in downtown neighborhoods, but incommunities citywide. But although these initiatives are breathingnew life into the urban fabric, the corresponding increase in prop-erty values is also having detrimental, if familiar, effects. Higher-in-come residents are displacing lower-income households, whilelocal businesses and nonprofits, which give individual neighbor-hoods their color and character, are being pushed out in favor ofmore homogenous, often corporate restaurants and retail shops.

“Gentrification is a huge issue we are grappling with,” saidDiane Sugimura, Director of the Department of Planning and De-velopment for the City of Seattle. Although affordable housing isthe city’s top priority, said Sugimura, Seattle does not have ac-cess to some key financial resources that would facilitate its con-struction—in particular, tax increment financing. (Washington isone of two states in the country that don’t allow cities to developtax increment zones, which use property taxes from future devel-opment to subsidize new infrastructure.)

Sugimura pointed to the Little Saigon neighborhood in the In-ternational District, where plans for increased developmentthreaten the cluster of Asian-owned small businesses. And an in-flux of new development on Capitol Hill has already underminedthe neighborhood’s signature arts district; since June, risingrents have forced an astonishing 40 arts organizations to closetheir doors. “We don’t want to become ‘Anycity U.S.A,’” saidSugimura. “We want to preserve that local character mix.”

To mitigate these kinds of problems, city planners around thecountry are beginning to use zoning tools and developer incentivesto restrict big-box stores and encourage construction of affordablehousing and other public amenities. For their part, developers andarchitects aim to avoid displacing existing populations by creatinginclusive designs and innovative programming for mixed-incomecommunities, or by incorporating designs that capture, then rein-terpret, a neighborhood’s unique cultural ecology.

The initiatives described here, and the constituencies theyserve, are wide ranging and in various stages of development.The common denominator is an effort to retain social, cultural,and economic diversity and to nurture a community-driven,rather than market-driven, concept of neighborhood.

Mixing it up: incomes and activities share common groundThe mission of the Woodward’s District, for example, is to createa dense and diverse combination of housing and retail options,nonprofits, arts organizations, and social services. Henriquezsaid the inclusive nature of the project makes room for the neigh-borhood’s existing low-income population, while providing muchneeded public spaces, grocery stores, and other amenities thatwill serve residents of all income levels. The project’s compre-hensive design strategy received a boost from the city’s densitybonus program: in exchange for affordable housing and socialservice programming, the developers received an extra300,000SF of density.

A wide range of partners include the nonprofit Portland HotelSociety, charged with housing the homeless, and Westbank Proj-ects/Peterson Investment Group, which is also building the Fair-mont Pacific Rim, a luxury condo project located just a fewblocks west of the Downtown Eastside. “For me, the poetry ofwhat a building looks like is only half of it,” said Henriquez. “Theother half is, what is the program? What are you building on thatsite? How does it contribute to the community?”

An emphasis on local needs and context-sensitive designalso characterizes the one-block Mosaica development in San

AIASEATTLE.ORG | 19

AG

EN

TLE

RG

EN

TR

IFIC

ATIO

N

PH

OTO

CO

UR

TES

YO

FP

RO

JEC

TR

OW

HO

US

ES

COURTESY OF SARITA TALUSAMI

ABOVE: ""Carrier" Installation by Sherman Fleming. Exterior at Project Row Houses. RIGHT: "High Priest"Installation by Terry Adkins at Project Row Houses.

COURTESY OF SARITA TALUSAMI

Forum Winter 09:Layout 1 2/13/09 10:30 AM Page 19

Page 22: AIA Seattle article on disaster aid

20 | AIASEATTLE.ORG

Francisco’s Tenderloin district, a dense, working-class neighbor-hood that is also home to artists and a large homeless popula-tion. Designed by architect Daniel Solomon, the Mosaica, whichwill be ready for occupancy in early 2009, is a mixed-incomeproject with 93 family apartments, 24 studios for formerly home-less seniors, 21 condos for first-time buyers and 13 market-rateunits. Shared courtyards will link subsidized and market-ratehousing, and twelve ground-floor spaces will house light industryproduction and repair businesses.

These work areas, which are located along a cobblestone alleyand feature glass garage doors, are designed to meet a city plan-ning goal of linking new housing to blue-collar work environments,said Scott Falcone, Director of Development for Mosaica’s devel-oper, the Citizen’s Housing Corporation. “Ideally, some of the ten-ants in the housing units will be potential employees of the groundfloor businesses,” Falcone said, adding that activity in the Mosaica“will mimic already existing activity in the neighborhood.”

Reinterpreting the old to build the newMixed-income developments such as the Mosaica and the Wood-ward’s District can help reduce the concentrations of poverty, alle-viate crime and, in an era of declining government funding, use themarket to help subsidize affordable housing. Other revitalizationinitiatives take a different approach, aiming to create a sanctuaryfor a neighborhood’s existing low-income population while addingservices and programs to enhance its unique identity. The point ofintersection between these two strategies is a holistic understand-ing of community redevelopment.

Consider Project Row Houses in Houston, Texas. Founded in1993 as an arts education organization for residents of the city’spoverty-stricken Third Ward, the development includes residenciesfor visiting national and international artists and a residential pro-gram for young single mothers. When condos began to encroachon the neighborhood a few years ago, Project Row Houses startedto build new duplex apartments for low-income families.

”What we’re doing is trying to look not only at doing housingdevelopment, or doing cultural programming, or providing edu-cation in isolation,” said Rick Lowe, an artist and founder of theorganization. “We’re looking at each project as a community-building process. The end product may be houses on the

ground, but it’s attached to the idea of Project Row Houses,which is all about building community.”

When Lowe first launched Project Row Houses, he convertedseveral of the neighborhood’s original “shotgun” houses, whichhad fallen into disrepair, into art installations. Today, the commu-nity’s new duplexes, with white clapboards, standing-seam metalroofs and high front porches, “reinterpret the original neighbor-hood structure of the Third Ward,” said Danny Samuels, an archi-tect and Rice University professor whose students designed thenew apartments. “You have very simple housing units, whichwhen repeated become something much larger than the sum oforiginal parts.” That something is Project Row Houses’ architec-tural representation of community.

Over the past ten years, land prices in the Third Ward have in-creased from $1/SF to $15/SF. Brick-and-mortar townhouses arepermeating the area. “We’re not trying to compete with that—youcan’t,” said Alain Lee, director of the Row House Community De-velopment Corporation, the housing arm of Project Row Houses.Instead, the goal is to use the neighborhood’s comprehensiveprogramming—arts programming in particular—as a way of en-gaging residents and outsiders in a conversation about the com-munity’s sustainability, Lee said.

Following the initial construction of four duplexes, Row HouseCDC dedicated another 16 in September 2008. In January, con-struction will begin on 30 additional units, many of which will beoccupied by people who have lived in the Third Ward for genera-tions. Funding comes from the Houston Endowment, the LunaBrown Street Foundation and, in the near future, City of Houstontax increment dollars. “We are not a cookie-cutter type of system,”said Lee. “That gives us an edge when we do talk to benefactors.”

Saving what makes them special: Little Saigon and Capitol HillWhat happens to communities that have yet to develop the socialand political clout to ensure their longevity? Even as plans to rede-velop Little Saigon move forward, the neighborhood’s small-busi-ness community remains “vulnerable and disadvantaged,” saidJeff Hou, a landscape architect at the University of Washington.The city is considering a variety of strategies to enhance andmaintain the community’s identity, such as providing more openspaces and altering permits to allow Asian-style food markets to

AG

EN

TLE

RG

EN

TR

IFIC

ATIO

N BELOW: The Mosaica development will include mixedincome houses and workspace for distribution andrepair companies.

WR

T-S

OLO

MO

N,E

.T.C

.

PH

OTO

CO

UR

TES

YO

FP

RO

JEC

TR

OW

HO

US

ES

Forum Winter 09:Layout 1 2/13/09 10:30 AM Page 20

Page 23: AIA Seattle article on disaster aid

flourish on the sidewalk and in the street. Hou cites another strat-egy he considers critical for the sustainability of the Vietnamesecluster—“building local capacity.” By this he means the local own-ers of small businesses need to develop the capacity to organizeand engage effectively in policy discussions with government, de-velopers and within the community itself. Only then will localneeds be reflected in the shape of new development, Hou said.

Shoring up the Little Saigon business community and the bo-hemian Pike/Pine neighborhood may seem like two differenttasks. But activists on Capitol Hill, which is facing a kind of artsinfrastructure collapse, are also reaching out to people who don’ttypically participate in the public process. Last winter, for exam-ple, Laura Curry, a researcher at Mithun Architects, conducted a“cultural audit” of the neighborhood, a process that involved in-terviewing residents about what is important in the community,then representing that “authentic voice” in a series of mediapieces. The results of that audit—“hole-in-the-wall shops,grungy, not cleaned and tidied up like the rest of Seattle, theater,dance, movies, art, gay and straight, a bag lady with money”—are helping inform a new city proposal to create a special urbanspace designation for Capitol Hill. The so-called Cultural DistrictOverlay Zone would use public policies, developer incentives,and design guidelines to encourage the creation and preserva-tion of arts space on the hill.

The role of government is to correct the imbalance created bya market-driven real estate environment, said MatthewKwatinetz, a former director of the Capitol Hill Arts Center and a

AIASEATTLE.ORG | 21

member of a committee the city convened to study the overlayzone. Architects also have a critical role to play in connecting thevalues of a given community with the goals of a developer, hesaid. “Right now there’s a huge gap.” When Capitol Hill’s iconicOddfellows Building was sold last spring, the new owner doubledthe rent, forcing out about 20 arts organizations. “In one fellswoop, that decimated a culture,” said Curry.

The Capitol Hill process may have a concrete effect on LittleSaigon’s organizing capacity. Kwatinetz said he hopes the overlayzone committee will produce a toolkit of strategies that can behanded to other communities threatened by new development. Hecited the Asian neighborhood and Georgetown as examples.

An Organizational approach to changing neighborhoodsWhat do the projects and initiatives described here have in com-mon? A recognition that accommodating diversity via design,tenancies, and programming can help retain existing populationsin the face of redevelopment. They also demonstrate the criticalneed for community empowerment and representation to help,as Kwatinetz said, “steward the organic growth of neighbor-hoods.” These projects all underscore the fundamental chal-lenge, and paradox, of the “mitigated gentrification” process. �

Linda Baker is a journalist based in Portland, Oregon, who writes frequently on urban design andplanning issues. Her articles appear in the New York Times and Metropolis.

WR

T-S

OLO

MO

N,E

.T.C

.

PH

OTO

CO

UR

TES

YO

FP

RO

JEC

TR

OW

HO

US

ES

ABOVE: Project Row Houses.

Forum Winter 09:Layout 1 2/13/09 10:40 AM Page 21

Page 24: AIA Seattle article on disaster aid

PH

OTO

CO

UR

TES

YO

FTH

EG

LOB

AL

STU

DIO

.

Forum Winter 09:Layout 1 2/13/09 10:41 AM Page 22

Page 25: AIA Seattle article on disaster aid

AIASEATTLE.ORG | 23

As we close in on the first decade of this new and uncer-tain millennium, many of the world’s most pressing ques-tions are aimed directly at designers. Young architects

are rising to the challenge by embracing a professional commit-ment to service. Becoming involved “allows architects to take onmore of a social activist role that they can’t assume with regularclients,” says architect Owen Richards, principal at OwenRichards Architects and the current president of AWB Seattle.

On the following pages, you will find profiles of emerginglocal designers who are building passionate careers servingcommunities both in Washington State and around the globe.

The Community BuildersThe Global StudioService Affiliations: Agros International, Advanced Micro Devices(AMD), and Architecture for HumanityGeoff PiperPrincipal, Five Dot Design Build; Age: 33Stephanie Ingram, LEED-APPrincipal, Five Dot Design Build; Age: 34Matt SullivanProject Architect, Integrus Architecture; Age: 33Ashley WaldronProject Architect, Johnson Architecture and Planning; Age: 27

The four members of The Global Studio can rarely be foundisolated in their workstations. On a recent trip to Nairobi, theyworked with designers, Architecture for Humanity representa-tives, and community members to plan the construction of a

community technology center, their top prizewinning entry in the2007 AMD Open Architecture Challenge.

The Global Studio is now teamed up with Planning SystemsServices, Ltd., a Kenyan firm, to complete the conceptual andschematic design. The building will house the Slums Informationand Development Resource Emergency Center (SIDAREC), anNGO that serves youth in Nairobi slums.

The studio, which works exclusively with non-profit organiza-tions, is in its third year. Piper, Ingram and Sullivan first met at theUW College of Architecture and Urban Planning, where they par-ticipated in Sergio Palleroni’s BASIC Initiative, a service learningprogram that trains students to bring appropriate design solu-tions to marginalized communities.

Designers Making ChangeBy Julia Levitt

PH

OTO

CO

UR

TES

YO

FTH

EG

LOB

AL

STU

DIO

.

PH

OTO

CO

UR

TES

YO

FTH

EG

LOB

AL

STU

DIO

TOP: Team members Geoff Piper and Stephanie Ingram worked with Seattle-based non-profit AgrosInternational to help design and execute a master plan for a rural community in El Eden, Nicaragua inthe summer of 2007. BOTTOM: Team members Geoff Piper and Stephanie Ingram worked with Seat-tle-based non-profit Agros International to help design and execute a master plan for a rural commu-nity in El Eden, Nicaragua in the summer of 2007.

Forum Winter 09:Layout 1 2/13/09 10:41 AM Page 23

Page 26: AIA Seattle article on disaster aid

24 | AIASEATTLE.ORG

After graduation, the trio connected with Seattle-based AgrosInternational, a non-profit that enables landless rural families inCentral America and Mexico to purchase farms and lift them-selves out of poverty. In summer 2006, the newly formed GlobalStudio took 12 students to Nicaragua, where they worked with acommunity to develop a master plan that would allow 30 familiesto live and work sustainably on the land Agros helped them ac-quire. The team helped plan and construct practical features likecomposting toilets and greywater systems (Waldron, one of thoseinitial students, later joined the studio).

That project was done pro bono for Agros, but the organiza-tion benefited so enormously that it now includes design fees inits annual budget. In November, Ingram and Piper traveled toHonduras to train Agros employees to run master planning exer-cises for their communities on their own.

Outside of The Global Studio, Waldron and Sullivan hold full-time positions with Johnson Architecture and Planning and IntegrusArchitecture, respectively. Ingram and Piper are principals and co-founders of Five Dot Design Build, a boutique firm whose projectshave included a luxury green home in Greenlake and the conversionof a Madrona residential garage into a light-filled living room.

The four architects enjoy both their non-profit and for-profitwork, but they regret that the line between the two remains sofirmly drawn. They have seen how good design can improve thelives of people around the world, and they hope to see a timewhen it becomes financially sustainable for designers to serve abroader population.

The Social InnovatorBen Spencer Associate AIAAssistant Professor of Landscape Architecture, University ofWashington College of Architecture and Urban Planning; Age: 33Service Affiliations: Architects Without Borders (Vice President,Seattle Chapter); Peace Corps (2004-2006)

Ben Spencer believes design should be considered a crucialcomponent of humanitarian work around the world.

Spencer has carved a niche for himself studying the relationshipbetween design, ecology, and community health, applying hisknowledge in global service. As a Peace Corps volunteer from 2004to 2006 in Venilale, East Timor, he worked with community leadersto develop a master plan and design projects that integrated eco-nomic growth, environmental regeneration, and social justice.

Spencer remains committed to serving needy populationsboth at home and abroad through volunteer work with ArchitectsWithout Borders. And he has successfully blurred the lines be-tween his professional work and his social interests, with a re-sume that includes two firms on the forefront of sustainabledesign: William McDonough + Partners and HyBrid Seattle.

While at HyBrid, Spencer worked with partners Robert Hum-ble and Joel Egan and ORA’s Owen Richards, Tom Mulica, andKate Cudney to design the winning entry in the Rice Design Al-liance’s $99k House Competition. Their home, which will be builtin Houston’s downtown Fifth Ward, integrates creative and adap-tive design solutions for added value, such as movable interiorwalls that the owner can adjust to suit new needs.

Spencer believes designers are uniquely positioned to createpublic spaces, buildings, and systems that transform the way peopleinteract with their surroundings. For example, he believes that distrib-uted infrastructure and community-scaled technologies such asbioswales and graywater gardens can bring tangible presence to thesocial, industrial, and ecological dynamics that support urban life.This winter, he will lead his students in a project to re-imagine an ex-isting site of industrial or utility infrastructure and its role in Seattle.

“I believe landscape architecture is poised to become adeeply influential profession,” he says. “Its system-based ap-proach to design, appreciation for temporal evolution, and syn-thetic character are well suited to address the ecological andsocial challenges we will face in the next 50 years”

DESIGNERSMAKINGCHANGE

PHOTO COURTESY OF BEN SPENCER

LEFT: Ben Spencer with children and community members in Venilale, East Timor. Spencer served as aPeace Corps volunteer in the region from 2004-2006. RIGHT: During his term as a volunteer with thePeace Corps in Venilale, East Timor from 2004-2006, Ben Spencer Assoc AIA worked with local resi-dents to design a community center. Above, community members work together to build a bamboopreservation tank in preparation for the community center's construction.

PHOTO COURTESY OF BEN SPENCER

PE

OP

LE'S

WAT

ER

FRO

NT

CO

ALI

TIO

ND

ES

IGN

TEA

MP

EO

PLE

'SW

ATE

RFR

ON

TC

OA

LITI

ON

DE

SIG

NTE

AM

Forum Winter 09:Layout 1 2/13/09 10:41 AM Page 24

Page 27: AIA Seattle article on disaster aid

The City ChampionCary Moon Hon. AIA SeattleDirector, People’s Waterfront Coalition; Age: 45Background: MLA in Landscape Architecture, with certificate inUrban Design, University of Pennsylvania

Cary Moon believes the most valuable contribution designerscan make to public policy is often their ability to imagine whatdoesn’t yet exist.

In 2002, Moon attended a meeting of the Seattle Design Com-mission in which the WSDOT presented its plan for the crumblingAlaskan Way Viaduct. She and others were alarmed by the rush tobuild a bigger highway. “We kept asking why they weren’t consider-ing other solutions,” she says. “They didn’t have an answer.”

Moon and others believed it was possible to build a great wa-terfront and provide transportation options that would help ad-

dress future goals for compact development and sustainablemobility. But it wasn’t easy to convince policymakers or votersthat Seattle could exist without the downtown expressway.

“I think one thing that’s perplexing for people trained in de-sign is the question of, ‘Why is it so hard to make the right thinghappen?’ You spend your whole time in design school imaginingdifferent possible futures. When you see your beloved city limit-ing itself and preserving the status quo, it’s hard for designers tosit by and let that happen.”

She decided to fight the highway with a better solution. In 2004,she and landscape architect Julie Parrett assembled a team of sup-porters and participated in the Allied Arts waterfront charrette. Theydrafted a plan to connect downtown directly to the waterfront, rein-vent the seawall, and build a thriving pedestrian and bike-friendlystreet. The highway-less design won second prize in Metropolismagazine’s national “Next Generation: Big Idea” competition, andits success launched the People’s Waterfront Coalition.

The PWC’s vision has earned support from groups all overSeattle and the respect of legislators and voters alike. In 2007,PWC helped send a tunnel-or-highway proposal back to thedrawing board and have since backed a plan for streets/transitoptions to replace the Viaduct (see related article, this issue).

“There’s pressure to engage in political fights and compro-mise,” says Moon. “We decided to avoid that, to keep providingthat clear vision of a better future, to treat everyone like a rationaldecision maker, and provide the data. It takes a lot of patienceand persistence, but eventually they will believe that this is some-thing that can work.”

AIASEATTLE.ORG | 25

PE

OP

LE'S

WAT

ER

FRO

NT

CO

ALI

TIO

ND

ES

IGN

TEA

M

TOP: The waterfront without the viaduct, as seen from Steinbrueck Park down to the waterfront area.BOTTOM: The waterfront without the viaduct: first, a shot from the waterfront up towards Pike PlaceMarket.

PE

OP

LE'S

WAT

ER

FRO

NT

CO

ALI

TIO

ND

ES

IGN

TEA

M

Forum Winter 09:Layout 1 2/13/09 10:41 AM Page 25

Page 28: AIA Seattle article on disaster aid

ROGER ZABINSKI

MARGARET ALES

LEFT: Final voting to see what people considered the most important issues facing Kitsap County over thenext decade and what actions to pursue. BELOW: John Ales, left, working on his deck with a friend.

DESIGNERSMAKINGCHANGE

which Ales continues to struggle. He is inspired by the accom-plishments of projects like High Point and Kitsap County Consol-idated Housing, but he knows that even these models aren’tself-sustaining enough to solve the enormous problem of housinglow-income residents within the city. To do his part, he has givenmany hours to Habitat for Humanity and is working to identify af-fordable solar options for his own current and future projects. Heplans to encourage more change at the policy level.

“There are a lot of issues, including land use and housing,that builders and architects can discuss in the political processin a way that others can’t,” Ales says, “but it takes spending timein those areas … and sometimes even stepping back from thestudio to do so.” �

Julia Levitt is managing editor of Worldchanging.com, a Seattle-based, non-profit media organiza-tion covering sustainability and social innovation around the world since 2003.

26 | AIASEATTLE.ORG

The Local PoliticianJohn Ales Associate AIAIndependent Architect; Age: 42Service Affiliations: City of Bremerton, Habitat for Humanity, Sus-tainable Bremerton

John Ales’ experience at the drafting table pointed him to alarger question: what role will urban design and the built environ-ment play in coping with future social and environmental chal-lenges? Now, by taking part in politics, he is helping find the answer.

Ales worked at Mithun until last year, helping design projectslike the award-winning High Point neighborhood. Since last May,he has been focusing full-time on his own residential projectsnear his home in Bremerton, where he has become increasinglyinvolved in the public sphere.

He currently participates on the City of Bremerton DesignReview Board, the Arts Commission, and the Civil Service Com-mission, as well as the local group Sustainable Bremerton. Hemade a close, though unsuccessful run for Bremerton City Coun-cil in 2005 and is being urged to try it again this year. He wasalso a state delegate for Barack Obama during the 2008 primar-ies. “Politics is kind of addicting at this point,” he admits, “theenergy that comes from it and the possibility for change.”

As his supporters have noted, Ales’ knowledge of architec-ture and planning makes his a credible voice on some of themost prominent issues facing Bremerton and the surrounding re-gion, including the future of transportation infrastructure, what(and whom) to tax to pay for city programming, and zoning fordensity as populations continue to grow.

Creating affordable urban housing to help cities curtail sprawland protect the region’s natural resources is a challenge with

Forum Winter 09:Layout 1 2/13/09 10:41 AM Page 26

Page 29: AIA Seattle article on disaster aid

e

constructionremodelservice

206.281.1234 822 John Street Seattle, WA 98109 www.schultzmiller.com

Fin

ne

Arc

hit

ects

/Ph

oto

gra

ph

er:B

enB

ensc

hn

eid

er

Cary Kopczynski & Company10500 NE 8th Street, Ste 800

Bellevue, WA 98004-4351Phone: (425) 455-2144

Fax: (425) 455-2091www.ckcps.com

S T R U C T U R A L E N G I N E E R SS T R U C T U R A L E N G I N E E R S

CKC provides structural engneering excellence and

avdanced BIM capabilities for major projects throughout

the United States and beyond.

BIM

Lea

ders We invite you to

contact us and explore the success CKC can

help create for your next project.

Bellevue Hyatt Regency Expansion100% BIM

AIASEATTLE.ORG | 27

Forum Winter 09:Layout 1 2/13/09 10:43 AM Page 27

Page 30: AIA Seattle article on disaster aid

On the following pages, read about the awarded projects and glimpse the process behind the jury’s decisions.See more comments and project credits at http://2008honorawards.aiaseattle.org.

RO

BE

RT

HU

TCH

ISO

N

LEFT: David Baker, FAIA conducts site visit for 2008 Honor Awards CENTER: NaderTehrani conducts site visit for 2008 Honor Awards RIGHT: David Baker reviews entries for2008 Honor Awards

ALL

PH

OTO

SB

YE

DS

OZI

NH

O/P

RO

IMAG

EP

HO

TOG

RA

PH

Y

2008 Honor Awards forWashington Architecture

On November 3, 2008, the American Institute of Architects(AIA) Seattle chapter honored fourteen innovative and, insome cases, groundbreaking projects by Washington ar-

chitecture firms. The award-winning projects demonstrate thecapacity of architecture to perform financially, sustainably, andhumanistically, and to positively transform our social and urbanlandscape.

The three-person jury included noted architects PatriciaPatkau Hon. FAIA of Vancouver B.C.’s Patkau Architects, NaderTehrani of Boston’s Office dA, and David Baker FAIA of San Fran-cisco’s David Baker + Partners Architects, who reviewed the en-tries over the weekend and visited several of them. Moderatingthe awards program and jury deliberation was Susan S. Szenasy,editor-in-chief of Metropolis magazine. The 2008 Honor AwardCo-Chairs were Bill Gaylord AIA of GGLO and Mary JohnstonFAIA of Johnston Architects.

The beauty contest is overSo declared Szenasy in her opening remarks, framing the jurydiscussion in terms of building performance, context, and impactas much as aesthetic presentation. In contrast to traditionalawards processes, which are perceived as privileging form overfunction, this year’s jury made an intense effort to assess sub-mitted projects using a full range of information, including thelimitations of client and budget and the impact of the project onthe future of architecture in our region.

Green has many guisesHonor awardees were particularly recognized for their sustain-able responses to the challenges and demands of 21st-centuryarchitecture. Broad-spectrum sustainability was reflected ineverything from innovative land use (Envelope House) to flexiblebuildings that can adapt to different uses over time (EX3). “Thisis an awards program that is moving away from focusing on ‘themoney shot’ in terms of measuring excellence in architecture,”said David Baker FAIA of San Francisco. “It was great to see thehigh degree of sustainable design. The Pacific Northwest isclearly a leader in this area.”

Skill or ambition?Without exception, the jurors were impressed with the overallquality of submittals, indicating the high design standards thatmake our region one of the most competitive in the country. Ourregion is clearly “very supportive of its architects,” notedSzenasy.

At the same time, in a field of solid B+ players, the jurorswere left looking for a “greater level of conceptual ambition,” ac-cording to Tehrani. Echoing observations made by 2007 jurors,this group of national architects missed the provocative edgethat, to them, was necessary to move the profession forward. In-terestingly, the top honor awardee was not a building, but a tem-porary installation that embodied the conceptual rigour jurorsmissed in much of the submitted work.

28 | AIASEATTLE.ORG

Forum Winter 09:Layout 1 2/13/09 10:43 AM Page 28

Page 31: AIA Seattle article on disaster aid

Honor Award

RO

BE

RT

HU

TCH

ISO

N

RO

BE

RT

HU

TCH

ISO

NR

OB

ER

TH

UTC

HIS

ON

ALL

PH

OTO

SB

YE

DS

OZI

NH

O/P

RO

IMAG

EP

HO

TOG

RA

PH

Y

2008

HONORAW

ARDS

7Robert Hutchinson and Sarah BiemillerWith Jake LaBarre, Nicole Abercrombie, Dustin Stephens, ChrisArmes, Sharon Khosla, John Armes, Olaf Broderman, DarenDoss AIA, Lisa Chadbourne, and Bella

“7” was a temporary installation at Alderbrook Station in Astoria,Oregon. The site was a historic three-story net shed perchedabove the Columbia River, formerly used for net making and re-pairing. Existing floor hatches were filled with monofilament fish-ing line stretched taut from the first floor to the underside of theroof structure, resulting in the creation of seven new “columns.”The installation was inspired by the natural and man-made quali-ties that pervade Alderbrook Station: the movement of tides, thelight that reflects off the Columbia River, the memories and his-tory contained within and around Alderbrook Station, and thestructure of the net shed itself. The seven columns of thread pro-vided the opportunity to explore the notions of compression/ten-sion, solidity/void, and structure/connection.

“7” is strongly located in a specific place and time, yet simul-taneously conceptual. Engaging history through the visceral evo-cation of memory, “7” extracts two innate qualities of the existingenvironment—its post-and-beam structure and its wonderfulquality of light—to create a new ephemeral structure that speaksto both but is neither. A great example of the integration of archi-tecture and art, this conceptually ambitious project breathes lifeinto the faded recent history of public art.

AIASEATTLE.ORG | 29

Forum Winter 09:Layout 1 2/13/09 10:43 AM Page 29

Page 32: AIA Seattle article on disaster aid

EX3 Ron Sandwith Teen CenterWeinstein AU and the Boys & Girls Club of King CountyWith WG Clark (contractor), Swenson Say Fagét (structural), Eco-tope (mechanical), PRS Engineers (electrical), SvR Design(civil/landscape), Eskilsson (specifications ), Hood Lighting Design

The restricted budget ($170/SF) of this shared-use gym, a part-nership with the public school district, dictated the use of pre-cast, insulated concrete panels commonly used for applewarehouses in Washington. Together with a system of steel fram-ing and translucent interior partitions that reveal metal studframework, a simple, adaptable kit-of-parts was developed tohouse the club’s evolving programs. While cost effective anddurable, EX3 is a dynamic, light-filled teen-friendly space.

This project is distinguished by its strong conceptual ap-proach to materials. Translucent flexible spaces complement thebuilding’s heavy, durable core functions in a public space that ismeant to evolve over time; demountable partitions and connect-ing garage doors allow ultimate flexibility as demands on thebuilding change. Creative use of the small budget gave the teenusers a casual and accommodating space.

Honor Award

CH

RIS

ME

EK

,IN

TEG

RAT

ED

DE

SIG

NLA

BC

HR

ISM

EE

K,I

NTE

GR

ATE

DD

ES

IGN

LAB

LAR

AS

WIM

ME

RP

HO

TOG

RA

PH

Y

CH

RIS

ME

EK

,IN

TEG

RAT

ED

DE

SIG

NLA

B

2008

HONORAW

ARDS

30 | AIASEATTLE.ORG

Forum Winter 09:Layout 1 2/13/09 10:43 AM Page 30

Page 33: AIA Seattle article on disaster aid

Montlake Branch LibraryWeinstein AU and Seattle Public LibraryWith Graham Contracting, Swift Company (landscape), Magnus-son Klemencic (structural), SvR (civil), Stantec (mechanical), andTravis Fitzmaurice (electrical)

A central opportunity of the Montlake Library project was to cre-ate a public place with civic presence in an established residen-tial neighborhood. The steeply-sloped site offered the chance toaddress both the civic and the residential scales of the neighbor-hood. By placing the parking structure along the busy arterial,the design establishes a plinth for the reading room, lifting itabove the fast-moving traffic and noise. This primary site re-sponse also allows for a split-level entry lobby; on the ‘civic’side, a two-story glazed lobby welcomes the public from thecommercial street, while a more intimately scaled single-storyentrance is directed toward the residential side to the west.

The resulting building has a strong civic presence. It success-fully integrates the varying scales of its neighborhood location,richly fulfilling the program of a community library. The simplespatial agenda, clarity of organization, and remarkable diversityof space render a civic building that, while not innovative in termsof its risk or ambition, is remarkably thorough and cleanly ex-pressed. The jurors commented on many details, from the dis-crete way benches and study tables are integrated into thefaçade to the thoughtful way the design dealt with parking. Ju-rors also noted the contractor’s unfortunate decision on theplacement of a downspout!

Honor Award

LAR

AS

WIM

ME

RP

HO

TOG

RA

PH

YLA

RA

SW

IMM

ER

PH

OTO

GR

AP

HY

LAR

AS

WIM

ME

RP

HO

TOG

RA

PH

Y

AIASEATTLE.ORG | 31

Forum Winter 09:Layout 1 2/13/09 10:44 AM Page 31

Page 34: AIA Seattle article on disaster aid

Woodway ResidenceBohlin Cywinski JacksonWith Bellan Construction (contractor), PCS Structural Solutions(structural), and Allworth Nussbaum (landscape)

This previously dark and disorganized 1950s home was re-designed to meet the needs of a young family. The clientswanted a sense of transparency and light that would comple-ment the serene qualities of their wooded site, and they wantedto keep the mid-century nature of the home while improving theentry sequence and relationship of public and private interiorspaces. They also suggested extending the living spaces out-doors to allow for informal gathering spaces and better integratethe house with the surrounding landscape.

With minor changes to the footprint, the architects re-designed this mid-century home to blur the boundary betweenindoor living and the landscape beyond. The resulting composi-tion of elongated colored boxes and planar elements organizesthe house, with circulation and transparent living spaces occupy-ing the zones between.

The Woodway Residence preserves a structure with a strongheritage, but transforms it so completely that it has a new life pro-grammatically and spatially that is better than the original. The ar-chitect’s reordering was fundamental in giving the house its nextfuture. The jurors were impressed that a wealthy client would takethat older fabric and invest in it rather than tearing it down (a valu-able sustainable agenda). This project stood out over newer housesbecause of its extra layer of complication and program.

Honor Award

NIC

LEH

OU

XN

ICLE

HO

UX

NIC

LEH

OU

X

NIC

LEH

OU

XN

ICLE

HO

UX

GR

AN

TB

ALL

CU

32 | AIASEATTLE.ORG

Forum Winter 09:Layout 1 2/13/09 10:44 AM Page 32

Page 35: AIA Seattle article on disaster aid

NIC

LEH

OU

XN

ICLE

HO

UX

Envelope HouseBohlin Cywinski JacksonA zoning change to allowmultifamily housing in this neighborhood left in an aging bungalowdwarfed by larger, nondescript development. The owners wanted to replace the bungalowwith a flexible multifamily structure that maximized their investment and challenged the ar-chitectural character of the neighborhood. The 30’ x 112’ site with 17' of grade changechallenged the design team as they sought to understand and re-interpret financial and reg-ulatory constraints. This triplex was one of the first to be designed under new City of Seattleregulations permitting the use of the non-conforming footprint of former structures.

The project demonstrates how designers can deal with the issue of compactnessto expand valuable real estate in Seattle.

Kitsap County Administration BuildingMiller Hull and Kitsap CountyKitsap County was very interested in demonstrating their commitment to sustainabil-ity. Their new Administration Building houses five departments organized around athree-story lobby. A 55’ grade change was capitalized for narrow, north-facing ter-raced floors with water views.

Operable windows, natural venting, skylights and green roofs work with natureand for human comfort. The project's civic presence, openness, simplicity and mate-riality result in a high-quality public building.

Merit Award

Merit Award

STE

VE

KE

ATIN

GG

RA

NT

MU

DFO

RD

,ALA

NM

AS

KIN

,AN

GU

SM

ACG

RE

GO

R,S

KIR

-B

ALL

CU

LTU

RA

LC

EN

TER

Noah’s ArkOlson Sundberg Kundig Allen and Skirball Cultural CenterNoah’s Ark at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles is a permanent interactiveexhibit designed for families that draws on the ancient Noah’s Ark story as well asapproximately 500 flood narratives from around the world. Challenging preconcep-tions about what children’s museums “should” be, the designers developed an exhibitdesign that favored clarity over chaos, utilized a wide spectrum of colors and naturalfabrics, and employed a hierarchy of vertical scales. Textual signage was abandonedin favor of a completely interactive exhibit that incorporates the leadership of docentsof all ages.

GymEric CobbWithin the two-story shell of the former Queen Anne elementary School gymnasium—a national landmark building—the designers have nested a series of living spaces tai-lored to the needs of an art collector. Though the exterior envelope of the historicstructure was required to retain its authenticity, one exception was granted: tall sashwindows were replaced with two 15' tall pivot doors that access private courtyardspaces. When closed, the pivot doors are simply large, traditional sash openings inthe historic shell. When opened, they become monumental objects themselves thatactivate the space and connect the interior to private exterior terraces.

Merit Award

Merit Award2008

HONORAW

ARDS

AIASEATTLE.ORG | 33

Forum Winter 09:Layout 1 2/13/09 10:44 AM Page 33

Page 36: AIA Seattle article on disaster aid

FRA

NK

OO

MS

,BR

UC

ED

AM

ON

TE

LAR

AS

WIM

ME

R,G

AB

EH

AN

SO

NBanner Gateway MedicalCenterNBBJBanner Gateway Medical Center is a five-story replacement facility providing ob-stetrics, pediatrics, general surgery, andemergency services. The project pursuestwin goals: accommodating the healthneeds of one of the nation’s fastest grow-ing cities, and creating a healing environ-ment with cues from nature. The designsolution features connection to the com-munity, a strong sense of place, and afocus on craft and detail not widely seenin American hospital design.

Terry Thomas BuildingWeber ThompsonIn designing a workspace for its own firm,Weber Thompson wanted to enhance oc-cupant health and productivity while re-flecting an environmentally responsiblevision. The building reduces its environ-mental impact through timeless architec-tural tenets and modern technologies,resulting in anticipated LEED Gold coreand shell and LEED Platinum interiors, afully passive cooling system, and 30-60footcandle natural daylighting perform-ance, all for $145 per square foot.

56 PilesEric CobbAn earlier developer had abandoned thesite due to unexpectedly high site costs; asecond developer/builder saw this as anopportunity to create an alternative proto-type in multifamily building, one not basedon small rooms, two-car garages, andcheap assemblies. Smart design deter-mined the unit count and made use of thetight, steep site to optimize lighting and us-able space. The car space is smartly posi-tioned and incredibly flexible, lookingforward to a time when the owners seemore value in a studio, live-work or partyspace than in car culture.

Commendation Award Commendation Award Commendation Award

Agnes LoftsWeinstein AUThe design of Agnes Lofts explores adwelling typology inspired by the industrialscale of nearby buildings in the Pike/Pineneighborhood. Seattle’s building code al-lows five stories of wood construction overa concrete base, which is the easiest wayto maximize return in a 65’ height limitzone. Agnes Lofts uses this cost-effectiveconstruction approach, but showcases avery different elevation expression: using acode exception for mezzanines that allowsfor the insertion of a sixth level, whichblends the building with the attached Pis-ton & Ring Building, newly renovated.

VO ShedAtelier JonesThe VO Shed is a built expression of theprinciple that waste creates energy. Thisproject is a small shed for filtering andhousing used vegetable oil as part of a bio-fuel cooperative. Its exterior skin of RPI re-cycled plastic embodies the concept ofreuse of existing waste. This project is adelightful re-imagining of one of thosesmall urban necessities that are usually un-planned and executed without thought.

Bumper CropMiller HullThe very ubiquity of the suburban parkinglot makes it ripe for rethinking. This projectinventively co-opts the domain of the auto-mobile for a variety of higher uses, fromfood production to civic space.

Bumper Crop is a soil-less farm irri-gated with reclaimed waste water and sus-pended above a strip mall parking lot toshade the ground plane and reverse theheat-island effect. Reclaimed water fromthe city sewer main supplies the crop withnutrient-rich irrigation water, providing anoasis in the asphalt desert.

Commendation Award Citation Award Citation Award

ATE

LIE

RJO

NE

S

CO

UR

TES

YTH

EM

ILLE

RH

ULL

PAR

TNE

RS

HIP

PAU

LW

AR

CH

OL,

MIC

HA

EL

WA

LMS

LEY

MIC

HA

EL

BU

RN

SP

HO

TOG

RA

PH

Y

2008

HONORAW

ARDS

34 | AIASEATTLE.ORG

Forum Winter 09:Layout 1 2/13/09 10:45 AM Page 34

Page 37: AIA Seattle article on disaster aid

d

s--

Strogoff Consulting’s

Confidential Clearinghouse forMergers & Acquisitions

Serving Design Professionals Nationwide

When Exploring an Acquisition,Sale or Merger, You Need:

• An expert with inside knowledge of the A/E industry

• An extensive network of strong, strategic contacts

• Confidential introductions to qualified prospects

• A trusted, creative and targeted advisor

Strogoff Consulting provides confidential introductionsbetween prospective buyers and sellers, developsvaluations and guides firms through the merger/

acquisition process. Firms are introduced to each otheronly when there is a strong strategic and cultural fit.For more information, contact Michael Strogoff, AIA,

at 866 ARCH ENG (866.272.4364) or visitwww.StrogoffConsulting.com.

All discussions held in strict confidence.

(For a profile of firms actively interested in exploring anacquisition or merger, visit www.StrogoffConsulting.com.)

Whether you are designing a bridge, analyzingsoil stability, or assessing environmental impacts,we understand the A/E business and legal risksyou and your firms face. We are a full servicelaw firm but have demonstrated experience inrepresenting design professionals in contracting,risk management, and corporate restructuring.

Beth M. AndrusWilliam J. BenderDavid K. EckbergKara R. Masters

Peter A. OffenbecherLindsey M. PflugrathTerence J. Scanlan

1301 Fifth Avenue, Suite 3401Seattle, Washington 98101

(206) 623-6501

www.skellengerbender.com

AIASEATTLE.ORG | 35

Phot

2008

,Dal

eLa

ng

Forum Winter 09:Layout 1 2/13/09 10:46 AM Page 35

Page 38: AIA Seattle article on disaster aid

Steve Badanes Assoc. AIA is laughing. We’re sitting in an al-most empty little restaurant eating hot & sour soup anddumplings in the International District, and a few of thekitchen staff on break are talking so playfully loudly that theyare most certainly drowning out the audio on my recording de-vice. I’m laughing too, and the view from where I am sitting isquintessential Jersey Devil Steve Badanes—full of gregarioushumor, comfortable in any setting, sharply candid.

KB:What’s the Neighborhood Design/Build Studio working on now?SB: This spring we’ll be working in the Rainier Valley. Next weekthe architect, Rumi Takahashi [AIA, LEED AP, Weinstein A l U],and I will be meeting with Family Services to define what the stu-dents should do. We’ll narrow down the problem to somethingthat can be built in eleven weeks by unskilled students, then we’lldetermine the budget. After that, we’ll raise funds and have theproject ready to go by the first day of class. The students takethis for granted, but finding a non-profit that’s a good partner,finding a project that can be built by unskilled labor on a tightschedule, finding the money, that’s a challenge. In this instance,the project is for a non-profit client and their architect knows

where the value engineering will occur. In this project, there areplaces we can make a real difference: the studio can build thefences, living screens, and sheds that don’t need permits andcan be built by non-union labor.

There are instances where architecture student labor can makea huge difference in the lives of people who can’t afford it, but theinterventions themselves are small. It’s like acupuncture: we do tinylittle projects around the city. There’s been some pressure to do big-ger projects, but I think the students learn plenty from small proj-ects. They get to pour concrete and form it, they get to weld, theyget to frame, they get to complete something. They get to makemistakes and fix them. That’s how you learn.

And there’s still a niche for us around town. We’ve become morelike a regular architecture firm in that we are looking for projects. Wedo interviews like this so that people will read about us and call us.Architects who work for non-profits are always saddled with incredi-bly tight budgets; they can never get all the things that they reallywant to get into the project. They have to edit. They have to valueengineer. We want to work with those architects who are willing tolet go of a little piece of the design, and in return we can add to thatproject by doing all the exterior pieces that often get sacrificed.

36 | AIASEATTLE.ORG

Building ConsensusAn interview with Steve Badanes Assoc AIA

By Krishna Bharathi Assoc AIA

EDGE

PH

OTO

CO

UR

TES

YN

EIG

HB

OR

HO

OD

DE

SIG

NB

UIL

DS

TUD

IO

Noji Commons in the Rainier Valley

Forum Winter 09:Layout 1 2/13/09 10:46 AM Page 36

Page 39: AIA Seattle article on disaster aid

communicating and slackers. We get back together in a singlegroup and write these on two big sheets of paper. Finally, theyget back into groups again and make another list of ways to rein-force all the good stuff and mitigate all the bad stuff.

This is not a silver bullet, but it fleshes out the obvious stuffthat’s gonna happen, and we keep the big lists around as westart to design. Then we break into smaller groups where peopleget switched around frequently—at first three groups, then twogroups, then one. We put all the work on the table and see whatthey have in common, re-establish the program and keep whit-tling it down. It’s the most painful part of the class, but by theend of the design process, everybody’s on board with the idea.Everybody’s had something to say. Then we move on to the nextpart where the students get community feedback and subse-quently detail the project, then get to the work of building.

I don’t know if these projects are necessarily my projects, butI definitely have a hand in them. I don’t believe in the Paolo Soleri,apprenticeship-type learning, where you point in a direction andhave someone else build it. I think students lose respect for youif you are seen as having a serious design agenda, and thenyou’re always second-guessing them. It’s interesting to see whatthey come up with, then help them realize that vision in a waythat doesn’t compromise it.

You know, architects look at things differently. We’re a littlemore sensitive. And we have this gift: a gift of vision that we canuse to make peoples’ lives better. We can choose to use it in theservice of those at the top of the economic food chain or we canuse it to help people who might really…need it. �

Professor Steve Badanes Assoc. AIA holds the Howard S. Wright Endowed Chair at the Universityof Washington and is the director of the Neighborhood Design/Build Studio. He is also a co-founder of Jersey Devil, a design/build practice.For more information, visit http://online.caup.washington.edu/courses/hswdesignbuild.

KB: How are your projects funded?SB:We get a little money through the university, and I’ve beenable to raise some money from non-profit donors, which coversoverhead. There are a couple of construction firms like J.A.S. De-sign-Build who donate to our gift fund, which we use to buy toolsand, if we need, materials. We also try to use recycled materialswhenever we can. Typically the non-profit client raises money formaterials or secures a grant, and we donate the design and con-struction. We’ve worked with Department of Neighborhoods, andalthough [Mayor] Greg Nickels is trying to gut that program, it’s stillpossible to get a matching fund grant in relatively short time. I sus-pect that eventually we will also have to raise funds for materials.There are programs like the Rural Studio in Alabama where thestudents also raise money for the materials, and we’ve done a littlefund raising and canvassing for donations. Our budgets are typi-cally tiny for our projects. For ten thousand bucks we can do a lot.All our projects around town are in that range and I don’t think thatcost has ever been more than twenty [thousand].KB: The social justice issues surrounding the communities youwork in require an approach to organizing projects and studentsin ways that differ from a typical instructor-led academic studioor the top-down office environment. How do you get a group ofstudents to collaborate?SB: I make a little speech on the first day. Actually, I wrote apaper on how to do this. It’s in Bryan Bell’s upcoming bookcalled Expanding Architecture: Design as Activism. So I make alittle speech and I say, ‘If the idea is to make something reallycool, then I’ll just design it and you guys can build it.’KB: (laughs)SB: And that’s exactly what happens. Everyone laughs and I say‘If that’s the case then, why should we build your idea or youridea (pointing in different directions). We’re all going to have tocome up with one idea that we agree on and how are we goingto do that?’ So first we break up into two groups and generate alist of all the great things about working in groups—more ideas,more productivity, more fun—and a list of all the things that canpotentially go wrong—people who dominate and have difficulty

e

yg-

reWe

di-

at

STE

VE

BA

DA

NE

S

COURTESY NEIGHBORHOOD DESIGN BUILD STUDIO

LEFT: Noji Commons RIGHT: Experimental Education Unit

Forum Winter 09:Layout 1 2/13/09 10:46 AM Page 37

Page 40: AIA Seattle article on disaster aid

38 | AIASEATTLE.ORG

Most highways are built for speed. This is a story aboutbuilding a highway for people and wildlife, communitiesand the land. The highway is in Montana, a state that,

until 1999, had no speed limit at all—a fact that could accountfor the bumper sticker “Pray for me, I drive U.S. 93.”

U.S. Highway 93 runs from Arizona to Canada. It’s a two-laner through much of Montana, passing through Missoula andthe Flathead Indian Reservation before exiting into Canada.Filled with tourists as well as commercial and local traffic, theroad has been Montana’s most dangerous two-lane highway notonly for people, but for animals.

To address rising safety concerns, the Montana Departmentof Transportation (MDT) began plans to expand U.S. 93 into a di-vided, four-lane highway in 1988. However, the ConfederatedSalish and Kootenai tribes (CSKT) opposed the plans, express-ing concerns about their natural, cultural, recreational, and sce-nic resources on the 55-mile stretch of highway that traversedthe Flathead Indian Reservation.

The tribes believed the road expansion would harm their landand its diverse animal population. Wildlife and the places theyfeed, mate, birth, and travel hold considerable meaning for theSalish, Kootenai, and Pend d’Orielle people. For the CSKT, safe-guarding animals is part of perpetuating Indian culture.

Expanding the highway wouldn’t just add lanes, tribal mem-bers pointed out. It would also promote higher speeds, whichwould increase the number of animals killed by speeding traf-fic—a safety issue for both wildlife and motorists.

Despite several efforts to bring opposing sides together, theproject stalled.

Change begins with an unorthodox approachIn 1998, at the request of the tribes, Jones & Jones Architects +Landscape Architects + Planners of Seattle came in to help resolvethe decade-long impasse between the MDT, CSKT and the FederalHighway Administration (FHWA)—which was threatening to with-hold funding if the project didn’t get support from tribal authorities.

The tribes had learned about work Jones & Jones had donefor the Paris Pike, a breakthrough project in Kentucky horse farmcountry that demonstrated the many benefits of land-drivenhighway design.

For the Montana project, Jones & Jones proposed that MDT setaside the conventional engineers’ approach to road building, whichachieves “level of service” (LOS) goals by straightening curves andadding lanes. (LOS measures delay; i.e. the length of traffic back-ups). This approach inherently focuses on facilitating speed.

Instead, Jones & Jones proposed a road-building method,established in the 1930s by landscape architects, which achievesLOS goals with continuous spiral curves and occasional passinglanes on straight stretches. This strategy results in more evenspacing between cars and thus maintains flow.

Because it takes its cues from the land, the road has a morerespectful presence. In fact, by letting the land reshape the road,the project respects the way of life in rural towns along its routeand restores fragmented habitat, while giving travelers a morepleasant, safer trip and a better understanding of the tribal peo-ple and their scenic homelands.

The design treatyThrough a yearlong negotiation process in which teammembers met

The Road LessTraveledCreating America’s Wildlife Highway

By Grant Jones FASLA

PH

OTO

CO

UR

TES

YJO

NE

S&

JON

ES

ABOVE: Rather than following the “straight shot” route of the old road, the new U.S. Highway 93 gently curves, visually conforming to the hilly terrain and undulating landforms in the larger landscape.

Forum Winter 09:Layout 1 2/13/09 10:46 AM Page 38

Page 41: AIA Seattle article on disaster aid

monthly, the Jones & Jones concept was articulated and a series ofdesign guidelines and parameters established to address them.

These were made binding through a formal Memorandum ofAgreement (MOA) signed in late 2000 by the CSKT, MDT, andFHWA. The MOA established the framework for every segment ofthe new road and set down a comprehensive design where allhighway elements would blend with the natural and cultural land-scape. Integrated features include place-specific roadway de-signs for the four historic rural towns along the road, protectionand restoration of native plant communities, and a visitor infor-mation system of roadside pull-offs and interpretive signs.

One of the project’s biggest successes is the integration of 56wildlife-crossing structures along the highway—an unprece-dented move that will double the number of such structures onhighways nationwide once construction is complete in 2009. Thestructures, based on four prototypes ranging from small box cul-verts to major over-crossings, allow bear, elk, moose, mountainlion and other mammals, as well as amphibians, waterfowl andfish, to pass under and over the highway.

Reshaping the roadIn reshaping the new highway based on cues from the land, theroad not only looks better but, in tandem with the wildlife cross-ings, improves safety for all while achieving LOS goals.

No longer arrow-straight, the new highway gently curves, con-forming to the undulating landforms of the larger landscape. Hori-zontal and vertical alignments were fine-tuned to reduce cuts andfills. Where cuts occur, slopes are rounded and shaped to look likenatural hillsides. Surfaces of major culvert and bridge structuresare textured to look like stone or tinted to blend with the soil.

The reconstruction of U.S. 93 represents a radical realign-ment of priorities in the planning and design of a major highway.Birds and grizzlies, tufted wheatgrass and willow, ancient storiesabout a mountain or river canyon, were given as much consider-ation in the road design as the safe and efficient movement ofvehicles. The result? A safe, beautiful highway in harmony withits natural and human setting. �

Grant Jones FASLA is a landscape architect, poet and co-founder of Jones & Jones Architects,Landscape Architect and Planners.

PARTNER

Every project is driven by culture, valuesand standards. Change is made possiblewhen the dominant culture makes room foranother mindset with place-based goals.The changes represented in Montana’s U.S.93 were realized not because prevailingsafety and efficiency standards were com-promised, but because they were met bynon-standard means; i.e. by looking to theplace and its people for direction. Lessonslearned include—1. Organize and authorize a communityof interest. A window for change openswhen differing, empowered voices, suchas the CKST or Kentucky horse farmers,are made part of the process.2. Consider a different yardstick. By re-framing how road service can be im-proved, the team created a better highway

that respects natural and cultural features.3. Demand exceptions. Established stan-dards typically exaggerate minimum ac-ceptability. Our job is to make use of thefull range of latitude within standards,pushing the standards to their limits inorder to broaden the designer’s ability toadapt to the land and context.4. Understand your scope of work. Ne-gotiating and implementing change is in-cremental, time-consuming work before,during and after design. Factor it in.5. Hold stakeholders accountable. TheMOA was a binding agreement. Recogniz-ing that much of the project’s success de-pended on decisions made during designand construction, the MOA called for aTechnical Oversight Committee and a Proj-ect Oversight Group (POG). The POG was

comprised of the designers at Jones &Jones and Skillings Connelly, along withrepresentatives of the state, tribal, andfederal governments.6. Draw on a broad context. Full consid-eration of ecological, cultural, scenic, geo-graphical, and historical influences shapeda design that achieved visual, political, fis-cal, and environmental harmony.7. Seek local wisdom. The inclusion oftribal representatives, citizens, and localenvironmental groups fostered public trustand led to better information.8. Forge Equal Partnerships. Equal de-sign roles for landscape architects and en-gineers resulted in successfully fitting theroad to the land.

Lessons from America’s Wildlife Highway

LEFT: Rather than following the “straight shot” route of the old road, the new U.S. Highway 93gently curves, visually conforming to the hilly terrain and undulating landforms in the largerlandscape. RIGHT: 56 wildlife crossings, such as this large culvert, give bear, elk, moose, andother mammals safe passage under US 93.

PH

OTO

CO

UR

TES

YJO

NE

S&

JON

ES

PHOTO COURTESY JONES & JONES

PHOTO COURTESY JONES & JONES

Forum Winter 09:Layout 1 2/13/09 10:46 AM Page 39

Page 42: AIA Seattle article on disaster aid

2009 WHAT MAKES ITGREEN? AWARDSSubmittal Deadline: March 16,Awards: April 28

AIA Seattle Committee on the En-vironment’s Regional Top TenGreen Awards celebrate the bestgreen design projects in theNorthwest and Pacific region – andthe clients and project teams whomade them happen.

40 | AIASEATTLE.ORG

CALENDAR Spring 2009CONTINUINGEDUCAT

IONHIGHLIGHTS

INFORMATION AND REGISTRATION FOR ALL FORUMS AND CLASSES AT WWW.AIASEATTLE.ORG

GALLERY

DESIGN MAKING CHANGEAIA Seattle presents projects from localdesigners who are expanding the role ofarchitecture and design to accomplishsocial change.March 16 through April 3o, Opening re-ception April 2

WHAT MAKES IT GREEN?This regional Top Ten Green Awards programcelebrates and learns from the best in greendesign in the Northwest and Pacific region.May 20 through June 30,Opening reception May 20C

OU

RTE

SY

AR

CH

ITE

CTS

WIT

HO

UT

BO

RD

ERS

-SE

ATTL

E

Visit www.aiaseattle.org for more info about upcoming exhibits, related events, and how you can get involved in the AIA Seattle Gallery.

WATER FORUM: IS BLUE THENEW GREEN?June 4 all dayWater is needed to generate energy.Energy is needed to deliver water.Both resources are limiting theother—and both may be runningshort. Can we design our way out?

ARE PREP STUDY SESSIONSMonthly study sessions answer your burn-ing questions about Architectural RecordExam. Drop-in, members and non-mem-bers.April 6, May 27. June 9, 12-2pm @ AIA

WASTE NOT!AIA Seattle, ARCADE Magazine, and hen-rybuilt co-host dialogues about waste.April 22, June 10, 4-6pm @ henrybuilt,913 Western Avenue

AIA+2030: MEETING THE 2030CHALLENGEMonthly beginning April 2009Endorsed by Architecture 2030, AIA+2030is a comprehensive education program tohelp architects deliver buildings that meet2030 Challenge goals.

ReGENERATION SALON SERIESAIA Seattle joins Worldchanging, IIDA, andASID to host ReGeneration, an environ-mental design education salon.March 17, June 16, 4-6pm plus happyhour 6-8pm, check web for locations

EMERGING PROFESSIONALS HAPPYHOURJoin the monthly happy hour with AIA Seat-tle & WASLA.March 20, April 17, May 15, June 19,5:30-7pm, check web for locations

ARCHITECTS IN ACTIONWhat public boards and commissions areout there? What’s the benefit of serving onone? Former and current commissioners toshow you the ropes.April 15

HONORS DINNERJoin industry leaders in recognizing significantaccomplishments in the built environment.May 30, 6pm @ Palace Ballroom

ANNUAL MEETING + PARTYYou work hard to design the city. Take thenight off and celebrate the year with theAIA Seattle community!June 10, 5pm @ Wing Luke AsianMuseum

Forum Winter 09:Layout 1 2/13/09 10:46 AM Page 40

Page 43: AIA Seattle article on disaster aid

Architects, construc-tion executives,planners, and de-

sign aficionados filled theBenaroya Hall lobby on No-vember 3 for the 2008 AIASeattle Honor Awards.With over 1,100 in atten-dance, this year’s awardshonored architects fromacross Washington State for their outstanding work. Channelingthe buzz of the 2008 Presidential election the next day, the archi-tectural and design community turned out in droves toschmooze, catch up, and view over 175 Honor Awards entries.True to the program’s theme, Perform/Transform, members ofCollage Dance Theater entertained the crowd in the lobby, aswell as performed an architecturally-inspired piece onstage. �

AIASEATTLE.ORG | 41

BUZZ

AIA Seattle Celebratesthe 2008 Honor Awards

TOP LEFT: Members of Collage Dance Theater perform with pieces from INFORM Interiors.TOP RIGHT: Photographer Ed Sozinho, NBBJ’s Andrea Larsen, and Holland Smith from PacifiCADenjoy a drink at the Honor Awards. All were members of the 2008 AIA Seattle Honor Awards Commit-tee. BOTTOM RIGHT: 2008 AIA Seattle Honor Award Juror Nadar Teharani of Boston’s Office dA, joinsHonor Awards Co-Chair Mary Johnston FAIA of Johnston Architects of Seattle. BOTTOM LEFT: New2009 AIA Seattle Board Member David Kunselman AIA of the City of Seattle hangs out with fellownew Board Member Dan Say of Swensen Say Fagét.

E

y.

?

The Berger Partnership PSLandscape Architecture

bergerpartnership.com

AP

Forum Winter 09:Layout 1 2/13/09 10:46 AM Page 41

Page 44: AIA Seattle article on disaster aid

42 | AIASEATTLE.ORG

AIA Seattle’s active member committees address a wide va-riety of design, advocacy, and practice issues. This year’scommittee chairs are stepping up to plan a great year. Opento all, committee meetings and activities provide ample op-portunities for networking, continuing education, and com-munity building.

Honor Awards 2009Don Miles FAIA and ShannonNichol ASLA, co-chairsThe Honor Awards Committeeplans AIA Seattle’s highly success-ful annual Honor Awards for Wash-ington Architecture, including a live

presentation to an audience of more than 1000 each November.Don is a principal at Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Architects in Seattle.Shannon leads Gustafson Guthrie Nichol’s landscape design col-laborations for such projects as Millennium Park’s Lurie Garden,Boston’s North End Parks, and the new Bill & Melinda GatesFoundation Campus. Don and Shannon hope to bring a height-ened spirit of cross-disciplinary collaboration to this year’sawards program.

What Makes it Green? AwardsTom Paladino Assoc. AIA and David GoldbergAIA, co-chairsThe WMIG? committee plans AIA Seattle’s annualsustainable design awards in April. Tom is founderof the green building consulting firm Paladino andCompany. David is a Managing Principal at

Mithun; his projects include the Woodland Park Zoo Zoomazium.Together with an active committee, they plan to take this highlyregarded awards program to a new level.

Future Shack 2009Rick Mohler AIA, chairThis new committee will shepherd the introduction of a residen-tial design awards program with a strong public focus in summer2009. Rick splits his time between his firm, Adams MohlerGilliano, and teaching at the University of Washington. He wel-comes new committee members who can think outside the boxand are committed to public dialogue about design.

Stepping UpWelcome New AIA Seattle Committee Chairs

Open HouseScott Becker AIA and Mitch Yockey AIA, co-chairsThe Open House Committee reviews and selects architect-de-signed homes for regular feature publication in Northwest Home,with an open house held on a Sunday afternoon during the monthof publication. Scott leads the firm Fourfold Architecture and hadan Open House selection (The Reserve Cottages) just before join-ing the committee in 2007. Mitch Yockey is an architect with DKAand continues a long relationship with the committee.

CodesJudy Tucker AIA, chairThe Codes Committee provides a forum for discussion and con-tinuing education related to land use, construction, and energycodes. The committee advocates for rational, fair development ofcodes and regulations that carry out the AIA’s policies promotingpublic health, safety, accessibility, and energy use. Judy is theprincipal/owner of Form + Function Architecture, LLC and hasbeen involved in the Code Committee for many years; she is theformer chair of Seattle’s Construction Code Advisory Committee.

Disaster Preparedness & ResponseThe Disaster Preparedness & Response (DP&R) Task Force coor-dinates design professionals’ action in response to disaster. Ac-tivities include seminars and workshops as well as relief efforts.This committee is currently looking for a new chair; if you are in-terested, contact AIA Seattle.

Practice/EthicsJerome Diepenbrock AIA and Myer HarrellAssoc. AIA, co-chairsThe Practice and Ethics Committee addressespractice, ethical, and legal issues. The committeehosts seminars, writes a column for this maga-zine, and responds to telephone inquiries regard-

ing ethics and legal issues. Jerome has been with the committeefor many years, sharing his leadership on everything from con-tracts to the ethical responsibility of architects to protect the en-vironment. Myer’s interest in ethics extends back to hisundergraduate minor in Philosophy, and continues through hiswork at Weber Thompson and his alignment with AIA Seattle’spriorities of sustainability and involvement.

AIA

NEWS

Forum Winter 09:Layout 1 2/13/09 10:46 AM Page 42

Page 45: AIA Seattle article on disaster aid

AIASEATTLE.ORG | 43

Custom Residential ArchitectsScott LaBenz AIA, LEED AP andBetty Torrell AIA, co-chairsThe Custom Residential Architects’Network (CRAN) promotes publicawareness of the value of workingwith an AIA Architect for residential

design projects. This committee oversees AIA Seattle publicawareness programs such as the AIA Seattle booth at the AIASeattle Home Show, the Resource Center for Architecture, andthe Saturday Seminar program. Scott is a principal at Groupar-chitect in Seattle and is serving his second year as chair. Hiswork focuses on residential projects of all scales. Betty receivedher architectural degree from the University of Washington; shefounded her practice in 1989, specializing in residential architec-ture and interior design services including new construction, ad-ditions, and remodels.

Diversity RoundtableGuido Seoanes-Perla Assoc AIA and Kim FongAssoc AIA, co-chairsThe AIA Seattle Diversity Roundtable attracts, re-tains, and empowers individuals of underrepre-sented backgrounds in the profession ofarchitecture through scholarship, community

service, and activism. “For me, architecture belongs to everyperson, culture, and nation in the world,” says Guido, whose di-verse family, childhood in Columbia, and background in both in-terior design and architecture give him a uniquely broadperspective on the role of design.

Small Firm RoundtableGary Epstein AIA and Tom Lawrence AIA, co-chairsThe Small Firm Roundtable meets to share knowledge aboutsmall-firm management and practice issues. Recent roundtablemeetings have covered topics such as insurance for small firms.The committee also maintains an active email list, which mem-bers use to share information.

Young Architects ForumMax Foley, co-chairThe Young Architects Forum promotes the professional growthand leadership development of early- and mid-career architectsby developing a network of peers and providing opportunities forthe open exchange of ideas and information. In 2009, the com-mittee will explore alternative careers for young professionalswith an architectural degree. Max is new to the role of chair; he iscurrently employed at Perkins+Will, where he advocates the inte-gration of natural processes with the built environment.

Committee on the Environment (COTE)David Mount AIA, chairThe AIA Seattle COTE maintains an active pro-gram of education, advocacy, and outreach topromote sustainable building practices to thelocal architectural and building community. This

year, the committee is supporting an ambitious range of pro-grams, including the Regeneration salon series (in collaborationwith IIDA and ASID), case studies of What Make It Green? proj-ects, and AIA+2030, a comprehensive two-year education seriesdesigned to help AIA members gain the tools to meet the 2030carbon reduction goals for buildings. David is an associate withMahlum Architects, where he landed following six years of prac-tice in Italy with Carmassi Studio di Architettura.

Historic ResourcesCima Malek-Aslani AIA, chairThe Historic Resources Committee works to sup-port the interests of historic preservation and re-use. Cima, a founding partner of Schacht AslaniArchitects, is new to the committee and hopes towork across the spectrum of AIA Seattle pro-

grams to inject preservation and re-use priorities.

Urban DesignRick Browning AIA, chairThe Urban Design Committee focuses on criticalissues facing our region, such as density, trans-portation infrastructure and placemaking. Partici-pation in the committee allows AIA Seattlemembers to learn, deliberate, and advocate for

positive changes in our built environment. After 20 years in Port-land, Rick has recently relocated to Seattle and works with Par-sons Brinckerhoff on urban design and transit projects. He isespecially interested in initiatives that promote pedestrians, tran-sit, and bicyclists in an urban setting.

Design CommitteeJim Moore AIA, chairThe Design Committee promotes design excel-lence and fosters a collaborative spirit betweenarchitects and the broader design communitythrough activities, including design dialogues, ex-hibits, and lectures, intended to encourage a ro-

bust discourse on the art and design of building. The committeeis planning another great year of Design Salons; this year’stheme is RE:Style, a year-long exploration of the place of style inarchitectural discourse. Jim designs hospitality and residentialprojects in the U.S. and India, and he leads Callison’s sustainabil-ity initiatives for the Destinations Studio.

Design for AgingThe Design for Aging (DFA) Committee is a new committee thatfosters design innovation and disseminates knowledge neces-sary to enhance the built environment and quality of life for anaging society. On the heels of a successful conference, the com-mittee is looking forward to expanding the dialogue through lec-tures, post-occupancy evaluations, and exhibits.

TEXT

Forum Winter 09:Layout 1 2/13/09 10:46 AM Page 43

Page 46: AIA Seattle article on disaster aid

44 | AIASEATTLE.ORG

Before you create the kitchen of your dreams, take it for a test-drive. At Bradlee’s Showroom, you can get hands-on with Sub-Zero and Wolf products, and our knowledgeable consultants will help with any questions you might have.

BRADLEE 1400 Elliott Avenue West Seattle 206-284-8400 www.bradlee.net

Get hands-on with the ingredients thatbring a dream kitchen to life.

DesignProfessionalLiabilityInsurance

Deborah Wade(206) 214-3022(ext. 43002)

Angeline Yarger(206) 214-3004(ext. 43004)

Insurance Program & ManagementA Service of Seabury & Smith

1301 5th Avenue, Suite #1900Seattle, WA 98101

CA#0633005

43429, 43430, 43431, 43432

d/b/a in CA Seabury & Smith InsuranceProgram Management

4

CHOOSE SFI® WOOD FOR GREEN BUILDINGS. AS A BONUS, RECEIVE GREEN FORESTS.

When you specify SFI® wood, you’re supporting a globally-recognized initiative whose participants plant 650 million trees every year and manage for wildlife, soil and water values across over 150 million acres of independently certified forestland. So look for the SFI logo when you specify building products. Your business will benefit. And so will the forests.

Find out more at www.sfiprogram.org

INSTALLATION SOLUTIONS FOR TILE AND STONE

ArchitecturalResources

Installation Solutions for Tile and Stone

Custom® is the leading industry provider of tile and stone installationproducts. We simplify the specification process with installationsystem CAD details, product specifications and personalizedconsultation with certified professionals.

For further information contact:John Gallup, CTC, CSI Architectural Consultant

Sacramento, CA 209-518-1153

Surface Preparation Products • Setting MaterialsColored Tile Grouts • Care and Maintenance

For further information contact:Mike Little, CSI, CDT, CTC Architectural Consultant

Texas 817.995.3231

For further information contact:John Gallup, CTC

Architectural Consultant 209.518.1153

[email protected](425) 467-5599(425) 467-0561 gax

1483 130th Avenue NEBellevue, Washington 98005www.unquieartglass.com

Unique Art Glass

Forum Winter 09:Layout 1 2/13/09 3:18 PM Page 44

Page 47: AIA Seattle article on disaster aid

AIASEATTLE.ORG | 45

Acoustical/AV ConsultingThe Greenbusch Group, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . .47

ADA ProductsVanguard ADA Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27

Anti-GraffitiEvonik Degussa Industries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

Architectural Art GlassUnique Art Glass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44

AssociationNorthwest Energy Efficiency Council (NEEC) 16

AttorneysLane Powell PC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

AutodeskRenton Technical College . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

AutodeskÆ Software Consulting ServicesIdeate, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .OBC

CAD ServicesIdeate, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .OBC

Certification StandardsSFI - Sustainable Forestry Initiative . . . . . . . .44

Certified Wood ProductsSFI - Sustainable Forestry Initiative . . . . . . . .44

Civil EngineersAndersen Bjornstad Kane Jacobs . . . . . . . . .14

Code ConsultantsSchirmer Engineering Corp. . . . . . . . . . . . . .IBC

Construction LawSkellenger Bender . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35

Construction ManagementHoffman Construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .IFC

Consulting EngineersCary Kopczynski & Co., Inc. P.S. . . . . . . . . . .27

Schirmer Engineering Corp. . . . . . . . . . . . . .IBC

Continuing EducationRenton Technical College . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

Corrosion InhibitorsEvonik Degussa Industries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

CounselorsLane Powell PC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

Curtain Wall & StorefrontLaris Architectural Products, LLC . . . . . . . . . .1

NanaWall Systems, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

Custom Home BuildingSchultz Miller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27

Design Professional RepresentationSkellenger Bender . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35

Design ServiceSmart Solar Solution(Northwest Mechanical, Inc.) . . . . . . . . . . . .16

Design/BuildHoffman Construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .IFC

Detectable WarningsVanguard ADA Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27

DistributorsBradlee Distributors Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44

Door & Door PartitionsLaris Architectural Products, LLC . . . . . . . . . .1

NanaWall Systems, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

DoorsWindows Doors & More . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

Energy EfficiencyNorthwest Energy Efficiency Council (NEEC) 16

EngineersCoffman Engineers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

Hargis Engineers Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35

Interface Engineering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45

Swenson Say Fagét . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41

Etched GlassUnique Art Glass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44

Finishes/Ceramic TileCustom Building Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44

Fire Protection EngineersSchirmer Engineering Corp. . . . . . . . . . . . . .IBC

General ContractorsHoffman Construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .IFC

Kruse Brothers Construction . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

Schultz Miller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27

Green CertificationSFI - Sustainable Forestry Initiative . . . . . . . .44

Health Care InsuranceMorgan & Associates, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46

Historic PreservationSwenson Say Fagét . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41

HVAC DesignFranklin Engineering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47

InsuranceMARSH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44

Insurance BrokersMorgan & Associates, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46

Categorical Index

INDEXTO

ADVERTISERS

With each projectwe look for ways to achieve more with

less, preserving our natural resources in

the process.

advanced engineering in energy and water conservation

InterfaceEngineering.com

Forum Winter 09:Layout 1 2/13/09 10:48 AM Page 45

Page 48: AIA Seattle article on disaster aid

46 | AIASEATTLE.ORG

INDEXTO

ADVERTISERS Kiln Fired Glass

Unique Art Glass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44

Kitchen AppliancesBradlee Distributors Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44

Landscape ArchitectureThe Berger Partnership PS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41

Site Workshop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35

Law FirmLane Powell PC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

Leaded GlassUnique Art Glass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44

Legal ServicesSkellenger Bender . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35

Management ConsultantsStrogoff Consulting, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35

Master PlanningSite Workshop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35

Mechanical ConsultingFranklin Engineering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47

Mechanical EngineeringThe Greenbusch Group, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . .47

Mechanical/Electrical/PlumbingInterface Engineering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45

MEPSmart Solar Solution(Northwest Mechanical, Inc.) . . . . . . . . . . . .16

Mergers & AcquisitionsStrogoff Consulting, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35

Operable Glass WallsLaris Architectural Products, LLC . . . . . . . . . .1

NanaWall Systems, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

Parking ConsultantCary Kopczynski & Co., Inc. P.S. . . . . . . . . . .27

Plumbing DesignFranklin Engineering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47

Practice ManagementStrogoff Consulting, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35

Professional LiabilityMorgan & Associates, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46

Residential ContractorSchultz Miller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27

Risk ConsultingMARSH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44

Security ConsultantsSchirmer Engineering Corp. . . . . . . . . . . . . .IBC

Seismic EngineersAndersen Bjornstad Kane Jacobs . . . . . . . . .14

Site PlanningSite Workshop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35

SkylightsWindows Doors & More . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

SoftwareThe PPI Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

Solar ProductsSmart Solar Solution(Northwest Mechanical, Inc.) . . . . . . . . . . . .16

Stained GlassUnique Art Glass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44

Structural EngineersAndersen Bjornstad Kane Jacobs . . . . . . . . .14

Cary Kopczynski & Co., Inc. P.S. . . . . . . . . . .27

Swenson Say Fagét . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41

Sustainable DesignInterface Engineering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45

Technology Infrastructure ConsultingIdeate, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .OBC

TileCustom Building Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44

Tile Setting MaterialsCustom Building Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44

TrainingThe PPI Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

Renton Technical College . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

Truncated DomesVanguard ADA Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27

Urban Planners & DesignersThe Berger Partnership PS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41

Vertical TransportationThe Greenbusch Group, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . .47

Water Repellents - Concrete & MasonryEvonik Degussa Industries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

Waterproof ConcreteGlacier Northwest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

Windows & DoorsWindows Doors & More . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

Workers' CompensationMARSH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44

Forum Winter 09:Layout 1 2/13/09 10:52 AM Page 46

Page 49: AIA Seattle article on disaster aid

AIASEATTLE.ORG | 47

INDEXTO

ADVERTISERS

Andersen BjornstadKane Jacobs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.abkj.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

The Berger Partnership PS. . . . . www.bergerpartnership.com . . . . . . .41

Bradlee Distributors Inc. . . . . . . . www.bradlee.net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44

Coffman Engineers . . . . . . . . . . . www.coffman.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

Custom Building Products . . . . . www.custombuildingproducts.com . .44

Evonik Degussa Industries . . . . . www.protectosil.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

Franklin Engineering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47

Glacier Northwest. . . . . . . . . . . . www.calportland.com . . . . . . . . . . . .14

The Greenbusch Group, Inc. . . . www.greenbusch.com . . . . . . . . . . . .47

Hargis Engineers Inc. . . . . . . . . . www.hargis.biz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35

Hoffman Construction . . . . . . . . www.hoffmancorp.com . . . . . . . . . .IFC

Ideate, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.ideateinc.com . . . . . . . . . . . .OBC

Interface Engineering . . . . . . . . . www.interfaceengineering.com . . . . .45

Cary Kopczynski & Co., Inc. P.S. www.ckcps.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27

Kruse Brothers Construction . . . www.krusebrothers.com . . . . . . . . . .16

Lane Powell PC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.lanepowell.com . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

Laris Architectural Products, LLCwww.nanawall.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

MARSH. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.proliability.com . . . . . . . . . . . . .44

Morgan & Associates, Inc. . . . . . www.morganinsurance.com . . . . . . .46

NanaWall Systems, Inc. . . . . . . . www.nanawall.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

Northwest Energy EfficiencyCouncil (NEEC) . . . . . . . . . . . . www.neec.net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

The PPI Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.thePPIgroup.com . . . . . . . . . . . .6

Renton Technical College . . . . . . http://autodesktraining.rtc.edu . . . . .14

Schirmer Engineering Corp. . . . . www.schirmereng.com . . . . . . . . . .IBC

Schultz Miller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.schultzmiller.com . . . . . . . . . . .27

SFI - Sustainable Forestry Initiative . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44

Site Workshop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.siteworkshop.net . . . . . . . . . . .35

Skellenger Bender . . . . . . . . . . . www.skellengerbender.com . . . . . . .35

Smart Solar Solution(Northwest Mechanical, Inc.) . . www.nwmechanical.com . . . . . . . . . .16

Strogoff Consulting, Inc.. . . . . . . www.strogoffconsulting.com . . . . . . .35

Swenson Say Fagét . . . . . . . . . . www.swensonsayfaget.com . . . . . . .41

Unique Art Glass. . . . . . . . . . . . . www.uniqueartglass.com . . . . . . . . .44

Vanguard ADA Systems . . . . . . . www.Vanguardonline.com . . . . . . . . .27

Windows Doors & More . . . . . . . www.windowshowroom.com . . . . . . . .4

Alphabetical Index

Where’s Your Ad?For information on advertising call Dawson Publications, Inc. 800-322-3448

ACOUSTICSAUDIO|VIDEO

THE GREENBUSCH GROUP, INC. [email protected]

DESIGNS WHICH RESPECTTHE ENVIRONMENT

MECHANICALCOMMISSIONING

www.aiacontratdocuments.org/architect.

Forum Winter 09:Layout 1 2/13/09 10:52 AM Page 47

Page 50: AIA Seattle article on disaster aid

Being an Architect in Action

means you bring better

solutions to your design projects.

You work to create healthy and

sustainable buildings and communities.

It means you are a member of the

American Institute of Architects.

As a member, you have access to knowledge and

resources, a supportive network of colleagues,

and a reputation built on 150 years of service

to the design profession.

Become the next Architect in Action. Become a member of the AIA. www.aia.org/join_today

WE ASKED A SIMPLE QUESTION. “WHY ARE YOU A MEMBER?” THERE ARE 83,000 POSSIBLE ANSWERS. HERE ARE TWO.

Forum Winter 09:Layout 1 2/13/09 10:52 AM Page 48

Page 51: AIA Seattle article on disaster aid

Project2:Layout 1 2/13/09 11:06 AM Page 1

Page 52: AIA Seattle article on disaster aid

Firmly established on the West Coast with offices in California, Oregon, and now Washington, Ideate offers:

Exceptional training and support on Autodesk® Solutions.

Expert consulting and integration services.

Experienced industry professionals guiding your selection of the most effective Autodesk Solution.

New office and training facilities in downtown Seattle. Contact:

Craig H. Dodge 888.662.7238 [email protected] ideateinc.com

San Francisco Sacramento Santa Clara Por t land Seat t le

New City for Us. New Opportunities for You.

From Ideas to Reality – Ideate, Inc. Now in Seattle.

Forum Winter 09:Layout 1 2/12/09 3:43 PM Page 4