BIM Isn’t for Whiners

I’m happy to report that I have another project running full steam ahead in Autodesk Revit. We are lining up our MEP and structural consultants with the prerequisite of working in Revit to gain the most value from 3-d coordination, interference checking, and referencing across disciplines. With BIM (Building Information Modeling) we are essentially building the project digitally prior to the constructors building it in the field. A wall in the model actually contains the components that make up the assembly, not just the visual representation on a screen or paper.

The question I have to ask though is why would anyone not want to be part of the move towards completing all building projects in a BIM platform? There certainly is a learning curve from both learning the software platform and making a mental shift from drawing representative lines to actually building digital assemblies, but the gains from increased productivity through the software managing all of the cross referencing when documenting the project to validating that the mechanical, electrical, plumbing, structural systems, and furnishings are not in conflict saves both time and money working through conflicts during construction.

My request to those in my industry, don’t whine about the change. Either change and make the necessary investments to be part of it, or don’t change and accept the consequences. As a graduate architect I worked on a project where the steel detailer did everything by hand drafting. The shop drawings kept coming back with errors that I would return requesting them to make the corrections noted. Eventually, they submitted a change order because we required them to “redraw” the steel members. In the meeting to review the request, they amazed us as the draftsmen told us how our notes to add length to a steel member required him to start the drawing over again… They only received a very small portion of the additional money because the industry had moved on. A change that would take someone computer drafting about 60-seconds it took a pen and ink draftsmen 4-hours. My owner didn't make the decision for them to use a more time intensive process, and it wasn't fair for them to pay for something that was behind the industry standard.

As Seth Godin posted this weekend, “Smart businesspeople focus on the things they have the power to change, not whining about the things they don't.” We don’t have the power to stop the industry around us from evolving, but we do have the power to improve our operations. If you don't like it, don't change, just please don't whine about it, that won't get you anywhere. Thanks.

How to Market Design Build

A joint DBIA-SMPS Meeting took place Thursday, November 19th with a panel discussion on “How to Market Design Build”. The panelists covered four typical players in a public design build project. John Voigt, Director of Facility Planning at Brownsburg Community School Corporation (owner); Jenelle Smagala, President of Synthesis Incorporated (architect); Jeff Schroeder, Executive Vice President with Geupel Demars Hagerman (general contractor); and Sean Seyferth, Director of Business Development for Miller-Eads Electrical Contractors (sub-contractor). Mark McGuire, Business Development Manager with Shiel Sexton, was the moderator.

Keys to Selecting a Successful Design Build Team
For success, the team must have strong communication with a high degree of trust for an integrated approach as the architect kicks us off. The general contractor followed up with having relevant project experience and a team with political capital in the selection process. The owner countered with a warning that political capital and any connections to members of the technical review committee will actually hurt a team due to the public scrutiny that is so high in the public design build selection process. An owner is looking for strong qualifications, an integrated team approach, fair treatment throughout (to the owner and to each of the team members), and a team that wants to work together (an unnatural marriage is bad for everyone). The subcontractor points out that he is at the mercy of the owner and general contractor and has seen different approaches in the past couple years. Ideally, the major subcontractors should be selected early to participate in design and looking for opportunities to save money and bring more creativity. Some design build teams have consisted of the general contractor and designers that produce bid documents for the selection of the subcontractors in order to arrive at a guaranteed maximum price. Under the first scenario, the subcontractor is a design build team member, but under scenario two they compete on price and are not willing to take as much risk on improving design when there is no reward for that risk. One final note on the design build team selection, the architect is taking tremendous risk and resources to pursue a design build project while the general contractor and subcontractor both agreed that a design build project is the same amount of effort and expense as other forms of procurement. The team's expectations of deliverables from the design members needs to be confirmed at the team's inception.

How to Differentiate your Design Build Team
Show history. It will be difficult to get the first projects, but once you have history as a design build team, your history will differentiate you from other teams forming to pursue a single project. The general contractor showcases their typical delivery tools (construction management experience, self-performance capabilities, and resources to finance a project as a developer). The architect illustrates the ability to design with an acute care to cost, technical expertise and coordination with system designers. Finally, the owner feels owners also need to market themselves as a good design build owner who is fair in order to bring the best design build teams to submit on future projects.

Benefits of Utilizing Design Build
From the owners perspective, with public works projects so competitive, any opportunity to select the best quality providers is a benefit. The general contractor points to the benefits of any qualifications based selection and integrated team approach: 30% faster delivery with an overlapping construction and design process. The subcontractor has a smoother process, with front end discussions, field coordination is simplified and job goes easier. The architect reminded us that faster just depends on your perspective, if the owner doesn’t know the design process or doesn’t have effective professional guidance, a protracted RFQ and RFP process will eliminate the overall time savings realized by the owner.

Which Projects Make Sense, and Which Don’t for Design Build
The architect points to the size of the project, an owner should make sure they have the right talent at the table. The general contractor points out that traditional design build is the big box, but with the right team any project could be suitable for design build. The owner points to his experience of selecting a design build team for a re-roof project. That team brought innovation and provided a higher quality roof and a lower final price within the schedule. When the second half of that building’s roof was ready to be replaced the next summer design build didn’t make sense. He already knew what the best system was, why take new teams through the intense process when he will just want to match the other half of his building. If you don’t need creativity or already have the team you want to design the project, don’t use design build.

How Important is the Design Criteria Developer
It is imperative the owner understands the process. An owner who has never done a construction project before will have a steep learning curve the first time they try to procure design and construction services, regardless of the delivery method. When a professional can be brought in who has the experience and has been through the public procurement process before the owner will realize value in less mistakes and missed requirements. The general contractor pointed out that the more a design criteria developer has been through the entire process, the better they will be at guiding the owner to the best design build team for their project. As the owner pointed out, a real challenge is getting the right info in the RFQ and RFP and an experienced design criteria developer will bring the experience of writing these documents. But, an owner also has the challenge of hiring one more consultant when he brings the design criteria developer before the school board for funding approval and convincing them that even with the fee of the design criteria developer, the project won’t cost more with design build procurement.

Why Is Cost Lower with Design Build
The architect points to time savings without needing as many checks and balances. Shop drawings are traditionally produced by the contractor for the architect to review and verify that they are correctly interpreting the construction documents. With design build, the contractor has been involved with design all along and has an understanding of why the designers designed the way they did. The subcontractor points to the smoother process and less adversarial demeanor of the team members providing an environment for mutual cost savings and efficiencies that benefit each other.

State of Education in Indiana

I had the opportunity to attend the Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce Pancakes and Politics discussion on the State of Education. This panel discussion had Dr. Tony Bennett, Superintendent of Public Instruction; Senator Dennis Kruse, Chair of the Senate Education Committee; and Dr. Eugene White, Superintendent of IPS. The moderator from the education practice at Baker & Daniels worked hard to cover many topics with these three aggressive and passionate panelists.

While I attended this discussion as an architect representing an architecture firm that specializes in K-12 design, I also attended as a father of two boys who will be starting school in a couple short years. Dr. Bennett’s opening comments ended on the need to increase “competition, freedom and accountability” among schools to drive rewarding improved performance and identifying underperformers to be held accountable to improve. Sen. Kruse committed to changing the tenure plan many educators enjoy and requiring 3rd graders to successfully read prior to advancing to 4th grade. Dr. White jumped on Sen. Kruse’s requirement for reading proficiency prior to 4th grade with the need to start child education earlier than the 7-years old that parents can wait to enroll their child. Earlier education can only be accomplished with State support of pre-school and kindergarten requiring earlier organized education. While many parents want the money to follow the child, Dr. White points out that equity and equality are not the same; until we can break a circle of poverty through education, there won’t be any improvement of the whole.

The biggest issue facing K-12 education is funding. As the Indiana legislature gets started in the afternoon following the program with Organization Day at the Statehouse, Dr. White and Dr. Bennett are bracing for K-12 cuts as the State again tries to balance the budget with diminishing tax revenues. We hope Sen. Kruse and his fellow Senators and their counterparts in the House understand that maintaining and increasing the funding of our future through the education of our citizens is more important than almost anything completing against it. Indiana’s current budget indicates a 1% increase in funding this year, but that is expected to be cut to 0% if not worse. 37 other states have already cut education spending; Indiana needs to take the opportunity to advance in this time of national decline. Nationally, the US spends more in one week of war than we spend sending support to education programs. As Dr. White stated, “We continue to fund our failure in war at the cost of our future.” Nationally, Obama has a program titled “Race to the Top” where Indiana has the opportunity to complete with states our same size for additional education funding. The program has already led to changes in other states to meet the requirements of national standards for assessment, development of a longitudinal data system to track students’ progress and growth, turning around low performing schools, and improved teacher quality. As Dr. White pointed out, the Race to the Top program funding for the year is equal to our expenses in one week of continued war in Iraq.

The next point attacked was teacher licensure. As had been in the news for the past few months, Dr. Bennett is attempting to bring license reform to allow professionals with an education in a particular subject matter to teach at the K-12 level. The loosened licensure should be coupled with performance evaluations to verify the teacher performs, or they are removed. Dr. White disagrees with this approach to changes; simply knowing your subject matter doesn’t prepare you to teach, pedagogy and the skills to prepare a student to learn is invaluable. Even after training in pedagogy some teachers will not be successful, but without that basic education on educating the students will suffer. Not to say the teacher education system is perfect, it could probably be made more efficient. There isn't an easy solution to the need for high quality teachers.

While this program didn't get into the topic of referendums for public education operations and, closer to me, capital improvement projects, it was promising as a parent to see the passion of our top leaders in education. Thanks to the chamber for the opportunity to hear from our local leaders.

--UPDATE--

11-23-2009
I have learned a lot about perceptions of Dr. Bennett since I posted this article. For starters, most people didn't know he was elected... in the 2008 General Election he won with 51% of the vote, Richard D. Wood(D) trailed with 48.99% of the vote, a 51,140 votes difference, per thegreenpapers.com. He will be eligible for reelection in 2012. The Superintendent of Public Instruction is an executive branch office as head of the Indiana Department of Education. His current controversy over teacher licensing is certainly a touchy subject where change is probably needed, but I haven't met anyone in the education field that agrees with his plans for change. It will be interesting to see where this debate goes from here!

My Friends, Independent Consultants

I re-posted this on June 21, 2011 with a few updates, visit here.

I may know as many unemployed architects as those that still have a job working for a firm. About a year ago I was nervously considering how the economy dips every ten years or so and as the gray hairs would tell me “We’ve been through this before, just hold on,” I tried to relax and feel fortunate for my job. Since then, I really feel fortunate InterDesign is still producing work and don’t believe any of the gray hairs who are still saying, “This is no different than last time, we’ll all get through it.”

How can we help our friends who are now “Independent Consultants,” but not by choice or preference? Many articles are devoted to helping your unemployed friends by being a shoulder to cry on, don’t berate them for being upset, and don’t lend money if you can’t afford to just gift it. But architects are different. Not that the aforementioned doesn’t apply, but architects need to practice. As the "independent consultants" are holding on till a job pops, here are a few suggestions I have came across to practice:

Autodesk Assistance Program

Visit Autodesk for the opportunity to obtain a free student version of 17 of their leading design software products. While you can’t use this software to do projects from home, though I have a friend who is trying, you can learn the newest tools to be in a better position to market yourself. Along with the license, you’ll get access to free online training and discounts on software certification.

Stay Involved (or Get Involved) in your Professional Groups

Are you a current member or have you recently not paid dues for AIA or CSI? I am aware of assistance programs being offered by both groups to help continue your membership through this time of unemployment. Along with maintaining the membership, be sure you’re attending all the meetings (CSI Indy events, AIA Indy events, Building Excellence Industry Calendar). When an office does get busy, who do you think they’ll call first to come in for an interview? The silent resume/portfolio sitting on the desk, or the eager architect they saw last week who took an interest in the firm and has shown leadership in a professional organization? Be sure you’re not just staying at home, get out there and network!

Update Your Web Presence

Now is the time to take the assets you’ve gathered to update your portfolio (images and text) and build you’re web presence. Create a professional Facebook account. Update your LinkedIn profile. Start a blog and write about past experience and bits of advice. Join Twitter to promote your blog and provide “micro-blogging” in 140 character posts. Link everything together so once someone stumbles upon one of your digital identities, they can easily find all of the other instances.

In conclusion, be sure you’ve done everything you can to “have your house in order” so when a prospective employer Google’s your name; they have good things to read and see about you. Good luck!

InterDesign on the MOVE to end Alzheimer’s!

The following post was created for my office's corporate blog, but I've posted it here so I can get feedback from my loyal subscribers. The formatting is a little different on the company web and you can view the original blog post here. I hope the final paragraphs don't sound too much like a sales pitch. Please pass along your feedback, I'm certainly still a novice at blogging and appreciate any advice you can provide.

InterDesign has participated as a team for the second year in the Alzheimer’s Association Memory Walk® in Indianapolis. A team of employees and family members raised money for research to treat and prevent Alzheimer’s and provide programs to improve the lives of Americans affected by Alzheimer’s disease.

This year’s 5K walk started at IUPUI campus and went around the canal. It was a beautiful autumn day and everyone enjoyed the exercise and time together. The walk route had signs illustrating the 10 warning signs for the disease:

1. Memory changes that disrupt daily life.
2. Challenges in planning or solving problems.
3. Difficulty completing familiar tasks at home, at work or at leisure.
4. Confusion with time or place.
5. Trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships.
6. New problems with words in speaking or writing.
7. Misplacing things and losing the ability to retrace steps.
8. Decreased or poor judgment.
9. Withdrawal from work or social activities.
10. Changes in mood and personality.

For more information, go to www.alz.org/10signs

The InterDesign Team has the goal of raising $1,000 again this year, and we should be able to get there with a few post-walk donations. Click here to visit our Team Page.

While InterDesign is not active in the treatment of Alzheimer’s, we are dedicated to providing the best physical spaces for the care of people suffering from this disease and the staff who care for them. Our history of involvement in Alzheimer’s and memory care spaces goes back to 1990, with the addition of early and intermediate stage Alzheimer’s units to Franklin United Methodist Community in Franklin, Indiana. We have since completed designs for many dementia care facilities and continue dialog with caregivers and industry experts through our participation with the Alzheimer’s Association and other senior living organizations. Our very own Dan Ware has been a featured presenter at numerous conferences, helping to create a better understanding of the nuances of designing appropriate care environments for persons with dementia. He has championed the use of memory gardens, enhanced wayfinding, homelike design, and other design concepts to provide a better living and care environment. For example, research indicates that the affects of sundowning, a state of confusion at the end of the day, can be improved by providing adequate lighting, reduced shadows, and spaces programmed for a wide range of activities. Our continued involvement with the Alzheimer’s Association and other industry professionals provides us an open dialog that leads to a better design for our clients.

If you need any additional resources and assistance with Alzheimer’s and memory care facilities, just give us a call.

Missions Statements, does anyone care?

Do you know the mission statement of the company you work for? Do you know the mission statements of the various groups you may be a member of? Did you know that your college probably has a mission statement? Do you care?

I was in a strategic planning session yesterday and a recurring theme that rose to the top from the over six hours of dialog was a need for programs. Good programs with value that will bring out the current members and inspire others to join. But when I said we should be sure to target programs that fortify our mission (which we had reviewed five hours prior) I was given the “are you kidding me” look. No, I’m not kidding you, our organization is here to further our mission. Why wouldn’t we go back to that very mission for everything we do? Perhaps I’m too idealist, but what’s the point in having a mission if we don’t use it as at least a starting point for directing the message we send to our members and the many more non-members?

At InterDesign, our mission statement is long, but I truly believe it does a good job capturing the goal of our corporate owners. It includes our high quality standards, integrity, respect, and a few other concepts that we try to embody.

In preparation for my year as president of the CSI Indianapolis Chapter I’ve begun dialogs with the members I hope to empower to do great things to achieve my goals and ultimately strengthen the chapter in furthering the current mission of CSI: “Advance the process of creating and sustaining the built environment.” And the new mission of CSI, but you’ll have to wait for that one to be adopted before I’ll share it here on my blog.

I charge you to find the mission statement for the groups you are associated with. Make a conscious decision to either ignore it because it is irrelevant or to embrace it. If you want to ignore the mission, you should consider whether or not you want to be associated. Good luck!

Differences between AIA and CSI

I've had the great of fortune of having the opportunities to get involved in many organizations. I've also had the awkward position of defending my professional groups from each other. For this article I will focus on my perceptions and involvement with the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and the Construction Specifications Institute (CSI).

This post is organized as my history in CSI, history in AIA, then why I am a member of both. Feel free to jump ahead with the shortcuts if you don't want/have time to read the whole thing.

I First Joined CSI
After a little involvement with AIAS and no involvement in CSI in college, I graduated and started my career. After two years of living life after college and enjoying marriage without children, I realized that I hadn’t really gone anywhere professionally. No one in my office appeared to be involved in anything, so I went with advice given to me before I graduated, “join CSI for networking and education.” Feeling a need to meet architects outside my office, I joined and then went to my first CSI Indy meeting. I don't recall the topic, but do remember everyone being friendly and my now friend David Dixon introducing me to everyone as a new member (we met at that meeting).

I was the typical wallflower, but really enjoyed the educational programs and was within a year asked by Andy McIntyre to join the Membership Committee. From here I met many past presidents and found many similarities to my college fraternity committee work.

Within two years I ran for the Board (unsuccessfully) and assisted on several recruitment projects for the chapter. I also passed my registration exams, had our first son, and acquired my architect license.

My AIA Journey Begins
Now that I am an architect, I joined AIA. The CSI Indy chapter meets every month, but in my first year the AIA Indy chapter had three programs (not counting events with additional fees). The final program was the Transitions Round Table organized by the Young Architects Forum. This program absolutely inspired me with Jim Schellinger of CSO striking a chord with my dreams of owning a firm some day, a program unlike anything I had seen through CSI. I decided to give AIA a second year and emailed the incoming president to volunteer for a committee that may be in need and try to get something out of my membership. This was responded with a co-chair appointment to the Young Architects Forum.

In my two years as co-chair of the YAF, we tried to increase the relevancy of the young architects by hosting an event each month, discussing the current industry trends with leading architects of Indy, and telling our story to anyone who would listen. I've now moved to the office of State Delegate for the opportunity to be on both the Indianapolis and Indiana AIA Boards, and step away from planning and pulling off monthly events.

While CSI was great for me starting my career gaining contacts at several A/E firms and covering nearly every MasterFormat division, AIA provided a different group of contacts and different type of learning. Through the AIA, I’ve learned about the business side of the architect profession while CSI continued to enhance my technical proficiency.

Why I'm a Member of Both
I continue to see great value in both CSI and AIA; I also don’t think both organizations are for everyone; and finally, I don’t think the two groups need to compete against one another. The mission of CSI is to “Advance the process of creating and sustaining the built environment.” The mission of AIA is “the voice of the architectural profession and the resource for its members in service to society.”

CSI fulfills its mission by the creation and support of industry standards such as MasterFormat and GreenFormat, through its certification programs, and by educating its members through local chapter meetings, region conferences and the national convention.

The AIA is focused on the architectural profession, not the AEC industry in general. To fulfill its mission the AIA monitors legislation and advocates changes affecting architects, provide learning opportunities covering topics specific to architects such as liability insurance, firm leadership, and advocates good design. Similarly, the AIA has regions state chapters, and local chapters.

As I stated at the beginning, these two organizations aren’t for everyone. If you aren’t an architect, the AIA doesn’t necessarily provide for your needs. If you aren’t involved with organizing the information for the design, construction or continued maintenance of physical structures CSI won’t offer you as much value. At this point in my career, I’m trying to bridge between my day job as Project Architect designing and coordinating the design team through document production and my future hopes to move into Project Management and firm administration / ownership.

I think the problem with these two organizations is a misunderstanding of their missions. I have encountered many CSI members who have negative things to say about the AIA and specifically because of their lack of focus on the things CSI promotes. Similarly, many members of the AIA look down their noses at CSI members as being some type of less prestigious group. If the two groups could understand their respective roles in the industry, perhaps we could all get along. If AIA didn’t exist, who would lookout for the need for professional registration and architect training so the general public knows when they have a qualified professional designing their built environments? If CSI didn’t exist, who would be working collaboratively to bring all of the construction team members (design, construction, owner, and product representatives) together to find the most efficient and consistent process for documenting design intent and an owner’s requirements? We need both groups and others. Once size won't fit all.

If you found this post helpful, or you disagree with my perceptions please post a comment below. Perception is reality and perception can be changed, though it is hard once that first impression has been made. Thanks for taking the time to read!

Viewing HBO Documentary on Alzheimer's Disease

On Thursday, May 28 I attended a private screening of Part 1 of the HBO Alzheimer's Project hosted by the Indiana Alzheimer Disease Center followed by a Q and A with their faculty. I've just began to be exposed to the design considerations surrounding Alzheimer disease, dementia, and memory care. InterDesign's Dan Ware has been active in the design of Alzheimer disease care environments for years and has proven a great resource for learning.

A few facts to consider:

• Alzheimer’s disease was first discovered by German psychiatrist and neuropathologist Alois Alzheimer in 1906 when he observed the brain of patients during autopsy who had progressive memory failure and saw plaques and tangles (amyloid plaques and tau tangles).
• Typical age for late on-set Alzheimer disease is late 70s to early 80s.
• Alzheimer's is the second most feared illness in America, after cancer.
• As many as 5 million men and women in this country may have Alzheimer's.
• The number of people with Alzheimer's will rise rapidly when the baby boom generation begins to reach retirement age in 2011...

Knowing People Matters More Than Knowing Stuff

After about a month break, here is the second post in my series from what I learned at the Young Architects Forum Transitions Round Table 2009. Panelist Deb Kunce is a Program Manager at Schmidt Associates in Indianapolis and current President of AIA Indiana. She started out life on a dairy farm but went on to become an architect (as I relate with from my upbringing). Deb enjoys non-traditional architectural services such as program management and other ancillary/additional services. She emphasized finding what you really enjoy doing and do it. Be involved; serve on Boards in your profession and in your community to make connections. When you see something that needs to change work towards it and remember that small changes can lead to real change down the road. Be persistent. Do what you say you’re going to do, follow-up. You don’t know why you’re called to something, follow your heart, but don’t make choices just about your passion, look at the big picture.
When asked about how to balance work and personal life (a question I’ve asked the past three years), Deb works to strike a balance from a whole year point of view. But, she is also shifting her time this fall to be home in the afternoon when her child comes home from Kindergarten. We just have to shift our burden, to be home in afternoon we’ll need to make agreements with our office to shift that time to early mornings, working from home, or a flexed hours workweek. There isn’t a magic formula.
And as this post is titled, knowing people matters more than knowing stuff. Deb was laid off from an early job a month after receiving an award for being the outstanding intern. Knowing everything about everything won’t guarantee success. At this time with a bleak job market we need to work harder to know people and be known. Seek opportunities to meet people and follow your interests.

Learners Inherit the Earth

The quote below was shared by Bill Brown, Director of Sustainability at Indiana University:

"In times of change learners inherit the earth; while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists."
- Eric Hoffer

Bill encouraged us to each pick one thing that we are passionate about and study it for the year. You will be able to gain great insight into what your passionate about. Bill's passion is clearly sustainable design. He was the first student member of the AIA COTE and participated in the Greening of the White House. While in school at Ball State he formed a group of more than 100 students for Building to Save the Earth that later became A Sustainable Architecture Program (ASAP). He has been active in AIA Indiana's legislative initiative for Indiana to adopt sustainable design requirement for public projects. He has now taken on the large task of guiding Indiana University to become a green institution, I'm sure he'll succeed.

Bill truly inspires me to be sure I'm doing my part. In addition to passing the exam and becoming a LEED AP, I've signed on to the Architecture 2030 Challenge and I recommend all architects to commit to helping the environment by trying to achieve more energy efficient buildings that will save the owners operating dollars and minimize the building's impact on the rest of us. It's up to us, the learners to bring us into this new era of good design being defined as good environmental design.

This is the first post of a series on words of wisdom I gained from the Indy YAF Transitions Round Table on July 2, 2009 and Buggs Temple.

Thoughts on the state of things

I’m back with a new post after a month blog break. Things are not good now for a lot of people, a lot of people around me. Things are going ok with me, but the stress of a down economy, tanked retirement accounts, and not enough sales at work is enough to make anyone want a change. Where are the miracles that Obama promised? When are we going to see improvements from the “Recovery” and “Stimulus” trillions of dollars that Jack and Norman’s grandchildren will be paying for? I don’t think we’ll see them soon enough.

What can we do to keep our spirits up and help those around us? I’ve recommitted myself to riding the bike to work. Only a small savings from gas/maintenance, but the health and environmental cost savings are pretty good. We offer our personal computer with Adobe software for creating and editing digital portfolios of the out-of-work architects has helped a few friends update materials, but none of them are working yet. We need to be sure we’re working through our contact lists to encourage everyone that we are still upbeat, and find opportunities for ourselves, family and friends. The book of Ecclesiastes keeps things in perspective, we need to enjoy the time we have, not work so hard to acquire things. Those of us who are young need to make the most of our youth and energy. Those who are older can help us who are younger with your wisdom, especially those who were around in the 1930s to reassure us that this isn’t that bad (at least not yet).

Let’s all enjoy summer. Indianapolis is a great City to be in during the summer, things are happening all the time, many at no cost. Attend a concert on the Canal, visit the IMA for inspiration, or find a good book at the Central Library and lose yourself in a comfortable chair in front of a view of the city. Let’s each do our part and keep our spirits up. Get out, enjoy the sun, and be sure we show everyone around us that we are still doing fine regardless of the state of things around us.

Comments on Fire Compartmentation

The CSI Meeting yesterday evening was a 3-part presentation on “Total Fire Protection” by Rich Walke (Underwriters Laboratory), Bret Penrod (Pilkington, glass), and Tom Morris (Haydite, masonry). They presented through UL testing, masonry construction and rated glazing how building safety from fire should only be achieved by passive and active fire protection. Passive fire protection contains and resists fire (i.e. walls and doors with closers). Active fire protection tries to stop the fire (i.e. sprinklers). To have effective fire protection, so our buildings are safe for the inhabitants, we need both.

Over the past century the U.S. has recognized the importance of our buildings allowing for safe escape in case of a fire. One tragic event highlighted in the program as igniting the fire protection debate was the Lake View school fire (also known as the Collinwood school fire), the largest life-loss school fire in U.S. history. This fire really hit home as I think about my little Jack and Norman heading to school in just a couple of years.

On May 4, 1908 a school in Collinwood, Ohio caught on fire and killed 172 students, two teachers and a rescuer. This fire was the cover story of the NFPA (National Fire Protection Agency) Journal for September/October 2008 where the graphic scene is described.

As I work today on the detail of fire walls for a senior living center, I can’t help but think of the horrific tragedy that could have been avoided with a little better design. As architects, we truly have an awesome task of providing buildings that are both uplifting for the human spirit and safe for the human body.

Searching for my Blue Ocean in this Red Sea

I started reading the book Blue Ocean Strategy (one of the many books I’ve read 2-3 chapters with intentions to read the rest when I get a chance) last year. My basic summary is that success is easy when you find the wide open, blue waters of a new, undiscovered market without competition. This is contrasted to the current market you are in competing for those few projects and cutting yourselves all over to achieve it (leading to red, bloody water).

I’m currently looking for my own blue ocean, where life can be easier, or at least a little less stressful. I’m blessed to still be employed, though a lot of my friends are out not as fortunate. I would prefer to be bringing in projects, helping clients achieve their dreams, employing my talented friends to work for me, and having fun. Instead, I’m swimming in murky water, not knowing if I’m headed in a profitable, clearer direction or towards a muddy shore where there won’t be any fish. Try to look above the water for yourself, see the big picture, and “just keep swimming.”

Thoughts from Edith Washington, FCSI

Edith Washington, Past National President of CSI was the speaker at our local Indianapolis Chapter meeting in March to encourage the chapter in this tough time and bring out the value CSI brings to the members. She left a yellow not card with everyone at the end with these motivational thoughts. Read them and have a great Monday!

Thoughts

Talk is cheap –real communication
is priceless.
Worry is like a rocking chair.
It will keep you moving,
but – you are not going anywhere
Begin each day with thoughts of gratitude and
you will feel a change in attitude.
No one wins the blame game.
The only adult you can control is you.
Others will do what they want to do.
Sunshine heals the heart and mind.
Fear feeds on itself; but
faith will make it starve to death.
Your purpose here is unique.
Open your mind and seek.
You are only indispensable
to those who love you – treat them well.
Endings lead to new beginnings.
You are empowered by the same force that rolls
ocean tides and raises the sun each day.
Act that way!

Edith Washington 2009

Presentation Resources

I’m currently working on a presentation that I will co-present in May on Senior Living Design Trends with an emphasis on low-cost renovations. As my friends and family know, I love to read. Here are a few good sources I’ve found to improve your public speaking and presenting:

The Exceptional Presenter, Timothy Koegel

I was lent this book by our CEO, and then I bought my own copy after reading it. This book struck a chord with me, listing a lot of bad presentation habits that I have. Big tips, be passionate. We’ve all been the captive (imprisoned) audience. Don’t torture your audience; let them see your passion. If you aren’t passionate about what you are presenting, change the presentation to include what you are passionate about, and try to make it what they may be passionate about. Use nervous energy to create positive results. I was once told “if you aren’t nervous when presenting, you must not care.” Since you will be nervous, direct that towards a higher energy presentation. The final chapter “Do Not Accept average When You Can Be Exceptional.” Make it the best!

AIA Architect's Essentials of Presentation Skills

Book directed towards architectural presentations and interviews.
Here are the "The 10 Commandments of Presentation" from his book.

Top 5 Presentation Blunders

Recent blog I read that had a few good tips. Emphasized to me the need to pay attention, be prepared, and practice (or test) with your presentation equipment before starting.

Toastmasters

Finally, I recommend Toastmasters, though I’ve never been. It has been on my to-do list and I think I’ll finally get started with it this summer. Toastmasters is an organization that meets weekly (my biggest challenge) to help its members develop public speaking skills in a structured, encouraging atmosphere. I’ll add more under this once I get involved, but the testimonials from those who are members speak highly for the groups.

This is one blog post I’ll leave open and add resources here as I find them. Use the comments to tell me what your best resources have been.

Give Me Your Comments!

I’m still learning how to Blog, and starting to warm up to it more and more. This blog is now syndicated to my social profiles, but it doesn’t receive many visitors yet. I hope to grow and provide better blog content and grow my Tribe. I’ve also started a blog at work to add additional InterDesign content on our website, but I will probably only post articles and presentations I’m giving on behalf of InterDesign, not my personal opinions.

This brings us to the title, I Want Your Comments. If this blog rocks your boat a little or you know more than me on a topic, please post the comment. I would rather have you tell me to my face (well my face on the internet in this case) in front of everyone so everyone reading can learn from you as well. The blog doesn’t have to be a one-way tool, in-fact I’ve read two great blog posts about the detriment of one-way corporate blogs. Why Corporations Shouldn’t Moderate Their Blog Comments provides good reasons to “allow comments,” digital natives will comment elsewhere anyway, so let them comment at the source. Then going deeper, On The Other Hand, Maybe Your Company Should Not Blog is the perfect example of a blog with a thought provoking message and great content in the comments. The comments given to Twist Image (via their corporate blog) provide more content than their original blog post.

Should my corporation blog? Is it too personal? Business is personal. Clients select architects based on the relationship, not just the graphics. If InterDesign can become a source for the information our clients need to be successful before, during, and after their project with us, it’s a win-win-win. We’ll have the opportunity to provide the service, they will get a better product based on their increased knowledge, and then we’ll keep the relationship fresh providing them with long range strategies to prepare for future building projects or the continued maintenance of their facility. The challenge is in the doing. A worthwhile blog is a lot of work (I know how hard this is for me), and to be relevant there needs to be new content. As I ponder this, let me know what you think. Does your corporation have a blog? Share it here, let us all know your suggestions. Let’s get this dialog started!

(As a follow up, I read an interesting blog on the comments that matter, Ignore your critics)

First Thoughts about Tribes

I’m in Terre Haute for a fraternity “Official Visit” of the Gamma Omega chapter at Indiana State University. In my down time between meetings I’ve got started reading Tribes by Seth Godin (another book getting me motivated to create change!). I’m about a third through the book, but I wanted to put some things in writing to see what others think.

“A tribe is a group of people connected to one another, connected to a leader, and connected to an idea.” “A group needs only two things to be a tribe: a shared interest and a way to communicate.”

I’m a member of a lot of formal tribes: church, professional groups (AIA, CSI, DBIA), ACE Mentoring, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity, InterDesign, probably others... I’m also a member of a lot of online tribes at Facebook, LinkedIn, IndyLink, Smaller Indiana, others, several blogs I follow… These fit the definition of a shared interest and a way to communicate.

“Tribes need leadership.” “You can’t have a tribe without a leader – and you can’t be a leader without a tribe.”

As I continue reading, I agree that you can’t have a tribe without some leadership. Considering my tribes, many aren’t going anywhere. They have the common interest and a leader is there to maintain a way to communicate, but it isn’t leading to a change. Tribe members are all growing together, but so are those outside of these tribes …

“Some tribes are stuck.” “Every one of those tribes, though, is a movement waiting to happen, a group of people just waiting to be energized and transformed.” “All that’s missing is leadership.”

WOW, that sums up the world I live in! Most of my tribes are stuck. No clear, clairvoyant leaders, just managers that keep a way to communicate (scheduled meeting times, topics of interest…). The tribes are just floating… They stick to traditions, not understand the origins. All want to grow members, but for the purpose of revenue or simply more people to talk to. Now is the time to be challenging the status quo and questioning why the tribe is worth the time and effort. The potential is enormous!

“…tribes are everywhere now…” “Every one of these tribes is yearning for leadership and connection. This is an opportunity for you – an opportunity to find or assemble a tribe and lead it. The question isn’t, Is it possible for me to do that? Now, the question is, Will I choose to do it?”

As the Jesus said in the bible “the fields are white for the harvest,” opportunities to teach others the gospel abound. Opportunities to lead abound as well. I recognize this, that’s why I’m a leader everywhere I go, but I’m not creating a groundswell, not yet. I’ve diluted my time with too much...

As I continue in this book and my own self exploration, I’ll share more down the road. I would like to challenge those reading to look at the need around you for change. Where is your passion? How do you contribute to your tribes to benefit those in the tribe and the leader(s)? Can you do more? Are you the leader they need?

Tips on working with a bunch of personalities

As you can probably tell, I’m interested in working with people. I attended the Greater Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce Main Street Institute class How Understanding Personality Type Can Propel Business. JR Keller from the IU Kelley School of Business taught us about the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. The MBTI measures a persons preferences, tendencies, and characteristics. It does not measure aptitude, emotions, stress, “normalcy,” maturity, skill, intelligence, or learning. You can use the MBTI to help with relationships, careers, education, spirituality, counseling, problem-solving, and work/organizations. It should not be used for hiring or applicant selection (this isn’t illegal, but highly unethical, especially when not administered by a person qualified to interpret the MBTI results).

The few big points that I found interesting are the situational examples of how different personalities perceive and react to situations. I have extroversion tendencies. I can react quickly to someone requesting my feedback. Someone with introversion tendencies needs to work out their solution in their head before responding. While I may expect others to give me answers when I ask, I should respect that others need more time to think through it first. Conversely, my first response may not be my final decision. When working with someone with introversion tendencies, I need to be thoughtful of my response, they will take it as my final decision (I had already learned this lesson the hard way, I just didn’t know why it was this way).

To make meetings more effective, the introversion crowd is more effective when they can get the agenda several days in advance. This allows their mind time to draw conclusions prior to the meeting. In the meeting, the extroversion crowd may want to get off topic (as they are thinking out loud), but keeping to the pre-published agenda will allow the introversion crowd to contribute more feedback.

You can’t really step into the other person’s shoes. This is something I’ve been trying to do for a few years. The reality is, my tendencies that are strong one way (intuitive, thinking, and judging) make it more difficult for me to understand the other side. This doesn’t mean I can’t relate, just that I will have to work harder to understand things from their perspective. I’m not as strong in my extroversion preference, which explains why I can more easily relate to those with the introversion tendency.

Finally, what we appreciate most in ourselves is also what we appreciate in others. It’s similar to the Golden Rule of “do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” I’m an ENTJ and I often have wondered why others don’t think like me. In the United States, only 3-5% of people are ENTJs; I would agree that 95-97% of people don’t see things from my point of view at times. I’ve really enjoyed getting to know myself better and learning how to work better with others, I hope to bring this new found insight to my office and those around me (a logical conclusion for an ENTJ to make). You can find a link to a free MBTI analysis in my earlier blog post discussing this topic here.

Unfortunate Series of Events

I have been keeping this blog professional, but after this crazy morning, I have to share a personal story…

Last night was hockey with the guys (Jack, Norman, Uncle Rob, Jay, Dustin and me). We got home late and I was up until 3 AM talking with others. Shannon was up and going at 6:45 AM for an all-day fraternity event. The phone rang about 9 AM waking me (soccer practice starts at 9 AM and it takes 30-minutes to drive there!). Boys still asleep, I’m running around, flight of the bumble bee to get us all loaded in the car by 9:15 AM to drive out to the northeast side, missing soccer practice. Luckily, there is a second practice of Jack’s age group at 11 AM. Coach Jeremy says “no problem,” so we top off the gas tank then head to Walmart to kill some time.

After walking around lightly shopping, Jack tells me he needs to pee. We head for the front, go through the check-out where my total is $7.77. The clerk states, “It must be your lucky day,” (she had no idea how much worse it was about to get). As I head over to the men's room, seeing it is closed for cleaning, Jack tells me “I need dry pants.” We are too late!!! We head to the back of the store for the other restroom to assess the situation. Yup, pee all in his pants, soccer shorts, underwear, and socks… I’m now debating whether to give up and head for home or try to get him cleaned up for soccer. I wring out the clothes then notice a hand dryer… You got it; I rinse the clothes and spend a few minutes drying with the hand dryer. After having 2-3 people try to enter the family toilet room we’ve got dry shorts. I swing by the children’s clothes and pick up a pack of socks and underwear for a second round of check-out (no lucky numbers this time).

We’ve survived. A quick change in the car and Jack is all set for practice with clean and dry garments. Practice goes well, I’m glad we didn’t go home, this is definitely one of Jack's highlights all week. The trip home is thankfully uneventful and now they are down napping. I've had an eventful morning of the joys of parenthood, I’m ever so grateful for the incredibly hard work Shannon puts in for our boys. You can read her many adventures on her blog: My Boys.

Follow-Up to title "Architect"

The topic of the title "Architect" came up at the AIA Indianapolis Board meeting this morning. The message I reference in an earlier post was brought up and our Board member who is also on the Registration Board noted that the title "Intern" alone is ideal for the "Graduate Architect," but "Architectural Intern" would also be OK, though not as clear. That was nothing new to me.

Now the interesting part, someone holding a title with "Architect" in it (i.e. Staff Architect, Graduate Architect, Software Architect...) is personally liable for their misrepresentation of qualifications. While the decision of what title unlicensed individuals have is typically dictated by the company you work for, if the Attorney General decided to start prosecuting the violators, only the individual is breaking the law, not the company.

So if you hold a variation on the title "______ Architect" without a license, you're breaking the law in Indiana. I can't wait for NCARB or the AIA to issue a recommendation on titling of unlicensed people.

Upcoming Events

I'm involved in several upcoming events and I wanted everyone to know that you are invited!

Thursday, March 19

5:30 PM - CSI Chapter Meeting with Past National President Edith Washington

Thursday, April 16

5:30 PM - Joint AIA/CSI Meeting with Bill Browne, Ratio Architects presenting on the Convention Center Expansion

Thursday, April 23

7:30 AM - DBIA-Great Lakes Region Program: Integrating Sustainable Construction and Design-Build Delivery (I'm a presenting panel member with three others from Pepper Construction)

Monday, May 4

2:15 PM - IAHSA Spring Conference: Facilities Renovation: Maximum Value at
Minimal Cost (I'm co-presenting with Dan Ware, though my name is not printed in their programs list, just Dan's)

Thursday, May 20

8:00 AM - CSI Seminar on Fire Compartmentation, presented by members of FCIA

What is your super power?

Interesting Seth Godin blog, “What’s your super power?” has got me thinking, what is my super power? Simply introducing myself as: “Hi, my name is Blake Wagner, I’m an architect with InterDesign,” doesn’t quite cut it. This has been my introduction for a couple years, and hardy anyone remembers who I am. While the title has an air of superiority around it for some people, others see me as just another service provider. Perhaps my super power should be “I get things done” or “I’m good at breaking down tasks into manageable pieces.” I would hope my super power would include my love and appreciation for music and the arts, but now let’s get real. What makes me different? Why do I find myself with so many obligations? I think my weakness is “I don’t know how to say no.” Well, here is the superpower I’ll try on for size the next time I meet someone new: “Hi, my name is Blake, I design buildings and am working towards running my own firm someday.” That just about sums up my life right now. Not very memorable, but honest. What is your super power?

I’m an ENTJ, what are you?

According to the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator test, I’m an ENTJ (Extraversion, iNtuition, Thinking, Judgment). An ENTJ is classified as Field Marshal by the Keirsey Temperament Sorter, one of the four types belonging to the temperament called Rationals. This explains why I don’t find a lot of people like me, Field Marshals are “hardly more than two percent of the total population.” It is a little creepy how well it can describe you. Follow this link for a free test, I would be curious to see your results.

$1,000,000,000,000

Do you know what $1 trillion means? The government is spending about $9.7 trillion on all the loans and bailouts. According to CNN.com, 1 trillion stacked dollars would reach nearly 68,000 miles, or one-third of the way to the moon. A professor interviewed by CNN.com computes you couldn’t spend $1 trillion if you spent $1 million a day since the day of Jesus’ birth. (adapted from Professional Builder, March 2009, www.ProBuilder.com)

The title “Architect”

I am an architect. I am passed my registration exams in December, 2005 and was licensed in January, 2006. I am also NCARB (National Council of Architectural Accreditation Boards) Certified, which allows me to get licensed in other states. I am proud of the title architect, and like many architects, don’t like the title being thrown around loosely. My title in the office is “Project Architect.” We also have Staff Architects and Graduate Architects, who are not licensed. Here comes the rub, I’m now put on an equal footing as those who didn’t go through the years of schooling, 3-year internship, pass 9-exams and the required continued education through classes and seminars to maintain my licensure.

I’m in no way saying these individuals are not talented. Many of them are, but they don’t assume the liability of carrying a government certification that states they are qualified to know what they are doing and can be held responsible for not upholding their professional responsibilities. Take for instance a politician in Colorado, Jack Johnson. This man is not licensed to practice architecture, and doesn’t practice architecture, but carries the title “architect” for his own glory. The Colorado licensing board issued a cease and desist order requiring him to discontinue his use of the title. He counter-sued and won against an underfunded State agency. Why did he sue, he felt the Board was impeding his First Amendment rights. From now on, I’ll be known as architect, Colorado City County Council Member (don’t you come after me Jack Johnson, this is my First Amendment Right!).

Thankfully, Indiana has attempted to give a little direction, because we do have professionals who are not licensed, but are in the field of architectural design, or are interns working towards being an architect. At their November 2008 Board meeting, the Indiana Board of Registration for Architects & Landscape Architects discussed the topic of “Architect Intern” issued the following statement:

“C. “Architect Intern”
Re: Defined

Can a person use the word “architect” on their card if they are not a registered architect, especially with regard to interns’ use of the term? One should not use the term architect in their title, cards, etc. unless they are licensed. See IC 25-4-1-26, where it is clearly defined and is a class C infraction.

IC 25-4-1-26 states in pertinent part:

Each of the following acts is a Class C infraction and each day's violation constitutes a separate offense:

(1) The practice of architecture by any person or the advertising or putting out of any sign or card or other device which might indicate to the public that he is entitled to practice as an architect, without a certificate of registration as a registered architect issued by the board.

Upon further discussion with staff counsel, "Architectural Intern" might be acceptable, as it does not indicate that the person is entitled to practice as an architect. Most people realize that an "intern" is not a full-fledged professional. The other titles seem to imply that the person is able to practice architecture, and is therefore licensed. In closing, please note that we are not authorized to offer legal advice or interpret the law. Please consider this email in that light.”

Thankfully we have some direction in Indiana, but it is just the start. When you see someone presenting themselves as an architect, rest assured they are licensed. Otherwise, they are breaking the law. Now as for software architects and using the word “architect” as a verb, that will be a future blog posting…

October 2009 UPDATE:

Architect Magazine ran the article "Trust Me, I'm an (Unlicensed) Architect" reinforcing the problem of people who have not been trained to design with the health, safety, and welfare of the people presenting themselves as licensed architects. It's nice to know some states are finally beginning to crack down, it's unfortunate that Indiana isn't one of them.

Manage Energy: A Process

Below is an article I submitted to IAHSA for their newsletter to be published Monday, March 9:

This article is the first in a series reviewing the points presented in the February 26, 2009, SavingSense Telephone Series: Improve Bottom Line through Better Energy Efficiency. InterDesign architects Dan Ware and D. Blake Wagner presented the phone conference. This initial article outlines a process for managing energy use.

It is not difficult to understand the benefits of saving energy. It reduces operating expenses, potentially increases productivity, and is the right thing to do for the environment. In an effort to increase the success rate, we offer below a six-step process to manage and reduce energy use. By empowering the right individuals, setting realistic goals, understanding current usage, finding opportunities, then implementing and tracking successes, one can create a real change, equating to real dollars and cents.

The first step is to form a team committed to continuous improvement. Choose individuals who will contribute to the effectiveness and odds of possible success. Be sure an individual from management is on the team—not just aware of the team—to provide a communication link and assist with possible operational changes. Include technical expertise, either in-house, or through a consultant, to assist with conveying how energy is consumed and how to implement changes. Try to get individuals from accounting or finance on-board early who understand the potential cost impacts—both spending and savings. Include someone involved in operations and maintenance; they can directly implement many early changes. Finally, get the passionate end users involved. They will keep up the team’s energy enthusiasm and relay the message to everyone they meet including staff and residents.

Step two involves setting goals. Once a team has been established concrete goals need to be outlined. Do you want to reduce cost? If so, keep in mind that electric and gas pricing may fluctuate and additional operations may make tracking actual cost savings difficult. Do you want to reduce energy? Or perhaps, your goal is to create a positive impact on operations and/or morale. Whatever the goals may be, they must be realistic. Reasonable ranges of improvement can be broken into three tiers. Initial efforts typically afford a 10-25% improvement by implementing many no-cost and low-cost changes. Secondary efforts could afford an additional 5-10% improvement, and generally require greater time and capital investment. Finally, implementing capital improvement projects of which costs and returns can be quite significant must be justified and adequately planned.

Step three involves analyzing utility history and understanding how energy is used at one’s facilities. Evaluate the past few years of utility bills. Calculate how much energy was used and identify peak usage times. Note yearly trends and seasonal variations. Use benchmark information from a similar building, located in the same geographic area, to compare the data. This is ideal for facilities with multiple buildings on one site. If benchmark data is not available, another option is to use the Energy Star Portfolio Manager at www.energystar.gov to find similar buildings for reference. Once a benchmark is established, look for abnormalities. Is your facility using as much gas during summer cooling months as it does during winter heating months? Are your facilities using more energy than the benchmark? If so, your team might be on the track to identifying savings opportunities.

Now that your team has evaluated usage, it’s time to find energy savings opportunities. Step four begins with increasing your team’s knowledge base. Attend phone conferences and read articles to increase awareness of what the senior living industry is doing. Use web-based tools like Energy Star for Small Businesses, www.energystar.gov. This tool provides how-to manuals, technical resources, case studies, savings calculators and more. One could also “go to school.” A suitable source is the Purdue University Technical Assistance Program: Energy Efficiency Services-Sustainable Business (Green) Services, PU TAP:EES. In this program Purdue offers workforce training, technical assistance, awareness presentations and workshops. More information is available at www.tap.purdue.edu.

Next, find opportunities. Survey your facility and list everything that uses energy: lights, HVAC, food service equipment, office equipment, medical equipment, etc. Map out where equipment is located. Then start implementing low-cost and no-cost opportunities such as changing energy intensive habits and operations, conducting proper routine maintenance, implementing better control, and utilizing improved technology. Develop solutions, quantify potential savings, and detail justifications for each improvement opportunity. Finally, prioritize projects and opportunities; keep in mind the goals developed in step two.

Step five is to implement the projects and opportunities. Once your team has received approval from management, get started. Assign responsibilities for implementing and tracking projects from commencement through completion. Set timelines and deadlines. If your facility needs assistance, use reputable vendors and contractors; don’t select vendors simply because they have advertised that they are “green.” Throughout implementation, keep communication lines open, raise awareness, and motivate all involved and affected.

Step six is to measure and verify. If a project is completed and no measurement data is collected, how does one track improvement? Upon completion, compare the results to the benchmark; then compare again at six, twelve, and twenty-four months. Complete this cycle and report results. Be sure to recognize all successful projects. Lastly, don’t stop! Continuously review activities, make adjustments, address ways to save energy and create a culture of continuous improvement.

The next article in this series identifies no-cost and low-cost opportunities afforded/available through operational changes and assistance programs.

About InterDesign
Established in 1975, InterDesign provides comprehensive professional services for senior living/long-term care, elementary and secondary education, higher education, libraries and churches/faith-based ministries.

Our firm’s highly qualified and experienced professional staff emphasizes collaboration and teamwork in their relationships with clients, consultants and contractors. An experienced project manager who offers specialized experience and ensures a high degree of communication, coordination, and continuity for your project leads each design team. The architectural team draws upon the in-house expertise of our staff of 24 professionals including, landscape architects, interior designers and construction administrators.

For more information contact InterDesign at:

InterDesign
141 E. Ohio Street
Indianapolis, IN 46204
Phone: 317.263.9655
fax: 317.263.9644
www.InterDesign.com

Reality Check

I've been remiss posting to my Blog, but I'm returning with this short post. We are a truly blessed nation and we're surrounded by spoiled people who can't see this. Dan Pink posted a great video clip of Louis CK, check it out:

Results from GreenWORKS Design Competition

InterDesign submitted an entry to a green affordable housing design competition and received an Honorable Mention. I had only a small part in the competition, designing one house and providing feedback. Anna Waggoner and Brian Burtch led the design team with their energy and enthusiasm for sustainable design. The rest of the team was Karen Hartlep, Kionna Jones, and Lisa Goertemiller. Below are excerpts from an Albuquerque Journal article:

Top Winners Named in City Contest

Designs from WAMO Studio of Santa Fe and Opticos Design, Inc. of Berkeley, Calif., were the top winners Friday in a contest for an affordable housing project the city "hopes" will be built... Their designs were chosen by an eight-person jury from 24 submissions from design groups throughout the U.S., Japan and India.

The genesis of the contest was an observation by City Councilor Chris Calvert more than a year ago that the city owns a quarter-acre lot running between Alto and Lower Alto streets that would be perfect for an infill affordable-housing project. "And it should be as green and sustainable as possible, too," Calvert told city housing and community development department director Kathy McCormick.

Tight competition
The contest that was created was a joint venture between the City of Santa Fe, Enterprise Green Communities, the Garfield Foundation and the Frederick P. Rose Architectural Fellowship. All designs submitted had to meet the design criteria of Enterprise Green Communities, the newly-established draft Green Building Code of the city, and the city's affordability requirements and historic design regulations.

One of the jurors, architect and architecture professor Michael Pyatok, FAIA, of San Francisco, said the quality of the designs submitted was unusually high, making the judges' decision much more difficult. Usually, he said, jurors can reject at least a quarter of entries in a contest of this sort right away, because they don't meet the specifications. That didn't happen here, Pyatok said.

He attributed the quality of the entries to the stringency of the green design criteria, the fact that the contest was for affordable housing, and the fact that it was a project in Santa Fe.

"When you ask architects to take seriously all the green issues, they have to be much more focused and technical, but it also forces them to think outside the box," Pyatok said. "So what you get is more exploratory, but more rigorous and grounded."

Architects and architectural teams around the world also are becoming more serious about designing affordable housing that is sustainable, and that was a major criterion of this contest, he added.

"And thirdly, it's in Santa Fe, this gorgeous place, one of the gems in the lexicon of cities," Pyatok gushed. "People obviously wanted to design something for Santa Fe." He said he "can't wait" for his 30-member staff to see the winning designs.

Honorable mentions
Besides the two grand prize winners and the People's Choice award, Calvert gave certificates of honorable mention to five other firms: InterDesign, Indianapolis, Ind.; RTKL Associates, Dallas; Measured Works Architecture, New York, N.Y.; Autotrophe, Inc., Santa Fe; and Macy Architecture, San Francisco, Calif.

Click here for the full article.

I will add the boards we submitted soon.

Thoughts on MLK Day

In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., I offer this quote:

"Now, I say to you today my friends, even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: - 'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."

- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Speech at Civil Rights March on Washington, August 28, 1963

While it is a good dream, worthy of meditation and contemplation, and a basis of our nation, how do we ever create a nation where “all men are created equal”? We all come out of different backgrounds, are born into different families, cultures, and opportunities. Perhaps a better statement would be “all men are given the chance to climb above that which they were created in,” and conversely, “this life is yours to spoil.” God created us man and woman, then by race, having the ability to make our own decisions. While we may not all begin our life equally, nothing but ourselves should get in the way of us becoming whatever we want to be. If you’re being held back, or prejudiced, change. As I’m sure we’ll hear tomorrow, our nation is in a time of change, so make it personal. Just as MLK worked to remove the prejudice that served as a barrier to many black people, others like Madame CJ Walker were able to prevail in spite of being a black woman in a time when both her gender and race were held down. Don’t hold yourself back any longer.

2009 Rough Start, but Goals Abound

Happy New Year! My year can only go up from here, the market is still in the tank, my uncle’s mother Judy Martin passed away, a civil engineer I was working with died, we’ve already spent about $700 on unavoidable auto maintenance, my bicycle was stolen…[and my cat from when I was in high school did Sunday, 1/11]... At least I’m gainfully employed.

I don’t do New Year’s Resolutions, but I am recommitting myself to a few goals, such as populating this blog. Here is an item from Seth Godin’s blog concerning goals:

“Having goals is a pain in the neck.

If you don't have a goal (a corporate goal, a market share goal, a personal career goal, an athletic goal...) then you can just do your best. You can take what comes. You can reprioritize on a regular basis. If you don't have a goal, you never have to worry about missing it. If you don't have a goal you don't need nearly as many excuses, either.

Not having a goal lets you make a ruckus, or have more fun, or spend time doing what matters right now, which is, after all, the moment in which you are living.

The thing about goals is that living without them is a lot more fun, in the short run.

It seems to me, though, that the people who get things done, who lead, who grow and who make an impact... those people have goals.”

Goals accomplished in 2008: brought one sales lead into the office, became a Certified Construction Contract Administrator (CCCA), increased my leadership role in the office through the development of InterAdvance, and I achieved a life goal in becoming an architecture firm owner.

Goals for 2009: I plan to spend more time with my wife and boys, increase my office leadership efforts through InterAdvance and in my new role as an owner, and increase my community involvement through the Chamber of Commerce and related activities. Be sure you have goals, otherwise you’ll look back on the year, or lifetime and realize you just had fun with nothing to prove for it.