Monday News Roundup

The top headlines from last week all in one place: 

Our (Un)Sustainable Vocabulary (xkcd)

A comic detailing how the word "sustainable" is unsustainable :)

Inca Public Market by Charmaine Lay and Carles Muro (Dezeen)

Check out the zigzagging wooden roof of this market hall in Majorca, Spain.

The Threat of Poor Urban Design to Public Health (Planetizen) 

A profile of the work of Dr. Richard J. Jackson, one of the leading voices calling for better urban design for the sake of good health.

The green dividend from reusing older buildings (Switchboard)

We already know that, in many cases, retaining older buildings can strengthen the enduring legacy and enjoyment of a community. But is it good for the environment?

Does Car + Bike = A Good Thing? (Sustainable Cities Collective)
Besides gaining ultra-buff legs, many ‘part-time’ bike commuters end up with an extra $12,400 at the end of the year!

A Profile of the 'Jane Jacobs of Urban Design' (Planetizen)

An engaging profile of David Lewis, the community planning pioneer whom Richard Florida calls the 'Jane Jacobs of Urban Design,' as he celebrates his 90th birthday.

Rio de Janeiro unveils its first BRT station (Sustainable Cities Collective)

With 10 regular turnstiles and two adapted for wheelchair users, the station was designed to take advantage of natural ventilation using wind sensors. 

How Bicycling and Walking Directly Impacts Health (Sustainable Cities Collective)

The 2012 benchmarking report for bicycling and walking ranks all 50 states and the 51 largest U.S. cities on bicycling and walking levels, safety, funding and other factors.

How a rain garden cleans industrial pollution (Switchboard)

As NRDC’s water program rightfully emphasizes, one of the most vexing conundrums in highly urban areas is how to handle polluted rainwater runoff.

Ranking Housing Affordability in America (Planetizen)

A report investigates to what extent the affordability of housing is tied to land use policies and how much is related to other factors.

The Subsidized Care Dilemma: Aging in BC

by Wolf Saar, Director of Practice

VIA Architecture

Volf Saar (credit: Wolf Saar)

Last July, my father turned 90. In November, he moved into a nursing home. This was not an entirely unexpected event considering that he has Parkinson’s and has seen a slow decline in his mobility and his ability to avoid falls. With my 87 year old mother becoming increasingly frail (and, at the time, approaching a hip replacement) it was determined that the safest and most feasible alternative for dad was a move to a place where he could receive 24 hour skilled care. The time of “aging in place” ended for my dad. 

The experience of being the adult child of two aging parents took on a new dimension as we shifted attention from in-home care to institutionalized care. Since my parents live in Burnaby, BC while I live in Seattle and my sister is in Calgary, every interaction is either remote or requires a road trip for me or an airplane ride for my sister. As an architect, I naturally approached the move with a designer’s eye. My focus ranged from pragmatic to sensual in trying to control the process from afar.

As a bit of background, I’ve observed that in British Columbia, subsidized care is generally of a high quality, although there is a decidedly “institutionalized” approach to this care, necessitated by tight budgets and government infrastructure. As my father’s needs exceeded what an assisted living facility could provide, there were few alternatives between the standard regimens of subsidized in-home services and full-on nursing care. My experience in the US has been primarily in the “private pay” realm and, although that exists in BC as well, our family’s resources did not allow us to consider the option. How wonderful it would have been to have greater choice and the opportunity to direct and have more control where my father lives but, in BC, government-subsidized skilled care nursing is provided on a “first bed available” basis.

My sister and I were wary of this policy and worried that he would end up somewhere less than ideal so we felt fortunate when he was admitted to George Derby Centre, an attractive facility that incidentally caters to veterans. Never mind that being Estonian, my father fled the Russians in the early days of the war and eventually settled in Berlin where he experienced WW II from the “other side” as a photographer for a US agency stationed in Berlin; he jokes that many of his fellow residents were dropping bombs on him! Aside from this quirk, the facility appears well-funded, well-maintained, and well-managed (although they seem to have some issues with misplaced laundry)... 

Volf Saar, weaving (credit: Wolf Saar)

The quality of care and a hallmark arts and crafts facility (my dad has become an emerging weaver!) is offset by a decidedly institutional feel, reinforced by the size of the facility and long corridors clogged with medical carts and other tools needed in the care of the residents. The demands of operational efficiencies were a visible driver in the design. Large common rooms serve as both dining rooms and day rooms and, in their goal to be “flexible” appear to be kept simple in lieu of providing a richness of scale to promote varied interactions and experiences. The proximity of the nurses’ station to these common areas adds to the institutional character. I am consistently dismayed when visiting nursing homes when I see seating around the nurses’ station encouraged. Residents seem attracted by a sense of being where all the action is. 

The living units themselves are small dorm-like single-occupancy rooms with a private accessible bathroom. Aside from being small and especially challenging when a wheelchair encounters furniture brought from home, the fact that residents personalize these units helps offset some of the sense that this is a “temporary” situation.

The subsidized system in BC has provided an enormous peace of mind to my parents as they have aged knowing that they will be cared for as health declines and this has indeed been the case. The cost to them is a fraction of what a private-pay alternative would be and the care is good. The down side is that choice is limited. Availability is by geographic region therefore the number of facilities available is limited. The size and type of facility that a resident initially enters is dictated by the available bed policy. Once in a facility, the resident can be put on a waiting list to go elsewhere but that wait can be lengthy and the stress of yet another move can be daunting. Generally, the philosophy and approach to care is standardized. Certainly, a place like George Derby that has put attention to the creation of a home-like experience within a large complex is more successful than others. Creative options like smaller groupings of residents or adult family homes are not evident in the government-provided arena.

My father is well-cared for and has found a few touchstones such as art-making that seem to focus his activities but aside from that, he “exists” day to day and, as is the case with many of his fellow residents, is fairly isolated. As I go through this experience I often wonder how the progressive concepts that the senior living field is engendering elsewhere and in the private-pay world could be transferred to make this time in his life fuller and richer.

Monday News Roundup

Catch up on last week's top headlines!

Top 10 States for LEED Green Buildings (Sustainable Cities)

USGBC released the top 10 states with the most LEED-certified building square footage per capita. D.C leads the nation while WA State comes in at #5. 

The Ten Best Preservation Projects in the Last Five Years (Planetizen)

Featuring buildings from across the country, and one outside the U.S., Nyren lists the top projects that brought back "valuable community resources from decline and neglect."

Climate Action Planning Is Good Community Planning (Sustainable Cities) 

Why should a local community create and implement a comprehensive policy to decrease greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to climate change?

More walkable urban development is good. But is it good enough? (Sustainable Cities) 

Kaid Benfield discusses density: "We should be advocating density that appeals to more people, that we and future generations can be proud of."

Decapitating LA's Skyline (Planetizen)

Ever wonder why LA's skyline is so bland? Apparently it was planned that way...

Unique Urban Experiment (Swissmiss) 

Lock a bike to a post. Take a picture daily for 1 year. This is what happens...

Basic House (Inhabitat)

Basic House Is a Golden Self-Inflating Home That Fits in Your Pocket!

Preparing Cities for Seniors (Sustainable Cities)

The World Health Organization has recognized the need for cities to prepare for an ageing population and in 2010 created the Global Network of Age-Friendly Cities.

Inner City Abandonment, In Photos (Planetizen)

David Schalliol's photographs of abandoned places around the country are intended to be testaments to various social forces that have broken down urban places in recent years.

Self Destruction, By Design (Christian Science Monitor)

Architects hope to protect buildings by letting them rumble instead of crumble. A new design feature would sacrifice itself during an earthquake without harming anything else.

New Fad Diet: The Low-Car Lifestyle (Sustainable Cities)

The era when low-cost driving made far-flung living – 30-minute car trips to work, 20 minutes to the mall (plus another 10 for parking) – easy and attractive is fading fast.

Transforming Issaquah

by Katherine Howe, Urban Planner

VIA Architecture

After working on the Rowley Properties Development Agreement and Planned Action EIS for two years, this project was adopted at the Issaquah City Council in December 2011. At the public meetings over 50 community members testified in favor, many citing the need for Issaquah to grow “differently” and their desire to see vibrant downtown places that are pedestrian friendly and have both everyday services and residential housing. Residents agreed with the overall Vision, that these nearly 80 acres of commercial land adjacent to the Sound Transit Park and Ride, I-90 and SR900 could be improved and transformed into two new mixed-use neighborhoods. The Development Agreement brings with it change, this area may eventually accommodate 4.4 million square feet of space, both in residential and commercial use.

Credit: VIA Architecture

This Agreement is great news for those of us who are focused on land preservation, climate, sustainability, and public health. By consolidating development here, it shifts demand, minimizing the pressure for future development to extend further into the Cascade foothills. The Rowley Agreement supports the creation of a walkable environment, completing the City’s street network, encouraging more transit use, and places a mix of intensive use adjacent to existing investments in public infrastructure. By moving to a multifamily housing building type, Issaquah also benefits by providing housing opportunities for a full spectrum of people in various life stages and income levels.

Throughout this process, VIA’s team participated in many local workshops and advisory groups to help figure out how the transformation of a single use, suburban strip might be implemented, as well as the obstacles along the way. Trade-offs discussed included how to achieve economic feasibility for higher density projects, competing desires for new public infrastructure improvements, and opportunities for sustainability initiatives and green building. As a Catalyst Project for the Central Issaquah Sub Area Plan, we partnered directly with the City’s Major Development Review Team to reconsider policies on the City books, many of which were biased towards new green field developments. Re-aligning policies to support incremental infill redevelopment was a challenge and entailed a long negotiation process between the City and the Property Owner – with both sides listening to the other to ensure that the results would not only achieve the public’s goals, but also remain economically feasible.

In the end, the basic framework for the Development Agreement can be reduced to one major goal: Making it easy for future residents, visitors and employees to walk. By concentrating on walking, many of the other desirable urban design treatments fell into place – such as the amount and placement of future parking, the scale and design of buildings, the accessibility of community public spaces, and the type of street network. To achieve this neighborhood incrementally over 30 years, the Agreement included a lot of flexibility, and is perhaps more “hands off” than other New Urbanist Master Plans. Guidelines and performance standards as opposed to prescriptive codes regulate the urban form. This is an important aspect of the Plan, and our client made it clear that without the capacity to be nimble, and react quickly as the market dictates, all this effort wouldn’t result in much redevelopment.

However, to implement an Agreement in this way takes trust, and discretion from both contracted parties. Hopefully what we learn here can also inform future development and Issaquah will continue to include property owners early on, and as equal partners in their discussions of future planning endeavors.

If you missed it, the Rowley Properties agreement was covered by the Issaquah Press, the DJC and the Seattle Times.

VIA’s Matt Roewe completed the initial vision for the 80 Acre Development, while many at the firm were involved supporting the effort, including assisting with the Development Agreement, Planned Action EIS and community outreach.

Tuesday News Roundup

After a long and frigid weekend in the Northwest, let's warm up a bit with a roundup of the latest headlines and hottest news in architecture, sustainability + design!

Hyper-Realistic Paintings (Colossal)
It's hard to believe these hyper-realistic paintings aren't actually high resolution photographs...

Toy or Tool: Urban Planning as Community Board Game (Planetizen)

Profile of a project by Urban Planner James Rojas, who has constructed an 80-square-foot scale model of Long Beach that residents and business owners can tinker with to illustrate their own vision of the city. 

Buenos Aires for Design Addicts (Apartment Therapy)

BA is not only bursting with design inspiration, it offers up restaurants, furniture stores, and fashion boutiques that rival many in New York (the whole city felt like a fusion of NYC, Paris, Madrid, and Rome).

How To Retrofit The Suburbs to Increase Walking (Planetizen)

Researchers look at the largely suburban South Bay area of Los Angeles to offer ways to retrofit auto-oriented suburbs for more pedestrian travel.

Composing the Urbanist Calendar (Sustainable Cities)

The last week of the year is typically reserved for retrospective, and “best of” assessments. Yet, it can also be a time of hope, resolution, and prediction—an interlude of oracles and dreams.

The Joy of Books (Swissmiss)

Bookstore owners Sean & Lisa Blonder Ohlenkamp decide to take it to the next level spending many sleepless nights moving, stacking, and animating books at Type bookstore in Toronto.

A Five Minute Trip Around the World (Colossal)

With a camera in hand, artist Ken Liem embarked on an epic backpacking journey to 17 countries in 343 days taking 6,237 photographs.

5 of the Best Urban Design Blog Posts of 2011 (Sustainable Cities Collective)

How can we enhance the urban form of our cities to make them more sustainable? We’ve featured hundreds of articles on this topic over 2011, and here’s five of the best.

Embracing Green Building Techniques (Planetizen)

Affordable housing advocates find that green building techniques result in higher-quality construction -- and often with costs comparable to traditional building techniques.

5 of the Best Transport Blog Posts of 2011 (Sustainable Cities)

The way we get around our cities is a critical factor in their sustainability. Here are 5 of the best blog posts we’ve featured on This Big City in 2011 exploring that very topic...

VIA Architecture Is Seeking Great Team Members

VIA Architecture is a strategic architectural and planning firm with offices in Seattle WA and Vancouver BC. We are a studio based practice leading a variety of local projects including transit systems design, mixed-use infill architecture, community plans and urban sustainability strategies. We are currently seeking candidates to fill four positions in our Seattle office:

1. Project Manager

2. Technical Architect

3. Administrative Assistant

4. Marketing Coordinator

1. Project Manager:

This person will work within our multidisciplinary team to provide management and leadership on high-rise residential, commercial and public transit projects. 

Experience Requirements

·                     Registered architect with 6 to 10 years of project management experience

·                     LEED AP preferred

Key Skills

·                     Dedicated team player, excellent communicator, possessing demonstrated skill at management of technically complex projects. 

·                     Strong client relations experience and interest in business development.

·                     Experience with project controls on complex building types, including scope, schedule and budget development, change management, tracking and reporting.

·                     Passion for high quality design and sustainable design. Experience with sustainable building rating systems an asset.

·                     Thorough familiarity with the technical considerations involved in coordinating and executing high-rise residential, commercial, and public transit building types.

·                     Strong experience in the management of documentation created in Revit 3D Building Information Modeling and AutoCAD. Fluency with production in these programs and other drawing programs such as Google Sketchup an asset.

·                     Skill in the management and coordination of project documentation and preparation of graphic presentation material.

·                     Strong experience in the management of collaborative design disciplines, including integrated project delivery experience.

2. Technical Architect:

This person will perform a key role within complex project documentation teams to lead development of design concepts through technical execution.

Experience Requirements

·                     Architect with 10 to 15 years of technical experience

·                     LEED AP preferred

Key Skills

·                     Dedicated team player, excellent communicator, with demonstrated skill at the detailed execution of complex projects, including high-rise residential, commercial and transit buildings.

·                     Deep skills in architectural technical detailing, envelope design, and specifications writing.

·                     Passion for green building; experience with sustainable building rating systems an asset.

·                     Fluency in the use Revit 3D Building Information Modeling and AutoCAD, including both strong computer drafting and information management skills.

·                     Skill in the coordination and production of project documentation packages and preparation of graphic presentation material.

·                     Strong experience in the technical coordination of collaborative design disciplines, including integrated project delivery experience and 3-dimensional resolution of technical issues.

·                     Site review and construction phase service experience an asset.

3. Administrative Assistant

job requirements:

·                     2-4 years reception experience in a creative office environment

·                     Excellent organizational, multi-tasking, and prioritization skills

·                     Knowledge of general IT support

·                     Team player that is willing to do a variety of tasks as needed

·                     Experience in event planning, meeting scheduling, and client hospitality

·                     General office management experience

·                     Good Microsoft Office and Adobe Suite skills

·                     Experience in graphic design or marketing support an asset

4. Marketing Coordinator

Job Requirements:

·                     Excellent Microsoft Office skills

·                     Proficient in Adobe Suite  (InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop)

·                     6-8 years marketing experience, 2-3 years in the A/E/C industry preferred

·                    Ability to work well under deadline pressure and handle multiple assignments concurrently

·                     Excellent communication skills – a “people person” with a positive outlook

·                     Team player that is willing to go the extra mile

·                     Detail oriented

·                     Ability to work with strong personalities

·                     Strong writing and graphic design skills

·                     Willingness to travel to our Vancouver, BC office

               

Salary and Benefits

Salary is commensurate with qualifications and experience. Generous benefits, including medical/dental insurance, retirement funds contribution matching, and transit subsidy.

How to Apply

Please email resume in PDF with cover letter/email, and the title of the job you are interested in in the  subject-line, attention Catherine Calvert, AIA, ccalvert@via-architecture.com:

·                     Please include samples of your work, keeping total email size below 3 MB.

·                     No phone calls or office visits please.

·                     Applicants must meet minimum experience qualifications to be considered for these positions.

For more information about VIA Architecture, please visit our website at http://www.via-architecture.com/

Monday News Roundup

Happy Monday morning! Peruse the links below for the latest in architecture, art, and design!

The City of the Future (Switchboard)

This year, TED's annual award went to not an individual but to the city of the future... in which more than ten billion people on planet Earth must somehow live sustainably. 

A little game that shows you how public transportation works... (Wikispaces) 

The goal of the Bus Meister game and the Public Transport Priority Best Practices wiki is to help educate non professionals about the importance of public transport priority. 

What happens when you give kids thousands of stickers? (PoppyTalk)

Artist Yayoi Kusama gave children thousands of colored dot stickers as an invitation to collorabate in the transformation of her latest interactive installation.

Super Low-Impact Straw Bale Cafe (Inhabitat)

A perfect example of the trend of straw bale building, which is rapidly making a name for itself as a viable construction method...

2011: A Year That Revealed The Power of Place (Sustainable Cities Collective)

This week, TIME magazine named The Protester its Person of the Year. He would have never earned that distinction had he not been so visible, had he protested from home.

The new economy: work closer, live smaller, connect better (Switchboard)

The Urban Land Institute’s latest forecast for the real estate industry has lots of hopeful news for the environment; perhaps also some sobering news for the economy. 

How coffee and cycling helped shape our Greenways 

In order to create a web of routes within walking distance of every resident - Tilo Driessen mapped all the places in the city where they served espresso, and all the bike shops...

A Happy, Flourishing City With No Advertising (Good Cities)

In 2006, the mayor of São Paulo, Brazil, Gilberto Kassab, passed the "Clean City Law," which banned every billboard, poster and bus ad in the city.

Smaller, more sustainable living with neighborhoods that fit in (Switchboard)

Kaid Benfield discusses sustainable living patterns and the need for a diversity of choices within a community given the recent heyday of sprawl. 

Seattle Residents Save $12K a year by Taking Transit (Publicola)

A new report by the American Public Transit Association places Seattle in fourth place on its list of what various cities’ residents can save from taking public transit to work.

Brooklyn's Secret Subway Vent (Sustainable Cities Collective)

This "house" in Brooklyn is actually "the world's only Greek Revival subway ventilator," a secret entrance to the 4/5 line, and disguised emergency exit.