Smyrna Town Council approved 5-1 Monday to move forward with Fearn Clendaniel as the architects for the Smyrna Police Station expansion.

Councilwoman Valerie White voted against the motion. Councilman Jeff Flairty couldn't make the meeting.

The approval came after a presentation from the project's construction manager Ed Ide, of i3a, and Wade Clendaniel, of Fearn Clendaniel Architects, on the changes made to the project.

In the presentation, Ide informed council that the parties involved i3a, Fearn Clendaniel, and the Police Building Committee were able to cut the price from $4.9 million to $3.8 million as council asked.

"We looked at the project from a number of different ways to bring the building down to match the budget," Ide said. "Holistically we looked at the square footages and rooms that can be eliminated at this point."

The group came up with two alternatives to cut. The first alternate is the tactical training room and storage area in the basement. The second alternate is to remove the large security area currently in the feasibility study.

"We plan on keeping them as alternates as time goes on, and if the budget shows that we can bring them back into the project and award those on bid day we will do that," Ide said.

By cutting space from these two alternates out of the basement, the committee was able to save about $463,000. Other cuts made include geothermal energy, LED lights, fixtures, furniture, equipment, and soft costs. In total, about $1.134 million was cut to bring the total price of the project down to $3.76 million just under the $3.8 million cap set by council. The $3.76 million includes a $300,000 contingency that was required from council.

Ide said the next steps in the process would be to hire an architect and then continue on with the design process and complete the schematic design phase, which would be to refine the preliminary layout. The steps after completing the design phase will be to evaluate the alternates, evaluate the energy, evaluate the building material, and to continue to work with the committee in terms of getting grants.

Overall, Ide said there are five levels of design: a feasibility study, schematic design, design development, a construction document, and then bidding.

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Smyrna Council approves architects for police station project

YOUR ARTICLE correctly states the only way the cost of a project can increase is through a change order. There can only be three reasons for a change order: what the architect drew cannot be built as drawn (common because the architectural, mechanical electrical and structural drawings on a large project are usually done by three different firms and they are often not compatible); the client does not like what the architect drew and asks for a change; or the client decides to add additional work.

As a retired estimator, I have worked with all of the general contractors mentioned in your article with the possible exception of Shumate and have never thought any of them would do shoddy work to lower their cost on a contract.

The primary reason for cost overrides is that the architectural, mechanical electrical and structural drawings are not interrelated. The simple solution to this problem is to withhold a percentage of the architects fees and make him responsible for any change orders he was the reason for. As for the shoddy work problem, it seems to me the architect should be present on the job site to nullify this.

When the cathedrals of Europe were built, the architects were almost involved in the shaping of every stone, and they should be more involved in building today. General contractors dont dare complain about an architect strongly or they will not be given work on any of his new projects. It should be the responsibility of the client (Albuquerque Public Schools) to not only pick a competent architect but to hold him responsible for his work.

HUGH LINN

Santa Fe

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Architects Need To Be Responsible for Projects

A BLANK SLATE. The Genesee Hill site is West Seattle is slated to become home to a new elementary for the current student body and staff at Schmitz Park Elementary in 2015 if the BEX IV Levy passes in February. Architects are reaching out to the community for early design suggestions on the project.

BLRB Architects out of Tacoma have been given the nod to design the new elementary school slated for the Genesee Hill site in 2015 and, assuming voters pass the Building Excellence school levy in February to fund it, they want the West Seattle community closely involved in the $38 million process.

That was the theme of a Nov. 19 presentation by BLRB and Seattle Public Schools held at Schmitz Park Elementary for those who braved the torrential downpours to learn more about plans for the new school.

The new school at Genesee Hill is part of Seattle Schools BEX IV (Building Excellence) Levy proposal. The district hopes to move Schmitz Park Elementary students and staff to the new building, and then continue to use the Schmitz building for yet-to-be-determined elementary purposes.

Tom Bates, managing principal at BLRB, laid out his firms outreach goals:

Advisory board made up of community members, Schmitz Park staff and parents? Check. Open houses for the public to provide feedback? Check. Reaching out to community and business organizations to set up meetings for more feedback? Check. Moving their entire design team into the current Schmitz Park Elementary for a week, starting on January 21, to get a feel for the schools culture and allow students, teachers, parents, anyone (who checks in at the front office) to stop by and look at the work they are doing and suggest changes? Check.

While many architectural firms work behind the scenes, coming out from behind the curtain only for city-mandated public reviews, Bates said his firm takes a different approach, proactively working with the communities in which they build to create a building that will work for most.

BLRB has specialized in educational facility design since their 1953 inception, designing 700 schools (including 12 in Seattle) in that time, according to Bates.

Bates said his team has a passion for designing schools and believes the building design can have a positive effect on childrens ability to learn and staff morale.

The building becomes a teaching tool, he said.

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Architects promise community collaboration in designing new Genesee Hill elementary

A house destroyed by Hurricane Sandy in the Far Rockaway neighborhood of Queens, New York.

Lance Jay Brown, a professor of architecture at the City University of New York (CUNY), says he was overwhelmed by architects response to last weeks superstorm. A group he co-founded, Design for Risk and Reconstruction (a standing committee of the New York chapter of the American Institute of Architects), put out a call for help and within 24 hours, there were more than 200 responses from architects willing to survey affected neighborhoods. Their job would be to help the city evaluate uninhabited buildings, a kind of architectural triage: green stickers are placed on buildings that can be inhabited immediately, yellow on buildings that can be inhabited after remediation, and red on buildings that cannot be made safe. Brown refers to it as second-responder work.

Photo via Flickr user buzzthrill

Another home damaged by Hurricane Sandy in the Far Rockaway neighborhood of Queens, New York.

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Now Brown and Illya Azaroff, also a CUNY professor (and, also like Brown, a practicing architect), with whom he runs the committee, are organizing training for the first 30 architects who answered their call. At sessions provided with the help of the national AIA, the architects will be taught how to safely perform the building assessments, as well as how to enter their findings into a city database so that progress on the yellow-stickered buildings can be tracked.

But that doesnt mean the architects will get to try out their new skills anytime soon. According to Brown and others, architects are prevented from performing damage assessmentas volunteersby the absence of a law to protect them from future liability. About half the states have good samaritan laws that cover architects, allowing them to do volunteer work in emergencies without fear of lawsuits. But New York is without such protection. Legislation exists, but it just hasnt been passed, says Brown, who has been involved in the fight for a good sam law since 2004, as has the state AIA office in Albany. We lobby for it constantly, but lawyers lobby against it, Azaroff explains, adding, As a Brooklyn architect, I should be able to walk across the street and help a neighbor. This is something that would promote a better society.

Still, in first few days after Hurricane Sandy, members of the AIA chapter on hard-hit Staten Island helped Department of Buildings employees inspect several hundred buildings. Because of the liability problem, the architects were careful to "take a background role" and not sign off on any paperwork, says Anselmo Genovese, president of the chapter.

Meanwhile, Brown and Azaroff want a cadre of trained architects poised to help when legislation is enacted and to assist in other states where good sam laws exist. They are also currently assembling groups of architects to perform neighborhood-scale evaluation, which doesnt raise such liability concerns. The committee is preparing to send out five teams of architects, possibly this weekend, to identify needs for temporary housing and possible locations for that housing, either buildings that can be converted to shelters or sites where temporary housing could be built. People staying with friends or relatives, says Brown, will wear out their welcome at some point.

As for the involvement of architects in building-by-building damage assessments, the list of interested architects keeps growing. Theres more willingness than opportunity, says Brown. People are saying, When can I get to work? Its frustrating that we cant be out there now.

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Architects Respond to a Call for Post-Sandy Aid

Architectural Firm Proposes Beautiful Wine Museum
An architectural firm is planning for a new wine museum which blends in with the beautiful landscape. An architectural studio in Switzerland would like to strategically place a wine museum in the heart of Lavaux in celebration of the region #39;s winemaking history. Lavaux is deemed a UNESCO world heritage site and the design firm, Mauro Turin Architects not only wants to depict the historical aspect of the area, but also attract tourists from across the world. The architect proposes a magical element to the structure #39;s surroundings stating "A wine museum suspended on a rock, avoiding the sublime terraced vineyards, which becomes integrated to the landscape and offers a walk in the air, allowing an unforgettable experience of Lavaux, Lake Geneva and The Alps. The Museum wants to be a small iconic object in a great iconic landscape, without being in competition, but rather feeding each other." Photos of the proposed building show awe-inspiring outdoor scenery with a straight forward, narrow glass structure stemming from a boulder, which will allow visitors to catch amazing overheard views of the land. Additional snapshots prove that the building does not compete with the landscape, but effortlessly blends in with the surrounding beauty. What do you think of the idea?From:GeoBeatsArchitectureViews:1 1ratingsTime:01:09More inEducation

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Architectural Firm Proposes Beautiful Wine Museum - Video

Revizto Viewer
REVIZTO Viewer is a FREE application for viewing VIM files created in REVIZTO and REVIZTO Lite. With REVIZTO Viewer, anyone can easily explore a 3D environment and collaborate, even people who #39;ve never used 3D software before. This makes REVIZTO Viewer the ideal platform for architects to share interactive 3D environments with owners and builders, and give them a way to collaborate quickly and easily. Watch the video and find out the main REVIZTO Viewer features.From:REVIZTOViews:8 0ratingsTime:08:15More inPeople Blogs

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Revizto Viewer - Video

Assem Salam with Ricardo Karam 1997
Assem Salam with Ricardo Karam 1997- For Info: info@rkprodgroup.com As one of Lebanon #39;s foremost architects, Assem Salam has also maintained his family #39;s tradition of politics (former Prime Minister Saeb Salam is a notable relative). Having graduated from Cambridge University in 1950, Assem Salam launched his own architectural practice in 1952. He went on to contribute to Lebanon #39;s architectural landscape on projects as diverse as Beirut #39;s Khashoggi mosque, Saida #39;s Serail and Broummana High School #39;s dormitories. He also participated in a number of official urban planning bodies including the Council for Development and Reconstruction. In the late 1990s he was elected president of the Order of Engineers and Architects in Beirut and has continued to play a major role in the order. In 2001 he was a founding member of the Democratic Renewal Movement which drew together intellectuals, academics and politicians in a call for Lebanese sovereignty and democracy. Assem Salam passed away on November 4, 2012.The interview with Ricardo Karam took place in Beirut, Lebanon.From:RicardoKaramchannelViews:0 0ratingsTime:09:56More inEntertainment

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Assem Salam with Ricardo Karam 1997 - Video

Bere architects - MIldmay Community Centre, Soft Landings: Commisioning, handover training
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Bere architects - MIldmay Community Centre, Soft Landings: Commisioning, handover

Deciding the Fate of the CPR Station in Swift Current
http://www.mylocaltv.ca Swift Current Mayor and Council met for their first official meeting last night since the October 24 Municipal Election. A number of items were discussed including a feasibility study on the CPR Station. Mayor and Council approved $87 745.00 in funding to engage SEPW Architects and their associates to conduct a feasibility study regarding the acquisition, restoration, protection and examination of future use of the CPR Station in Swift Current. The amount was pre-approved under the 2013 Municipal Budget permitting the firm to commence it #39;s work on the project in the coming weeks. Mayor Jerrod Schafer indicates the acquisition of the CPR Station would further enhance the development of the downtown and coincide with the City #39;s upcoming Centennial in 2014 through the continued preservation of the community #39;s history.From:SWTVChannelViews:0 0ratingsTime:02:19More inNews Politics

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Deciding the Fate of the CPR Station in Swift Current - Video

Sigma Estimates - Next generation of cost estimating
Sigma Estimates is the next generation of cost estimating software that makes it easy for Contractors, engineers and architects to estimate more accurate project costs and risks, allocate resources, and improve profitability. To learn more goto http://www.sigmaestimates.comFrom:Thomas KolendaViews:1 0ratingsTime:01:52More inScience Technology

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Sigma Estimates - Next generation of cost estimating - Video