Architects Archives - Page 8 of 13

Announcing Our Scholarship Winners

By Lynda

It’s that time of year! We get to congratulate the winners of the a/e ProNet AIA David W. Lakamp Scholarship. Late last year, we announced the expansion of our long-standing scholarship to include two $5,000 awards annually. Out of a field of excellent candidates, the committee selected two especially deserving students:

Josh Gerloff is from Chesapeake, VA and is currently an architecture graduate student at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He received his undergraduate degree in Government from the University of Notre Dame.

Prior to graduate school, Gerloff worked with his family at Gerloff Painting, Inc. He also served on numerous community boards and commissions, culminating with an appointment to the Chesapeake Planning Commission. Gerloff found this planning commission experience to be most rewarding as he has strong interest in social issues and community engagement. He hopes to fuse these interests with his architectural studies.

Following graduate school, Gerloff will seek employment at an architectural firm and will pursue his NCARB registration. When he’s not studying or spending time with his wife Katie and their three children, Gerloff enjoys triathlon and playing guitar. His biggest accomplishment is finishing the 2010 Ironman Lake Placid.

* * *

Mark Manczyk will be completing his Bachelor of Arts in Architecture degree at the University of Kentucky in May 2014, and will be attending graduate school in the fall of 2014. Manczyk, an honors student, has actively led student organizations as Co-Vice President of the American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS) in 2012–2013 and, at present, as Secretary for the Tau Sigma Delta (ΤΣΔ) – Honor Society in Architecture and Allied Arts.

Manczyk has gained experience at several architecture firms including Bernard Tschumi (New York City, NY) in the spring of 2013 and Centerbrook Architects (Centerbrook, CT) in the summer of 2012. Currently, he is a Research Assistant at the University of Kentucky with Gregory Luhan, Associate Dean for Research, working to design modular, energy-efficient, and low-cost workforce housing, schools, clinics, and offices.

His interests include playing acoustic guitar, painting, sketching, and biking. He is active in developing his Catholic faith. He currently leads a Men’s Group at the Newman Center Holy Spirit Parish and is a Parish Liturgy Council Student Representative.

Congratulations, gentlemen! We are proud to be able to support your pursuit of an education and career in the field of Architecture.

Those interested in more information about our scholarship can find it here. The deadline for application comes up each November.

The NEW Schinnerer Risk Management Blog

By Lynda

Happy New Year, friends & followers of a/e ProNet! We thought we ‘d take a moment to congratulate our friends over at Victor O. Schinnerer–one of the leading Professional Liability insurance companies in the industry today–on the new, updated Schinnerer Risk Management Blog.

For a number of years, Schinnerer’s Risk Management Blog has been an excellent source of up-to-date industry news. Recent posts have included:

If you’re an Architect or an Engineer or a Design Consultant, whether or not your current professional liability insurance carrier is Victor O. Schinnerer, their blog is a great place to look for answers to your everyday questions about insurance, best practices, and, of course, risk management. These referenced posts on the old blog, so be sure to check out the archive. We also encourage you to subscribe to the new WordPress blog if you find this info relevant to you and your business.

Make sure to contact your local a/e ProNet broker if you’re interested in obtaining a Professional Liability quote from Schinnerer. Have a great 2014!

Wishing all Architects & Engineers a Happy Holiday!

By Lynda

There are few things more beautiful than a city decked out for the Christmas holidays, and for that we thank the architects, engineers, urban planners, and designers. We wish all of our readers, friends, and followers a safe, peaceful holiday. All the best in 2014!

Blog Love: ArchDaily (2013 Holiday Gift Guide for Architects)

By Lynda

We read the ArchDaily blog all year round, but last week’s fun, holiday post is worth mentioning here. (If only because they saved us the trouble of coming up with 13 excellent gift ideas for architects! Thanks, guys!)

From design apps to wall clocks to art prints, these ideas are all unique, all vibrant, and all good. If you’re wondering what to get for your favorite architect this year, check out ArchDaily’s Architect’s Holiday Gift Guide 2013.

And when the wrapping paper has been discarded and the tree hauled out to the curb for the Boy Scouts to collect, when 2014 dawns, make sure you visit ArchDaily again. They’re a fantastic source of relevant, inspiring industry news.

Blog Love: TLCD Architecture

By Lynda

Architects and engineers already share their voices with the world through their designs and ideas, but we love it when this group gets proactive about amplifying their voices online, too. Today we want to highlight the blog of one a/e ProNet member’s client: TLCD Architecture in California.

TLCD Today is a fun, colorful blog that deals with issues relevant to the design industry in ways both focused and abstract. The blog’s multiple authors take time to interact with design colleagues at national conferences (Healthcare Design Conference Highlights), as well as with the firm’s local business community (Local Impact of the Affordable Care Act). It’s also inspiring to see architects use their specific skill set to give back to people in need (Habitat for Humanity Build Day). Well done, TLCD! Keep up the good work. We’ll be reading!

Does your architecture or engineering firm have a blog? Share it with us in the comments below. We’d love to follow you!

Shout-out Credit:

Leslie Pancoast, CIC, RPLU
Managing Partner
IOA Insurance Services – Pleasanton, CA
Email: Leslie.Pancoast@ioausa.com / Phone: 925-416-7862

Architecture Students: We Expanded Our Scholarship! (Deadline: November 29)

By Lynda

a/e ProNet is excited to announce the expansion of the a/e ProNet David W Lakamp/AIA Scholarship. For more than two decades, our organizations have partnered to award two scholarships each year to rising senior or graduate architectural students. At the annual a/e ProNet meeting in Chicago this September, our Board of Directors authorized the increase of the scholarship amount from $2,500 to $5,000 apiece. These changes will take effect with the 2013 scholarship. The deadline for this year’s scholarship application is November 29.

Visit our website for more details about this scholarship for architecture students. Applications and submission details can be found at the AIA website. Applications and supplementary materials can be submitted via email to pmkc@aia.org in PDF format.

In 2012, two recipients were awarded the a/e ProNet David W. Lakamp Scholarship. To read their case study topic responses, please click here.

Questions? Please send inquiries to: pmkc@aia.org

Insurance 102: Property Coverages for Architects & Engineers

By Lynda

This issue of ProNetwork News is meant to serve as a basic reference guide to the property insurance coverages typically purchased by design firms. Last month we posted a companion piece, Insurance 101: The Things You Always Wanted to Know About Liability Coverage But Were Afraid to Ask.

We continue our overview of insurance products of interest to design professionals with this review of property coverages that may apply to the needs of your particular practice. As always, we encourage you to ask your broker what insurance is right for you.

BUSINESS PROPERTY INSURANCE

Whether you lease or own your office, you need to insure office equipment, furniture, fixtures, computer equipment, phone systems, fax/copiers, valuable papers and fine arts for fire, theft and water damage. Insuring these valuables for “replacement cost” on an “all-risk form” means that your business is most likely to be reimbursed properly for a covered loss. If you lease furniture and equipment, the lessor will require this coverage and will be designated as a “loss payee.” Landlords of rented property usually require their tenants to maintain property coverage for the rented space to cover improvements and betterments provided to the leaseholder.

Since most design firms are heavily dependent on computer systems, it is important to properly inventory equipment and software.. For example, the cost to reproduce plans and specifications kept on computer files is significant when considering the insured value of valuable papers and records. However, no limit of insurance is a substitute for reliable backup procedures.

Stand-alone IT coverage packages, including security breach, are evolving almost daily. They can cover both first party losses (yours) and third-party losses (those for which you may be liable to others). Ask your broker what products may best apply to your needs.

VALUABLE PAPERS INSURANCE

A/E firms have in their possession valuable papers and documents whose destruction would prove very costly. Maps, plans, specifications and books are some examples. All-risk protection is generally available excluding wear and tear, gradual deterioration and vermin. Certain valuable papers may be insured specifically, or “scheduled.” More commonly, a blanket limit is established to cover all valuable papers. Articles insured on a blanket basis are covered for their replacement cost. Scheduled items are covered on a valued basis even though it is not possible to replace them with like kind and quality. Continue reading “Insurance 102: Property Coverages for Architects & Engineers”

Natural Disasters: Earthquake and Flood Protection for Architects & Engineers

By Lynda

In an effort to demystify some of the concepts and to provide a ready reference, a/e ProNet gathered some of its finest insurance minds and put together this list of typical coverages for design professionals. This is not intended to be an exhaustive source of information but rather a primer designed to answer basic questions and to put the reader on the right track if more information is needed. Today, we’ll touch on Earthquake insurance and Flood insurance for Architects and Engineers:

EARTHQUAKE COVERAGE

Earthquake hazards in the United States are commonly associated with Western States and in particular California, however in past history, significant earthquakes have occurred on other states including South Carolina, Missouri, Ohio and Alaska. Because in the mid-states of the US a significant earthquake hasn’t occurred for more than 100 years, people have become very complacent about a reoccurrence. Some experts say it’s not a matter of “if” but “when.” As a result of this casual attitude, a high percentage of real and personal property is not currently insured for this hazard. A further concern is that building structures in these mid-state areas are not constructed to resist earthquake damage such as most new construction in California and other western states are. Keep in mind that loss is not limited to the direct damage to property. Severe earthquake may interrupt public transportation, damage roads and bridges that prevent the movement of private vehicles. Many utilities including electricity, water, fuel gas, and sewage may be interrupted for long periods of time. Every firm would be well served to investigate Earthquake Coverage for their building and contents coverage, even though the risk of loss seems remote.

Most Earthquake coverage is written on a “Difference in Conditions” insurance form, attached to standard property policies. This form originally included a multitude of “All Risk” coverages offered with earthquake added as an insured peril. The evolution of this coverage form has changed the focus to coverage from “All Risks of Loss” to focus on earthquake, Sprinkler Leakage, and Flood and does not include landslide, subsidence or soil movement unless it is caused by Earthquake. Continue reading “Natural Disasters: Earthquake and Flood Protection for Architects & Engineers”

Why should Architects & Engineers use a specialist Insurance Broker?

By Lynda

At our fall meeting last month, a panelist asked an important question:

Why is an insurance broker necessary for design professionals? Shouldn’t architects and engineers be able to access insurance companies and purchase Professional Liability policies directly?

Members of a/e ProNet are professional, independent brokers who serve the insurance needs of design professionals. Membership in our association is by invitation only, and members must be experienced and have a minimum number of design professional clients, as well as a minimum amount of premium volume. Our members must also provide their clients with services beyond the sale of a professional liability policy.

In addition to knowing the professional liability marketplace, they negotiate the best product at the best price for their clients. That negotiation happens every year at renewal time, and because our members are independent—not obligated to any one insurance company—they are in the best position to compare and contrast policies. Often, the time and expertise this process requires is underestimated by A/E clients. With a specialist broker, the A/E can rest assured that they have an advocate annually, both in relation to their bottom line and their exposure as a professional in a demanding and risky environment.

Most importantly, though, that advocacy doesn’t end when the renewal has been processed. The rest of the year, our members’ clients can count on their specialist brokers to provide services such as contract review, accredited continuing education, and other risk management services. Continue reading “Why should Architects & Engineers use a specialist Insurance Broker?”