Architecture Archives - Page 2 of 14

Winners of 2016 a/e ProNet AIA Scholarships Announced

By Lynda

We partner with the AIA to give two scholarships to architecture students each year, and, as usual, we’re excited to announce the winners.

Laura Colagrande completed her Bachelor of Fine Arts at Virginia Commonwealth University in 2013 and is enrolled in the M.Arch program at the University of Pennsylvania. With a background in design, she has worked as a designer for Middle of Broad in Richmond, VA, Wolcott AI, and Wirt Design, both located in Los Angeles. A constant desire to learn pushed Colagrande to add business skills, completing a business program at UCLA Extension and studying global marketing, branding, and risk and crisis management. She has learned the value of limiting risk and containing the negative consequences of a crisis, and is now implementing these lessons in the context of her studies in architecture.

Jonathan Teng graduated from the University of Washington with a Bachelor of Arts in Architectural Studies with Distinction in 2010, receiving a Faculty Award for Scholarship and Design and is enrolled in the M.Arch program at Washington University in St. Louis. He has held internships at Heliotrope Architects and Mahlum Architects, both of Seattle, WA. Teng has developed his ability to represent the LGBT community in architecture, and has set his focus on practicing design that provides inclusive and diverse spaces for everyone. As part of this process, he has learned to incorporate communication across the levels of the project, not just between the architect and the client, but also including the end-user when possible.

“The scholarship applicants this year demonstrated strengths in diversified areas within the submission requirements that made it challenging to select our winners,” said juror, Lira Luis, AIA. “The scholarship winners however, stood out among the rest because not only did their essays address the practice management topic in an articulate to-the- point manner, but also the suggested solutions demonstrated clear understanding of best practices such as peer reviews and the value of accountability, where risk is reasonably managed and future potential liabilities mitigated and the value of communication that includes in person interactions.”

Our scholarship was renamed in 1999 for David W. Lakamp, a founder of a/e ProNet and a trusted advisor to the profession. He left behind a legacy of professionalism and integrity that set new standards in the field of insurance services. The jury for the 2016 David W. Lakamp a/e ProNet Scholarship includes: Thomas G. Coghlan, Integro Insurance Brokers; David B. Richards, FAIA, LEED, AP, PMP, Rossetti and A. Lira Luis, AIA, RIBA, LEED AP BD+C.

Learn more about he a/e ProNet scholarships for both architecture and engineering students on our Scholarships page. And don’t forget to follow us on Twitter! We tweet application openings and deadline reminders each year.

Congratulations, Laura & Jonathan!

Read the full AIA press release here.

John Ronan Architects is an Obama Presidential Library Finalist

By Lynda

Chicago architecture firm and a/e ProNet client John Ronan Architects is one of seven finalists for the design of the Obama Presidential Library, which will be built on Chicago’s South Side. The remaining seven firms hail from all over the world, so it’s exciting that at least one “local” architect made the cut. John Ronan Architects may be best known for the dramatic Poetry Foundation building in Chicago. Best of luck to the team!

Shout-out Credit:

Mike Welbel
M.G. Welbel and Associates
650 Dundee Road, Suite 170
Northbrook, IL 60062
Phone: 847.412.1414
mwelbel@mgwelbel.com

The Down-Low on Broker-Verification Questionnaires

By Lynda

In what attorney Brian Stewart calls a “disturbing trend,” more and more project owners design professionals to procure separate questionnaires from their insurance brokers. These “broker-verification questionnaires” are meant to re-state or re-affirm the limits, exclusions, etc. of the relevant insurance policies to the project. If you’re an architect or engineer who has met push-back from your broker on this issue, our November 2015 issue of ProNetwork News explains why:

I: The Problem with Broker Verifications

The use of broker-verification questionnaires has been a growing trend seen most commonly in the context of construction insurance… Historically, a broker has satisfied this requirement through the production of a certificate of insurance or, if necessary, a copy of the policies themselves which demonstrate that the insured had the applicable coverage. However, a number of project owners have recently been refusing to accept certificates alone and are requiring brokers to complete a questionnaire and verification, with the understanding that a failure to complete the questionnaire will cost the broker’s client the job.

The increasingly frequent use of such broker-verification questionnaires raises a number of legal issues for the broker. The first issue deals with the broker’s authority to interpret the underlying policy between the insurer and the insured and whether a broker has the authority to confirm in writing whether a specific policy meets the requirements, not of the contract between the Owner and the insured but rather the requirements contained in the broker-verification questionnaires. The second legal issue deals with the effect of a conflict between the underlying policy and the language of the questionnaire. Specifically, what is the legal consequence when a broker completes a questionnaire that potentially contains conflicting language from the actual policy? Finally, this opinion will analyze what risks and liabilities a broker is exposed to when completing a questionnaire that contains language that is in conflict with or amends, modifies, expands, etc. the underlying policy.

II: Principles of Contract

Insurance is a matter of contract governed by the rules of contract. Unlike the ordinary commercial contract where the parties seek to ensure a commercial advantage for themselves, an insurance contract seeks to obtain some measure of financial security and protection against calamity for the insured.

Being a voluntary contract, as long as the terms and conditions made therefor are not unreasonable or in violation of legal rules and requirements, the parties may make it on such terms, and incorporate such provisions and conditions as they would see fit to adopt. The rights and obligations of parties to an insurance contract are determined by the language of the contact and the insurance policy is the law between the parties unless the contractual provisions are contrary to public opinion or law.

III: Role of the Broker

An insurance broker provides a professional service for the insured, its client and goes to the insurance market to determine what policy or policies best fit the needs of its clients.

Relevant distinctions exist between an insurance agent and an insurance broker. Whereas an agent generally represents a particular insurance company, an insurance broker generally represents only the insured. Consequently, an insurance broker owes a duty to the insured and not the insurer. Continue reading “The Down-Low on Broker-Verification Questionnaires”

Drones: Should Architects & Engineers use them?

By Lynda

They offer a bird’s eye view of construction sites. They provide breathtaking photographic opportunities for architects looking to showcase their work. And they’re fun to fly. However, while they may be intriguing tools for architects and engineers, drones open up the design firms that use them to many possibly unanticipated risks. These days, obtaining a drone is as simple as stopping at your local WalMart, but all drones are not created equal, nor are all drone pilots equally skilled and certified.

Victor O. Schinnerer’s Risk Management Blog recently offered an overview of this issue. Should your design firm use a drone in your administration of contracted services? Read on:

“Professional service firms have to be aware that the use of drones is not a simple transition in the process of observing the work on a project site. As with web cameras, drone cameras often produce far more images than are used in the evaluation of a project. If not properly denoted in a contract, the scope of the firm’s services could include the use of all the available images as part of the firm’s duty to observe and evaluate the project as part of construction contract administration duties.

“Additionally, while licensed drone operators are undoubtedly careful about having general liability insurance that protects others from their negligence in aerial activities, and follow the FAA’s rules and guidelines, many firms using drone photography are doing so as amateurs. Turning hobby activities into commercial uses is likely to be unlawful, dangerous, and uninsured.”

Continue reading Drone use can put firms at risk beyond their knowledge by Frank Musica

Document Retention: More Paper or Paper-Less?

By Lynda

Which is better, more or less documentation in your project file after the job is complete? Despite recent advances in technology, document retention has become a difficult, expensive and complex proposition. Computers have changed design professionals’ work flows and methods, greatly increasing efficiencies, but also exponentially multiplying the volume of data; e-mails, attachments, drawing revisions, text and voice messages, not to mention folks are still sending faxes and letters, actual paper ones. All of this adds up and can become an unmanageable mess, even for the best of us.

Making decisions now about which project documents to keep and which to discard is like trying to pick who will win the Super Bowl in the year 2024. You never know which ones will be the most important until you are right in the middle of a claim. Experience and common sense tell us that there are certain documents that, no matter what, are probably safe bets to come in handy down the road. You may also be required by law or contract to keep certain records for certain time frames.

This article will offer suggestions on those categories of critical project documents necessary to defend claims, and which ones are better off being discarded as a matter of course after project completion. The question ultimately is framed as “what to keep and for how long?” Of course, these are only suggestions, and you should discuss implementation of any document retention program with your chosen legal and accounting advisors in your specific jurisdiction. Further, this article only addresses retention of construction project documents and not corporate, HR or tax records.

“Age of Discovery”

Modern construction projects, with all this data, are subject to modern lawsuits. These lawsuits are conducted by increasingly younger, tech savvy and sophisticated lawyers who sometimes make the litigation more about the discovery effort than about the facts of the case. Parties are allowed to submit detailed and specific “requests for production of documents” once in the lawsuit, or issue subpoenas to non-parties. State and federal court discovery rules could require parties to turn over copies of all information they have in their possession related to the project. Continue reading “Document Retention: More Paper or Paper-Less?”

ProNet Clients Among 2015 Indiana Design Award Winners

By Lynda

We’re excited to see some a/e ProNet clients among the winners at the recent 2015 Indiana Design Awards.

ONE 10 STUDIO Architects

Honor Award – New Construction
(Project cost greater than $1 million)

Project Name: 5855 Irvington Lofts (Indianapolis, IN)

Jury Comments:

This project uses economical materials judiciously and successfully. The minimalist language makes for striking architecture that does not look like affordable housing; the same reductivist approach is beautifully expressed in the highly disciplined floor plans as well. Generous expanses of glazing open up the interiors, making spaces feel larger than they are, and accent colors provide a vibrancy to the design both inside and out.

Merit Award – New Construction
(Project cost less than $1 million)

Project Name: City Farmhouse (Bloomington, IN)

Jury Comments:

The taut restraint exhibited in the design of this project transforms the farmhouse vernacular into a contemporary residential icon for the community. The simple, well-balanced composition, culminating in a corner-wrapping porch stepping down to grade is exceptional. Interiors are surprisingly open and light. Though obviously painstakingly designed, this project appears completely un-self-conscious and rooted in authenticity.

Axis Architecture + Interiors

Honor Award – Interior Architecture
(Project cost greater than $1 million)

Project Name: Jarden Home Brands (Fishers, IN)

Jury Comments:

This was a beautiful presentation, and was consistent with the attention to detail, and vibrant color and texture present throughout the design. The jury appreciated the process drawings, and was taken with the imaginative use of the client’s products in the design. Floating ceilings simultaneously celebrate building systems, filter natural light, and define spaces in a minimal, interesting way. This looked to us like a wonderful place to work.

Citation Award – Interior Architecture
(Project cost less than $1 million)

Project Name: Taxman Brewing Co. (Bargersville, IN)

Jury Comments:

his project was also very well presented, beginning and ending with contextual photos that helped the jury appreciate the importance of the immediate environs. A taut, industrial aesthetic is judiciously deployed, complementing the earlier industrial architecture, while tastefully accenting the client’s products. The result is a space that feels exciting, contemporary and authentic.

Read about all the winning projects and architects of 2015 on the AIA Indiana website.

Shout-out Credit:

Holly L. Gill, CIC
Agent, Professional Liability
Walker & Associates Insurance
317-759-9320 (office)

Managing Employee Benefits: A Three-Legged Stool of Protection

By Lynda

For many design firms, the ability to offer and maintain competitive employee benefit programs continues to be one of the keys to attracting and retaining the best available talent. Yet, the regulatory and legal environment within which these benefit plans are being designed and administered is more complex than ever. Not only are there ERISA issues, but there is a literal alphabet soup of COBRA, FMLA, HIPAA, etc. With this greater complexity and heightened scrutiny comes risk: risk for the company itself, and the executives and administrators responsible for overseeing and administering the benefit plans.

The good news is that the risks are manageable and design firms with employee benefit programs can take advantage of a three-legged stool of insurance protection – Employee Benefits Liability Insurance, ERISA Bonds, and Fiduciary Liability Insurance. Many executives and administrators are confused about what each of these covers and whether or not they need them. This article will explain how each coverage evolved and what specific exposures they address. We also examine some risk scenarios based on actual litigation.

Employee Benefits Liability Insurance

Employee Benefits Liability insurance (EBL) very simply provides protection against claims arising from errors in the administration of employee benefit plans. This coverage was developed in the mid-1970s largely in response to exposures that arose from the 1962 court decision in Gediman v. Anheuser Busch. In this case, an employer was held accountable to the estate of a former employee for providing incorrect information to the health insurance company, which then in turn denied the employee’s claim. Thus, EBL insurance addresses claims arising out of errors or omissions in the administration of benefit plans. Three typical exposure scenarios covered by EBL insurance include:

An employer failing to properly enroll an employee for health insurance coverage, resulting in a denial of coverage.
An employer not providing an employee with the appropriate COBRA information after termination, resulting in the ex-employee being unable to continue participating in the health insurance plan as required by law.
An employer incorrectly calculating the amount of an employee’s pension benefit so that the employee decides to retire early only to find that the amount is much less.

Continue reading “Managing Employee Benefits: A Three-Legged Stool of Protection”

AIA College of Fellows Elevates Christ J. Kamages of California

By Lynda

Churches, cathedrals, and temples have historically drawn attention for their architectural beauty. Sometimes these buildings took centuries to complete, employing tens of thousands of craftsmen, all to meet the original vision of a single architect, inspired by the great Architect in the sky. It would be a mistake to think that–with the exception of project length and the architect’s scope of services–this has changed. Modern churches and temples continue to rise all over the world, and the architects behind them are often motivated by their own faith. These buildings are often spectacularly intricate, having been designed with a whole and holy purpose in mind.

One architect who has dedicated his practice to the design of such buildings is a/e ProNet client Christ J. Kamages of CJK Design Group in California. Many of the glorious, golden domes of modern Greek Orthodox churches, cathedrals, and missions across the country can be attributed to him. Last month, Mr. Kamages’s 33-year career earned him the honor of being elevated to the AIA College of Fellows at a ceremony in Atlanta, Georgia.

As noted on the CJK Design Group blog:

Established in 1857, the American Institute of Architects is a professional association made up of Architects and a related field, which seeks to “promote the scientific and practical perfection of its members” and “elevate the standing of the profession.” Through the AIA, standards of ethics and business practice have been developed and members hold each other up to maintain the highest standards. Each year, the AIA selects Architects from its membership to be elevated to the status of Fellow. Fellowship is one of the highest honors the AIA can bestow upon a member. Elevation to Fellowship not only recognizes the achievements of the architect as an individual but also elevates before the public and the profession those architects who have made significant contributions to architecture and to society.

Mr. Kamages was one of only 147 architects to be elevated to the College of Fellows this year. Of the 85,000-architect membership, only 3,200 have received this distinction.

Congratulations to Mr. Kamages and his fantastic team. We look forward to seeing many more beautiful designs from you in the years to come!

Shout-out Credit:

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

Hillaryburg & the Role of Interior Design in Politics

By Lynda

Part of Rep. Aaron Schock's (R-Ill.) new office in the Rayburn Office Building, which was inspired in part by the PBS show "Downton Abbey." Photographed on Jan. 30, on Capitol Hill. (Ben Terris/The Washington Post) — Part of Rep. Aaron Schock’s (R-Ill.) new office in the Rayburn Office Building, which was inspired in part by the PBS show “Downton Abbey.” Photographed on Jan. 30, on Capitol Hill. (Ben Terris/The Washington Post)

Interior design and its role in politics showed up in this week’s issue of The New Yorker. Former Secretary of State and current 2016 Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton recently opened her campaign headquarters in Brooklyn Heights, New York. Between this location choice and Clinton’s apparent need to makeover her image in order to better relate to the American people, many have begun to speculate on what kind of vibe we’ll find in her offices.

Brooklyn Heights isn’t exactly the trendiest corner of NYC. In fact, as Emma Allen writes, the neighborhood is more of a “no man’s land… Locals refer to Brooklyn Heights as ‘America’s First Suburb.'”

“I think she’s not likely to furnish [her campaign HQ] with a host of bearded men, vintage chesterfield sofas, and fridges full of Brooklyn Lager,” David Alhadeff, the founder of the Williamsburg boutique the Future Perfect, said. “I don’t think she’ll be dumpster diving for her office chairs.”

Allen’s “Hillaryburg” piece goes on to consider several recent examples of politicians making head-scratching design choices in their offices:

Clinton could hardly do worse than the de Blasios, who, last summer, replaced antiques in Gracie Mansion on which Mayor Michael Bloomberg had spent several million dollars with sixty-five thousand dollars’ worth of free furniture from West Elm: dusty-blue sectionals, furry throw pillows. A Times Op-Ed called the decision “unseemly.” The First Family defended the choice by pointing out that West Elm had started in Brooklyn, like them…

Also to avoid: emulating Illinois Republican congressman Aaron Schock, whose decorator kitted out his office to evoke “Downtown Abbey,” with crimson walls, gold sconces, and clumps of pheasant feathers, at a cost of forty thousand tax-payer dollars.

“In political culture, design is not a priority,” said Martin Finio, an architect who, with his wife, revamped the Brooklyn Historical Society.