Firm Profile
Beginning this month, the Chapter's Web site will add a consumer section with the Firm Profile as its centerpiece. Visitors to the site who are looking for architectural services will be able to select a list of firms with the kind of experience they are looking for, read a brief description of the firm, view a photograph of one or more projects, choose to examine a detailed description of the firm and its staff in e-Profile, and visit the firm's home page.
These improvements will elevate the presence of architecture firms before the electronically literate public (an ever-growing segment) and will capitalize on the national advertising campaign to develop brand identity and name recognition for AIA architects.
A letter describing the details of the new e-Profile has been mailed to all firm principals paying supplemental dues. The enhanced listings and links are a member service to those firms; no other firms will be listed. The project photographs may be added for a fee.
E-Profile is the first of recommendations from the Electronic Communications Task Force, chaired by Bill Eide, AIA. This group is examining all the ways that AIA Houston can capitalize on the electronic revolution to enhance communication among members as well as the profession's communication with the public.
Announcements
David Harvey, Jr., president of D.E. Harvey Builders, Inc., was named the 1997 Real Estate Professional of the Year by the Association of Commercial Real Estate Professionals.
David S. Brewer & Associates and Escalante Engineering have merged to form Brewer & Escalante Associates, Inc. providing engineering and architectural services.
Robert Taube, former Manager of METRO's General Mobility Projects, has joined Walter P. Moore and Associates as Senior Associate.
The Broussard Group is now known as TBG Partners.
Clark Condon Associates, Inc., Landscape Architects, has been selected to provide a ten year Parks, Recreation and Open Space Master Plan to the City of Seabrook and a similar twenty year plan to the City of Pasadena.
Tellepsen has been named the General Contractor for the construction of a new 67,000 sf multi-purpose building for the First Baptist Church of Pasadena. The company recently participated in a groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of a five-story, 62,000 sf office building for the Methodist Health Care Center in Sugar Land. The project is scheduled for completion the first quarter of 1999.
Notices of Invitation from the Texas Department of Transportation are listed at the Chapter office.
Visit the Contemporary Arts Museum on September 9 at noon for the last of their Power Lunches. Bring your own lunch for this short gallery tour and casual discussion with George Smith, artist and professor, Department of Art and Art History, Rice University.
PSI announces that David C. Roberts is its new Department Manager.
The Boston Society of Architects' newest publication, The Slate Roof Bible, is one of many listed in their new publications catalogue available in the Chapter office.
H. Malcolm Lovett, Jr. and Bart Hale have joined the Powell Group as new principals.
CNA/Schinnerer announces the new Architects and Engineers Professional Liability Insurance Program which provides expanded coverage with no restrictions on pollution, asbestos, and insurance advice. The enhanced A/E Practice Program will be available in each state once approval is received by the insurance department.
Architect's Handbook Available in CD-ROM
The Architect's Handbook of Professional Practice (12th Edition) is now available on CD-ROM. Like the familiar four-volume set, it contains sample copies of all AIA contract documents. The digital version permits readers to search the 2,000 page handbook rapidly by key word or topic. Although the text cannot be altered (contracts include the notation, "sample" which cannot be deleted), pages can be easily printed for reference.
The Handbook is being revised, with the new edition available mid-1999. A limited number of the 4-volume sets are still available in the Chapter office. The new CD-ROM version is also available. The cost of either version is $225.
Listen and Watch to Earn LUs
Seminars on audio tape available in the Chapter office:
- AIA/AGC Seminars: Recommended Practices: June 17, 96, Focus on the Owner
- AIA/AGC Seminars: Recommended Practices: May 20, 96, Project Delivery Systems
- AIA/AGC Seminars: Recommended Practices: April 22, 96, Programming and Planning for Facilities Design
Video tapes available in the Chapter office:
- Back from the Brink: Saving America's Cities by Design
- Building Design Concepts (An Architectural Perspective)
- Frank Lloyd Wright Companion (CD)
Increased Opportunities for A/E/P
Electric industry buyers believe deregulation will cause them to increase their use of engineering, architecture, planning, and environmental consulting firms, a finding based on a survey conducted by Zweig White & Associates. Nearly 40% of buyers believe design-build will be a more popular project delivery method as a result of deregulation.
The in-depth analysis of how electric deregulation shapes the market for A/E/P and environmental consulting services is part of a 128-page briefing. Call 1-800-466-6275 to order the complete report ($195).
