Strengthening design and livability

BY DON LUTHARDT

AIA 150 and the Vancouver USA Streetcar Feasibility Study

Don Luthardt
LSW Architects PC

The American Institute of Architects (AIA), an organization that represents the professional interests of America’s architects, will celebrate its 150th anniversary in 2007. In light of this landmark anniversary, AIA Vancouver will be conducting the "Vancouver USA Streetcar Feasibility Study" as a gift to the community. This study is part of a new nationwide community service program by the AIA titled, "Blueprint for America: A Gift to the Nation." Incidentally, 2007 also marks the 150th anniversary of Vancouver as an incorporated city, and since streetcars are a part of Vancouver’s history, this study is a starting point to link the city’s heritage with its future.

The 2006 Community Pride Design Awards

BY NEIL ZAWICKI

Where excellence in form meets true functionality

The tempest

BY NEIL ZAWICKI

New stormwater regulations add complexity to small job sites

New stormwater management regulations implemented by the State Department of Ecology last December have made building in Washington a little more complicated. Some in the industry say the new rules put an unacceptable burden on contractors. Others say they will only raise the cost of doing business.

Every project starts with ‘no’

BY RON FREDERIKSEN RSV Construction Services

Coaching a client through the process is part of the design/build way

Ron Frederiksen
RSV Construction Services

I am constantly looking for better ways to communicate to potential clients just how much focused effort and energy it takes to get even the simplest project underway. In the commercial construction industry, every transaction seems to start with a "no."

Common Business Questions

BY JANET HARTE Washington State University Small Business Development Center

How can contractors improve cash management?

Janet A. Harte
Small Business Development Center

Q: As a contractor, I need to do a better job of managing cash. What can I do?

A: Contracting involves many people in the operating cycle: suppliers, employees, government, general contractors or subcontractors and, of course, the customer. The cash flow cycle is the time it takes for dollars to come in and go out of the business. Managing this flow is important because cash is needed to fuel growth. If you want to do a better job managing cash, look for "hidden" cash in accounts receivable, expenses, company records and prices.

Stepping up to the plate

BY NEIL ZAWICKI

Design and construction community comes together for the big win

As the 2006 major league season wore down, seven players in the construction industry and two from other sectors teamed up to build a baseball field for mentally and physically challenged kids here in Vancouver. Miraculous? Project organizer Art Liss thinks so.

Paving a path to the future

BY NEIL ZAWICKI

Commerce leaders seek new capacity
transportation to link county communities

The question is not whether to build roads, the question is when and where, according to city of Vancouver Manager of Business Development Gerald Baugh. New capacity transportation not only helps business, but attracts it as well, and the question of timing and location hinges upon expected growth.

Breaking Ground

BY NEIL ZAWICKI

Port of Kalama continues expansion

The Port of Kalama has broken ground on the fourth building at its Kalama River Industrial Park. Longview contractor Five Rivers Construction put the first shovel blade into the dirt at the two-acre site Sept 19, launching the $1.8 million project that will produce a 33,000 square foot warehouse by late spring of next year. The building is designed to house manufacturing, distribution or warehouse operations. Port Marketing Manager Merry Swanberg said the new building will help to meet a growing demand for space by existing and potential tenants. She said the port plans to begin new projects each year at the park until build-out on the available 25 acres is completed. Two similar buildings at the park were completed in 2006, and Swanberg said she had to turn tenants away while they under construction.

Breaking Ground

BY UNSIGNED

Daybreak School

Todd Construction Inc. broke ground June 26 on the 20-acre, 110,000 square foot Daybreak K-8 School at 1900 N.W. 20th Ave. in Battle Ground. The $22 million project is expected to be completed on Aug. 23, 2007.

Breaking Ground projects will be featured in the Vancouver Business Journal and in the annual Top Projects Magazine. To include your project, click the Breaking Ground icon at vbjusa.com and fill out the quick form. Photos of your project are encouraged.

Water torture

BY KELLY WALSH Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt

Sealing the cracks in condo construction

Kelly Walsh
Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt

All it takes is one small leak in a building enclosure to cause millions of dollars of damages and, in the case of condominiums, completely destroy the resale value of the condos.

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