Managing an architectural and interior design firm, or for that matter any business, is not easy especially given the tough economic times we face.  Many times you are required to make decisions that are the lesser of two evils. Last month my partners and I made the easiest decision of our careers. When I got a call from managing editor, Andrew Weiland of Biz Times, asking me to discuss that decision in this newspaper I was hesitant. How did he find out? Why is it news? He found out because our staff is telling everyone about it.

Our passion is great design and that is what we bring to our clients every day. We serve clients in vital 24/7 relationships, that's our foundation – has been for nearly 75 years!  Our business focus has always been on people – our clients, the people who use the buildings we design, and our staff.

In September, as the economy turned for the worse, we started to see project opportunities disappear and ongoing projects go on hold. In December, in order to stay in the black, we reduced staff and cut salaries. That was the hardest decision my partners and I had to make in our careers. Even at reduced salaries our team continues to provide our clients the outstanding service they are accustomed to.

We moved our all staff “In the Loop” meeting from quarterly to monthly to give everyone the “State of the Office” information on how we are doing. We promised that the partners would not make a profit at their expense and we would return their salary cuts if we stayed in the black.

As architects we are usually affected at the beginning of a recession. Large commercial projects are the first thing that goes on hold. On the opposite side we are usually the first to see a turn around. We started to see that turn around last month. We still have a long way to go to get back to where we were a year ago. Last week, true to our word, we started to return salary cuts. We hope to continue returning those cuts over the rest of the year. It was the easiest decision of our careers and the only right thing to do!

Dave Raysich, AIA, NCARB
Managing Partner

As a business owner one of the first questions that always gets asked at a business function or social event is “What’s your projection for the economy in 2008?”  Everyone has an opinion and everyone’s answer is different depending on their business, profession and/or geographic location.

Normally when interest rates are low or if we are in a presidential election year, the economy is very good for anyone who is in the design and construction industry.  We are experiencing both low interest rates and an election year but the consensus in many of my groups is not optimism for the economy in 2008.  Why?  There are a number of reasons. 

The housing loan crisis is one.  Everyone thought you can’t loose buying a house with as little as possible down.  If history repeats itself the value of the real estate will go up.  Lenders even gave loans for more than the buying price.  How wrong many smart people were.  Now if you are an opportunist, or one of those “smart people,” there are many great opportunities in this current economy.   If history does repeat itself, property values will rise above today’s current reduced market value.  Buy low sell high. Several developer clients are doing just that.  I hope they are smart.

I hate to talk politics but if we talk economy we must also talk politics.  I am sure historians can tell you what happens to the economy before and after a presidential election.  I believe 2008 is unpredictable.  The economy is in a no win situation in 2008.  There is unrest with the current administration which is causing everyone to hold back on investing in their future because “it has to get better next year under new leadership.”

That message is loud and clear in the design and construction industry.  Organizations are studying what to do next but are not making decisions to move forward.  In a robust economy clients can’t wait to grow their business and schedule is the most important element in there expansion efforts.  Today the bottom line is the most important aspect of any project. 

We all want and wish 2008 to be a great year but I am afraid we will have to wait until the housing loan crisis is resolved and a new administration is elected.  I predict 2009 will be a break out year but my crystal ball is as clear as yours.

Dave Raysich, AIA
Managing Partner

To advance the career development of emerging professionals within the architectural industry, PRA differentiated itself from all other firms in the United States by forming a unique public-private partnership with the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.  “The Plunkett Raysich Architects Professorship.” established a faculty member in architecture at UWM that joins real-world project design with classroom teaching.  The professorship is now three-years old and has allowed us to bring a noted expert on land planning and urban design to Milwaukee.  Christine Scott Thomson, an award-winning designer and land planner from Boston, served this past year and will serve again this year as both the Plunkett Raysich Professor and a consultant providing an educational exchange between academics and the professional practice.

This partnership pushes the envelope by bringing a faculty member into the firm, and then having that faculty member also work with the firm.  It has not only enhanced the students’ experience, but has brought a new talent and service to our firm. The staff has learned a lot from Christine as have her students.
  
Through this collaboration, the students get to see how things are done in a real practice.  Plus, we’ve established an excellent relationship with many of the architecture professors and have become a resource for them.  Based on faculty requests, we’ve arranged construction site tours, provided information on cost estimating and helped in other areas. 

The students get to have a lot of interaction with our firm.  They also get to work on a real-life project during the spring studio.  It may be something we are focusing on at the firm, something we are thinking about doing, or something we have worked on in the past, but it’s not a made-up assignment.  It’s taken from real work experience, and our staff critiques their work.

Christine has provided her land planning expertise for several PRA projects including developing the Walworth County Campus Master Land plan, a master development plan and design guidelines for Tribeca Village in Middleton and she evaluated a 100-acre land parcel for St. James Parish in Mukwonago.  She is currently working on a master land plan for the City of Monona and is giving a series of four land planning and urban design presentations to PRA’s staff. 

Showing even more commitment to the University’s School of Architecture & Urban Planning, we have been fortunate enough to hire many of the school’s talented graduates. 

Plunkett Raysich Architects also believes that supporting programs to create a better community is essential.  The partners of Plunkett Raysich Architects are dedicated to our community and encourage our employees to become involved in their communities.  .  This includes giving up to 50 hours of paid time-off each year for staff to volunteer for organizations throughout our Wisconsin communities.  PRA has given back over$248,000 since 1998 to our communities, which is over 8,700 hours. The firm generously donates regularly to organizations which represent causes that affect staff or their family members and we participate annually in the UPAF and United Way Campaigns. Going above and beyond the call community support is what PRA prides itself on everyday. 

Dave Raysich, AIA
Managing Partner

 How do you stay afloat with rising costs and increased competition driving down fees?  I guess it depends on where you are swimming.  We have dipped our toes into a "Blue Ocean" and the water is much different to swim in.  Imagine an environment with a high demand for your services, with little competition.  If you are an architects, this is just a dream.  But...if you dream enough, some of your dreams will become a reality.

Some of our most talented fellow architects have stepped into the blue ocean by turning their talents to designing new products from teapots to jewelry.  Our blue ocean is recognizing there is a demand for companies and organizations to tie their facilties to their brand and employee retention and acquisition programs. 

We have had several good swims in the blue ocean with great results and extermely happy clients.  Is facility branding a new "Blue Ocean???"

Dave Raysich, AIA
Managing Partner

We’ve been creating facility brands for our clients since our inception in 1935.  We may not have used the term “Facility Branding” until three years ago when we hired our communications consultant, Versant Solutions.  One of Versant’s first tasks when they were hired, was to assure that the new building we designed for ourselves reinforced our brand promise, brand voice and design philosophy, creating our own facility brand.  Mission accomplished.

Three years later, when you Google “Facility Branding”, our Website is top on the list.  Will Ruch from Versant Solutions, and I saw a unique opportunity for both of our firms.  Versant creates business brands and we design facility brands.  We decided to get our key staff members together to brainstorm on how we could develop Web-based tools to reinforce what we both excel at, and the results were exciting.  I don’t want to let the cat out of the bag, but I will give you a sneak preview.  Watch our Website for a unique set of tools that will offer you an opportunity to evaluate your business and facility brands.

David Raysich, AIA
Managing Partner

Our passion, as a design firm and as individual architects, is creative design.  We live for the rush and excitement we get when we solve a client's design problem in a creative way.  We encourage our clients to look at the value creative design brings to their project.
 
What is the value of great design and how do you measure it?
It starts with the design firm and how they embrace creativity.  It continues with the firms’ individual designers.  Experienced designers bring their past successes and yes, their past failures on similar projects to new clients.

Another measure of creative design is awards.  Awards are given by independent judges and are usually based on appearance. We embrace awards because they are given by our peers and our designs are judged against similar buildings. 

The best way to measure creative design is to ask the people who use the buildings we design.  Unfortunately there are no user group award programs.  Maybe there should be!  The only way to find out what users think about design is to ask them.  So I did.  They measure it in many different and interesting ways. 
 
Office clients measure creative design in the following ways:
“Our building received an Energy Star award for 2006.”
“Our new office is ranked #1 out of 57 offices nationwide in productivity.”
“The professional climate of the building reflects in our employees dress and performance.”
“We receive positive comments from our customers on a regular basis.”
 
Religious clients judge creative design in the following ways:
“The building appearance helps us attract families to our congregation and preschool.”
“Our attendance has increased since we occupied the new church.”
“Our visitors and parishioners tell us the interior design enhances the worship experience of all who use the church.”
 
Healthcare clients judge creative design in the following ways:
“We get consistent praise form our patients about the building design.”
“The attractive space makes people feel better about being here.”
“All who tour are impressed with the layout, quietness, private rooms, soothing interiors and we have a waiting list.”
“The design supports our mission and vision of our organization.  It's all about branding.”
 
We have learned getting awards from our peers is great, but having the users of our designs praise our work is the ultimate compliment.  It's what keeps us doing what we love the most, Designing!

Dave Raysich, AIA
Managing Partner

Gone are the days of the pink message pads and returning phone calls the next day.  Today you need to be connected..... to your cell phone, PDA, Blackberry, the internet in effect the world.  If you are not text messaging you are living in the past.  We are in the age of wanting, needing, and delivering instant information in our personal life and most definitely in our business life.  Our business of Design and Architecture requires us to use the latest technologies to deliver our ideas to clients and contractors.   Which means 3 dimensional drawings and animated fly though's of the exterior and interior of our designs.  We are even using new 3 dimensional drawing technology called Building Information Modeling (BIM) for our construction drawings.  Allowing contractors to see construction details in 3D.

Everything we do daily as designers and architects involves using the latest technologies.  What we didn't realize was the technology we employed in our Web site was not the latest the industry has to offer.  This was pointed out to us by our communications consultant, Versant.  Our old Web site was a video brochure of our work.  If you wanted to look at pictures of buildings we designed it did the job.  What was there was great.   What was not there prompted us to completely rethink and redesign our Web site.  As I mentioned above everyone in today's business world wants information instantaneously and at their finger tips.  Our new Web site is designed to give you information about our Design Philosophy, Brand, Culture and Process. Information you can't find anywhere else except by spending time in our office. 

As a prospective client you will be able to interact with us and see photos of our design work, read testimonials from our clients, and access a white paper about a project type or design element.  You will be able to access design renderings, or view an animated fly-thru in and around our buildings.  You will see the tools we use to assure our commitment to quality.  You will see and learn about our "I Wheel Process".  The process we use to involve our clients in the design of their buildings.  After all, it is their building and what we do as architects is bring our client's ideas to life with "Intelligent Designs" and "Inspired Results".

Our Brand Promise focuses on people.  You will see our staff at work and hear them talk about Design, Architecture, our Design Philosophy, Brand and Culture.  You will learn about our extensive staff involvement in community activities and Green Architecture.   You will get to know our staff before you meet them by reading their Blogs or our featured employee profiles.  Our culture and brand are clearly defined and reflected in the Web site graphics and how it functions.

As a potential employee you can tour our Milwaukee office, read about employment opportunities, view select employee profiles, explore what Milwaukee has to offer, review our benefits and learn about our "School of Design." Ultimately you will understand the inner workings and make up of our firm. 

If you are an information junkie and want to learn how Design Philosophy, Brand, and Culture translates into satisfied clients view our new Web site at www.prarch.com.  You will definitely learn something and I guarantee you, it will be worth your time.

Dave Raysich, AIA
Managing Partner

What do John Muir, Aldo Leopold, Frank Lloyd Wright, Miller Beer and Southeast Wisconsin have in common?

The answer is “Fresh Water.” The other answer is that all of the above have had a major impact on my life. Where am I going with this? It turns out that the above influences in my life happen to be important to a growing group of business, education, political leaders, and citizens of Southeast Wisconsin who are coming together to develop this seven (7) county region into the world hub for fresh water research, economic development, and education. With 1.2 billion people worldwide at risk from a lack of clean water, 2.6 billion people worldwide lacking adequate sanitation primarily due to water problems and portions of the southeast and southwest United States facing severe water shortages, fresh water will be for the 21st Century what oil has been for the 20th. This dwindling resource can become a source of global conflict on environmental disaster or it can be transformed into a life-giving, economic generator that employs new technologies to combat starvation and disease while contributing to the emerging “green” economy.

JOHN MUIR
Why Southeast Wisconsin as the fresh water hub of the world?  Well, I believe that it starts with one of the founders and first President of the Sierra Club, John Muir. I first learned of John Muir in school and later, after cross-country skiing on the John Muir Trail in the Southern Kettle Moraine Forest 20 miles southwest of my home near Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In 1849, at age 11, John Muir emigrated with his family to Portage, Wisconsin from Scotland.  During his youth and while attending the University of Wisconsin – Madison, John Muir formulated his conservation ethic while exploring the beautiful rivers, dells, and forests of Wisconsin. Moving to California in 1868, this “father of the environmental movement” was at the forefront of major fresh water battles until his death in Los Angeles in 1914.

MILLER BEER
An Indian Village located where the Menomonee and Milwaukee Rivers empty into Lake Michigan gave rise to a new port city incorporated in 1846. An influx of German and Polish immigrants in the last half of the 19th Century gave rise to thriving beer brewing and tanning industries – both dependent on an ample supply of fresh lake and river water. Once the largest beer producing city in the world, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, can now claim only one major brewery, Miller Brewing Company. Founded in 1855, Miller Brewing is the oldest still functioning brewery in the U.S. My personal favorite U.S. beer is Miller Genuine Draft (MGD). The tanneries have all disappeared. What remains in the Seven (7) County Southeast Wisconsin Region is 120 water technology companies, including five of the top ten water technology companies in the world. Many of these companies like our client, Badger Meter, and A.O. Smith trace their roots to small machine shops that supported the process piping for the brewing, tanning, and bottling industries. Today these companies represent the largest group of water technology companies in the U.S. and one of the largest concentrations of water industries in the world.

ALDO LEOPOLD
The founder of the Wilderness Society and the Author of “A Sand County Almanac,” Aldo Leopold lived most of his adult life among the lakes, rivers, rolling hills, and forests of the beautiful state of Wisconsin. Like John Muir before him, Aldo Leopold’s appreciation of the natural environment has had an enormous impact on the conservation movement in the U.S.  After reading a “Sand County Almanac” in my “Environics” Class at the University of Notre Dame School of Architecture I became an instant fan. It was at Notre Dame that my classmate Bill Godfrey and I were baptized into the environmental movement by our Professor, Patrick Horsborough. Professor Horsborough warned us of the danger of acid rain, water diversion, and fresh water shortages 25 years before these issues became hot topics. He talked about wind farms and geothermal heating over twenty years ago. I would like to think of him as an environmental Nostradamus. As president of the Environic Foundation International, Bill is spreading the message around the world with his Sustainable Societies Course which is currently being used by countries in Africa and the University of Nebraska – Great Plains Region in the U.S.  Bill hopes to develop a similar course for the Great Lakes Region for the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee and he is assisting the Milwaukee 7 Water Council with the membership application to the United Nations University Regional Center of Expertise (RCE). According to Bill, there is no other area in the world that has the potential to become the Global Freshwater Hub than Southeast Wisconsin.

FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT
As an architect growing up and living in Wisconsin, I had an early appreciation for the work of Mr. Wright. Born in Richland Center, Wisconsin in 1867, just like John Muir and Aldo Leopold, Wright’s life and work was heavily influenced by the river valleys and rolling hills of Wisconsin. Arguably his most famous house “Fallingwater” was designed in 1935 and built over a water fall in southwestern Pennsylvania. Although some might say Wright could not keep water out of his houses, he actually developed innovative stormwater management systems that can still be seen in his home and studio, Taliesin West in Phoenix, Arizona.  It seems only natural that the University of Wisconsin School of Architecture and Urban Planning as the only architecture school in the State of Wisconsin has a formal relationship with the Milwaukee 7 Water Council. By bringing together Professor Jim Wasley from SARUP and Claus Dunkelberg from the Water Council, architects will soon be included with the growing list of engineers, scientists, businessmen, and lawyers to create the link between academia and industry, research and manufacturing.

Hopefully you can see why, as a Wisconsin native, I am so enthused about the 7 County Southeast Wisconsin Region as the freshwater hub of the world. With Lake Michigan to the east, Lake Superior to the north and the Great Mississippi to the west we have access to the largest source of fresh water on the globe. With this geography, a strong conservation heritage, and with the signing of the Great Lakes Compact in the summer of 2008, we have tremendous opportunity and awesome responsibility to show the world how to manage this precious resource. 

Fresh water business opportunities are enormous. Having designed the largest cold water lab in the U.S. for Badger Meter, our firm Plunkett Raysich Architects, LLP, is positioned to assist the existing 120 companies in Southeast Wisconsin as well as other water technology companies moving here from around the world to grow their physical plants so that they can better meet the growing needs of a thirsty world.

Mark Herr, AIA, NCARB
Partner

As I return from the Healthcare Design 08 Conference in Washington D.C. and my presentation on the design of innovative health and wellness centers we refer to as a Healthy Village, I am inspired by the number of brilliant people engaged in the conference from around the world. Their singular focus is to improve healthcare for patients and caregivers alike.  What I experienced in these informative presentations reinforced my firm’s recent work on defining measureable results in the design of healthcare environments through Innovation Metrics. We define these measures of success into four categories.

Environment - To increase quality of our facilities through evidence-based design.
Dollars - Reduce costs through application of lean techniques.
Heart - Increase loyalty and satisfaction of caregivers and patients alike.
Time - Improve timeliness of care delivery.

Presentations throughout the conference focused on cost reduction and creating greater efficiency within the existing delivery system. Michael Rona made a compelling case for lean application to healthcare with proven results at Virginia Mason Hospital.  Reductions in time, operational expenses, and improved patient and staff satisfaction were identified as results of this lean initiative. What struck me was the measure of the improvements and the compelling evidence that the data conveys.

Improving the quality of care delivery with the central thesis of increasing nurse time with their patients was the subject of a study conducted by Ann Hendricks of Ascension Healthcare. This time study of nurse movement and patient interaction revealed tremendous opportunity to enhance nurse/patient engagement, through the integration of technologies and work flow re-design. Success was measured by the increased time allotted to each nurse to spend with their patients.

Much research is being shared regarding evidence-based design and the intuitive positive affect that good design has on the healing process.  We understand that design matters but the rigor of scientific measurement is now molding our environments with proven strategies and quantitative results.  There are two paths to incorporating innovation into our designs.  We can re-craft the process of care delivery based on qualitative and quantitative measures, involving all levels in our organizations in the process. This is definitely hard work, but with significant sustainable rewards. Another option is to mold new environments which forces change in care delivery, easier but definitely less rewarding, and subject to cultural mismatches and failure. 

The focus on cost reduction in the delivery of healthcare is in the media, our care delivery teams and board rooms. It is no wonder that cost reduction was a central theme of the conference. I believe lean technology certainly has its applicatios in healthcare to remove waste from the existing system. Moving to a new paradigm, how to eliminate cost versus how to reduce it can yield exponential value without sacrificing quality. A focus on prevention not intervention eliminates costs from the system completely, increases satisfaction and improves the quality of lives of the people served. The Healthy Village concept is inspired by economic realities aggregating services such as education, fitness, rehabilitation, diagnostics and treatment, physician practices and wellness and healthy food options into a healthcare destination much like the village center provides the services desired by the community it supports.   A prime example is the NorthPointe Campus in Rockton, Illinois. I believe prevention will play a key role in any plan to lower the cost of healthcare across our nation. Lean technology + paradigm shift = superior quality and value.

It is obvious to me that four aspects of project success must align; money, time, environment and loyalty to achieve the results we seek. A knowledge center logging lessons learned by capital improvement design teams would be a wonderful start on your journey toward the improvement of healthcare delivery.  Join me on the journey by sharing your experiences and results. Respond to this message with ideas of your own. Tell us of project successes or failures and the measures you use to analyze results. Ideas formed in the initial stages of project visioning that resulted in satisfying or even disappointing implementations.  We in turn will catalog, benchmark and report the results for the betterment of patient outcomes. Together we can achieve measurable improvements in the delivery of healthcare that can be satisfying and repeatable.

Michael Scherbel, AIA, NCARB
Partner

Every family goes through a checklist to determine where they want to live and what their space needs are for a house.  Dubbing a real estate phrase on the three most important things in choosing an area to live – LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION.  Location typically translates to a community that has a good educational system, churches, thriving business’ that service the community and is a safe place to live! The area could also be influenced by other family members living nearby for friendship or support.  Sounds realistic...right?

Relative to choosing the right house, we determine the proper amount of space needed, determine the amount of privacy that we feel comfortable with and that the environment is acceptable for our lifestyle.  Unless we build the house, we will want to make changes to the home to make it our own, whether it would be changing finishes (wall, floors etc.) or adding meaningful artwork or family photographs acquired as you see fit.

Now imagine a typical day in your life.  Your plans for dinner can change on a whim, you may wake up and go to sleep at different times throughout the week.  Overall, you continue to live in a safe environment within a community that your friends and family are there to support you and you will make the choices that YOU want to make.

So why should it change when you enter a residential care environment, whether it is assisted living (AL) or a skilled nursing facility (SNF)?

Do your core values change when you get to a certain age?  I suspect not.  Still many of today’s care model’s remain stuck in the past, where the settings are sterile institutional settings modeled off of the hospital industry and an antiquated building code that was driving by staff efficiency over the resident’s needs.  This model and environment has been clearly rejected by the general public through the huge influx of assisted living facilities nationwide.  But what about this broken model of skilled nursing care and antiquated environments that still exist today? 

There is currently a movement underway in the United States commonly being referred to as the “culture change” movement in long-term care.  The primary purpose of this movement was to put the residents’ needs first – without sacrificing efficiency.
It started  approximately 15 years ago when their was a grass roots effort to engage the Department of Health in a dialog about skilled nursing code language that was driving design, primarily the required need to maintain visual observation from a nurse station.  This clearly drove the design of all SNF’s, leading to any number of central radiating building forms that you could likely identify by looking at satellite views of a community through Google Maps!  Once the codes were changed, the environments began to change, however the resident center care model was not fully developed, causing staffing inefficiencies.   Later through Dr. Bill Thomas’ “Greenhouse” model did this come into better focus.  Finally, there was a care model that empowered the direct care giver to help residents return to living with the similar core values they had been accustomed to in the final stages of their life.

Now imagine a residential place within a vibrant community that provides a safe environment with a living space designed for your needs, that allows you to eat what you want and when you want as well as wake up in the morning.  Imagine a place where you have social support through your family and friends that allows you to have the fullness of life until your last days.  Wouldn’t you agree that this sounds similar to what was described above?

People often ask me why I am so passionate about what I do.  It’s having a small part in making environments supportive for someone to live out the last chapter in their life with dignity and integrity while allowing the individuals to make choices.

Believe me when I tell you that architects are not the champions in this story, it is the direct care workers, nurses, therapists, social workers, food service and housekeeping staff that make this a reality.  They are the ones that have my undying admiration and support.

Why am I so passionate about this?  Because it is the right thing to do!

Larry Schneider
Long-Term Care Design Specialist

“You’ve got a cool job.”  That’s about all the student said at the end of an afternoon long job shadow session that entailed visiting several construction sites and discussion about the profession between stops.  I was worried she was not finding value in the time spent at these endeavors because most of the questions I asked were answered with one word or very short replies.  It turns out she was just processing information and needed time to think.  The last question of the day was, “So, do you have any impressions about what you’ve seen today?”  The answer said it all...“You’ve got a cool job.”  

I strongly believe it is our responsibility as professionals to “give back” to our communities and environments that fostered our professional and personal growth.  One of the ways I do this is by hosting students interested in shadowing an architect for a day (or more).  And I am fortunate to work for PRA, a company that encourages community involvement, shares my belief in “giving back,” and shares my commitment to offering such shadow experiences.  We collectively know that finding and retaining tomorrow’s architects begins with our efforts today.

So what do the students learn in their time at PRA?  To answer this question you must first realize that the students who come to PRA are high school or college age.  Whether or not they realize it, they will be taking a crash course in what is involved in being an architect and in creating architecture.  They commit anywhere from a half day up to 40 hours across a semester to gain insights into the profession.  My approach is to expose them to a broad range of ideas and roles within the profession rather than focusing on any one role or set of tasks.  From this point of view:   

They learn who Mike Brady is…you know the dad from the Brady Bunch TV series.  He was an architect, but all you ever saw of his profession was that he occasionally went off to his den, conjured up a masterpiece and then it was built.  What you did not see, and what the students who visit PRA come to realize, is that the process of creating architecture can be very complex and relies on input and expertise form a wide array of people in many professions. 

They learn that architects are always learning, and that we will never quite know all there is to know about what we do.  New products, computer technology, construction practices, project delivery methods, economic realities, etc., all impact how we work and interact with owners, contractors, code officials and our consulting engineers.

They learn that many of the individual tasks that go into creating a building are not especially difficult.  Time consuming yes, but not difficult.  They also learn that even the most mundane tasks have to be done with care so as to avoid mistakes that can lead to real world cost impacts in construction and time spent on projects.   

They learn about right and left brained people and how architecture, defined as “the art and science of building,” relies on having skills rooted in both cognitive worlds.  They also learn that we each possess innate abilities that make us more “design” or “technically” oriented.  They learn architects often collaborate in teams to bring projects to life. 

They learn they can tailor their educations to compliment or strengthen their innate ability.  Will they ultimately be a generalist, a designer, an interior designer, etc.?  They learn they must have a plan.  They learn they will need to consciously choose schools and course work tailored to their own goals.  Will they attend UW Milwaukee’s School of Architecture and urban Planning (SARUP), Notre Dame University, University of Minnesota, Taliesin, or one of many other Schools of Architecture across the country? 

They learn about being licensed to “practice” architecture.  They learn the difference between an accredited degree that lends itself to the licensing process and a non-accredited degree.  They learn that some of them may never use their license to “stamp” plans, but that the process of becoming registered adds another level of expertise to their qualifications.   

They learn how large our teams can be.  And they wonder how we keep it all straight.  Time permitting they spend time with someone from each of our major operational areas including building design, interior design, project management, construction administration, client relations, specifications, quality assurance, and upper management.  Longer term commitments allow us to arrange for a student to visit people outside the office so as to gain perspective into the profession from their points of view.  These people may be owners, consulting engineers, and contractors.

They learn why most of us entered this profession in the first place.  They come to realize that for most of us, the reason we chose this as our profession is that we share a common desire to have a positive impact on the built environment.  We all know that as people we will build…something…at all times.  Having a positive impact on what is built manifests itself in many ways.  As a result, we want to be leaders who show owners, contractors, communities, and the world that “building” can and should be done responsibly, i.e. with an eye toward quality, sustainability, low environmental impact, and longevity.  As architects this is our right and therefore our responsibility.  
 
Time permitting; they visit a construction site or two.  They see the payoff.  They see the built results of what may have been a few months or a few years of work.  They instantly understand why it takes so much time and effort to plan a project and quickly learn to appreciate the roles everyone plays in delivering a project.  They also learn to watch their step, to look around often to see where they are in relation to construction activity, and to keep their hard hats on. 

At the end they learn quite a bit.  They see what architects do.  They see the many individual roles of team members, and form a sense of how all the individual efforts lead to a completed project.  Most importantly, they gain a better sense of whether or not architecture is the profession for them…and they are always welcome back. 

Paul W. Schmidt, AIA 
Project Manager

Driving past a wind farm in southeast Minnesota, I am struck by the beauty and rhythm of renewable energy at work, as hundreds of white blades rotate in unison.  They are tall, stark white, and prominently visible from their raised elevation.  They are unapologetic in their stance yet elegant in their simplicity.  The image of these 200 foot tall turbines becomes a powerful symbol for clean energy and environmental responsibility.  The turbines serve as a teaching tool in an expressively built form.  We can easily see and understand how they work, and apply that message to our own environmental impact.  We may even run out and buy a hybrid vehicle.  Likewise, symbols and forms have been used in architecture throughout history to evoke contemplation, thought, and action.  Architecture can impart knowledge, affect behavior, and send a message.  Today, a critical lesson that architecture can teach is the same as the wind farm - environmental responsibility. 

Like the image of the wind farm, sustainable design can be taught in the way we express architecture, and how that architecture can become a symbol for changing the way we interact with the environment.  It is true that green roofs, rain barrels, native grasses, deep overhangs, vertical fins, mechanized louvers, re-purposed materials, solar collectors, rammed earth, and recycle bins are all devices that reduce our impact on the environment, but they do much more.  When expressed prominently in architecture, they become a teaching tool for everyone that comes into contact with them.  They cannot teach if they are hidden.  How truly effective is a green roof if nobody can see it?  Sure it provides a great benefit for the building, but it is doing nothing to educate the public about that benefit, and promote its use beyond.  How about underground cisterns for harvesting rainwater?  Again, very beneficial for the building they serve, but out of sight and out of mind.  In Madison, Wisconsin, our firm is designing a new fire station that seeks high level LEED Certification.  I believe we would be missing a huge opportunity if the design looked conventional and failed to express its sustainable principals. 

At Madison Fire Station No. 12, we deliberately “let the green out.”  For example, we are designing four giant rainwater harvesting tanks on the north side of the fire station, collecting water from the sloping roof.  These tanks are prominently displayed and unapologetic, as an integral part of the design composition.  Equally important, they are a teaching tool.  Like the wind turbines, we can see them working, and apply that message to our own environmental impact.  It becomes an understood and accepted practice.  Some of us may even run out and buy rain barrels for our own houses.  Message sent and message received.  Of course we may not be able to express every principal, but we can describe them with integrated signage and graphics.  Certainly it is impractical to “showcase” ground source heat pumps without a glass lid over the entire site, but we can implement placards, kiosks and “building dashboards” to educate the public about less obvious and less understood sustainable systems.

Design professionals have the duty to design sustainably.  However, we can do more.  For too long we have relegated the importance of teaching environmental responsibility to nature centers and rain forest exhibits at zoos and museums.  That is hardly enough to educate the public.  Design professionals have the opportunity to expand the message.  Let us consciously design architecture to not just include, but clearly express sustainable principals.  Resist looking conventional and let the green out!

John Holz, AIA, NCARB, LEED_AP
Senior Project Designer / Associate

Because of their complexity natural systems are not fully understood making environmental planning an imprecise process. Implementation of conservation planning is best done incrementally where the management plan is continually evaluated, revised and adjusted.

Basic principles that guide conservation planning include:

• • Large areas of habitat sustain more species than small ones
  • Where not possible to preserve large habitats, many small patches of habitat will help sustain regional diversity
  • Design the shape of habitat space in a manner that creates interior habitat space
  • Avoid fragmenting large patches of natural habitat with roads
  • Avoid use of isolated habitats
  • Maintain or create corridors of similar vegetation to connect habitats
  • Connect water corridors by continuous corridors of natural vegetation
  • Create a mixture of habitat types
  • Allow for transition areas between habitat types
  • For plantings use native species

Management of water on a site is central to conservation planning. The goal is to protect and improve water quality through proper treatment of runoff prior to discharge into down stream systems. This is best achieved through the creation of a “storm water treatment train.” There are a variety of design practices that can be utilized to protect water quality by managing runoff before it enters the drainage system. The key elements in these practices are the use of vegetation to control run off, which slows down storm water runoff and promotes infiltration, removal of pollutants and displacement of solids.

The creation of a storm water treatment train is achieved through the combined use of the following pretreatment control practices:

Dry / Wet Swale
The vegetative swale contains native grasses and plantings to collect runoff from hard surfaces and conveys it down stream.

Filter Strip
Filter strips are areas of close growing vegetation located between polluting sources and ponds, lakes or streams. These filters process water and reduce pollutants such as sediment, organic matter and trace metals.

Vegetative Buffer
A vegetative buffer is a natural or heavily landscaped strip of land that is located adjacent to bodies of water. Their purpose is to provide vegetative treatment of runoff before it enters the waterway.

Water quality protection is a regional watershed issue with the managing of run off at the source having the greatest impact on down steam effects. There are a variety of mechanisms that can be used to reduce run off quantities and promote water entering into soil and recharging ground water.

Infiltration Basins
Infiltration basins are excavations that allow infiltration of storm water runoff. These treatment structures are not intended to trap sediment so they need to be used in conjunction with pretreatment systems.

Bioretention Area
A bioretention area is a shallow water basin pond or landscaped area that utilizes engineered soils and vegetation to promote infiltration and treatment of storm water.

French Drain
French drains are a drainage system that utilizes a system of perforated pipe set in trenches filled with porous stone. Runoff percolates out of the drainpipe and into the soil.

Outlet control measures are designed to treat runoff collected and transported to them through the drainage system. These control practices treat runoff at the point of discharge through settling, biological uptake of substances and infiltration.

Phytozone
A phytozone is a small wetland located at the edge of a lake or pond. They are designed to receive runoff from the storm water drainage system where water is treated before entering the main body of water. They are sized to treat runoff from small storm events.

Constructed Wetland
This constructed structure behaves like a natural wetland. It removes pollutants through settling and vegetative uptake. Wetlands reduce storm water flooding, filter pollutants, provide wildlife habitat and are attractive site design elements.

Dry Detention Basin
Dry detention basins temporarily detain a portion of storm water runoff then release the water slowly to reduce flooding and remove a limited amount of pollutants.

Vegetative Outlet Structures
Vegetative outlet structures include grassed swales, filter strips and buffer zones. They reduce run off through infiltration and transportation and removal through settling and uptake. These structures should have a minimum water traversing length of 25 feet.

In-Line Filters
These are man made filters that treat water flowing through them. They use peat, sand or granular activated carbon to treat runoff prior to down stream discharge. They require active maintenance and inspection.

Dan Becker, AIA, LEED_AP
Project Manager

It seems we are bombarded daily with information about looming environmental catastrophes brought on by global warming.  There is now a much greater emphasis in the media on “green design,” what it means for the human population to live sustainably, and what we all need to do to reduce our carbon footprint.

Many of the mundane decisions in our daily lives are confusing when considering environmental impact.  For example, is it more environmentally friendly to shop at the nearest suburban big-box retailer, with its large asphalt - paved parking lot and roof areas that contribute to overloading storm sewer capacity, or shop online, where your order is air-freighted from some distant location?  Is it preferable to specify a rapidly renewable flooring material like bamboo, grown in Southeast Asia, or a more locally produced material such as oak, which takes longer to mature for harvesting?  Are rainforests saved if the hardwoods grown there have value for something more than firewood?  What about the commuter who drives a hybrid vehicle 40+ miles to their workplace every day?

One of the most intriguing aspects of the growing movement toward more environmentally - friendly design is the need for critical analysis when selecting products, systems, and techniques that are truly beneficial to the environment and a building’s occupants.  There is also the need to cull products from manufacturers guilty of “greenwashing” when they make exaggerated or even false claims of the environmental benefits of their products.  It is imperative that architects, engineers, and designers now ask ourselves if the decisions we make are truly reducing the impact upon the earth.

For example, decisions made early in the design of a hypothetical building, such as the selection and placement of windows, can reduce daytime cooling and power loads by taking advantage of free daylight and ventilation.  Construction savings accumulate when fewer light fixtures are specified, and the chiller plant can be downsized because less artificial lighting generates less heat.  Less cooling requires smaller ductwork.  Looking further up the chain, the glazing system, if locally manufactured, reduces transportation costs.  Financial and environmental benefits are realized the day the building is first occupied, and continue throughout its life cycle. 

We are in the midst of a paradigm shift in our approach to building.  This requires us to think critically about the impact our decisions have upon the planet, and decide if the way we constructed buildings in the 20^th century are still the most viable in the current environmental and technological contexts.

The question is not whether global warming is a reality, but whether we all are using available natural resources in the most efficient manner.  Addressing these factors early on in the building design process will help reduce the impact upon our environment.  Doing so does not increase construction costs significantly, especially when considered over the life cycle of the building. 

Michael Schaefer, AIA, LEED^_AP
Project Manager

As a business or building owner, do you have a service-related business such as a law or accounting firm? Do you offer a product or service that could be utilized against humanity? Are you a drug company that produces a highly sought after drug? Are you contemplating a building project in the near future or moving to a new location?  If you have answered “yes” to any of these questions, you may be interested to know that your building plans might not be as protected as you think from getting into the hands of those that seek to harm you, your company or your employees.  You might be asking yourself, “How do I protect my assets from terrorists, thieves or disgruntled employees?”

In today’s technologically advanced society, one needs to be very aware of the security measures available for documents that are put onto the Internet.  In the past, plans, building sets and blueprints were issued by architects and then returned after construction with no issue.  With advances in personal computers and laptops with wireless access to the internet and project websites, anybody can access plans from pretty much anywhere at anytime.  With the advent of 24-hour print and copy stores being almost as common as Starbucks nowadays, modern thieves have access to more information at a click of their mouse with no identification necessary to receive your building plans.  And if you don’t know, these plans are an expensive asset that detail out every specification of your mechanicals and security systems. Even if your building has been standing for years, your plans might be located in the Public Archives, which allows free access to plans so long as you are reviewing the plans there.  You might even recall a scene from the movie, “National Treasure,” whereby Nicholas Cage’s character was able to review plans in order to break into the National Archives Building in Washington D.C. Now, imagine that scenario only with regards to your building. To put even more of an emphasis on this, over 160 plans were approved in the City of Milwaukee alone in 2006, according to the Milwaukee Development Center, which now means those plans are out in the public eye and available for anyone to review.

Obviously there are a multitude of things that can happen if these plans are stolen or worse yet are “borrowed” or randomly downloaded.  For instance, someone can steal plans and incorporate them in their building design making your building, which was thought to be a one of a kind, now a cookie cutter design.  Or worse your plans could be downloaded for the sole purpose of harming you.

P.J. Vidani, President of Green Bay Blueprint Company, explains how this can happen in his article entitled, “Security on the Web.” He also details out for you how to protect plans, which include the following:

• Demand that you be notified in writing as to how your plans will be distributed.
• Request that your plans not be allowed to be uploaded to websites that can be downloaded and routinely printed.
• Request that your plans be only placed on secure websites.
• Demand that reprographers issue your plans to only authorized subs.
• Require all plans to be issued with a deposit and that they are returned after the bidding process is over.
• Request the reprographer notify you of who is receiving your plan in writing.

Here at Plunkett Raysich Architects we not only support Mr. Vidani’s tips listed above, but we also suggest the following additional tips:

• Follow AIA guidelines for controlled plan reproductions
• Know who lists your plans – track that information
• Control who receives your plans and hold them accountable
• Provide & implement a “standard electronic file release document form”

Case studies of companies and organizations taking appropriate steps regarding plan security include AIA Wisconsin and AE Graphics. AIA Wisconsin has stepped up to include as part of their B151^TM contract the following under Article 6 Use of Architect’s Instruments of Service:

“AIA Wisconsin supports a policy of not allowing an outside agency, including but not limited to contractors, reproduction companies, and clients, permission to use an architect’s copyrighted documents, in either hard or electronic form, without prior agreement and to treat the release of these documents to owners or any other outside agency as a service. Documents created by an architect are copyrighted and intellectual property and permission to duplicate or use these documents should not be granted without obtaining an inclusive liability release.”

This type of leadership regarding protecting intellectual property and security should be followed by all as well as what A/E Graphics, Inc., a reprographics company located in Brookfield, Mequon and Milwaukee, WI, has mandated as protocol. According to Steve Wellman at A/E Graphics, “once a customer orders a distribution project, their company information is taken and used to populate a plan holders list. This list is used by A/E Graphics to notify plan holders of changes to the original distribution documents. It can also be used by the company issuing the distribution to see who has a set and what coverage in the bidding process they have. At the end of the bidding phase, A/E Graphics takes in the distributed plan sets returned by plan holders.”

Tom Taubenheim, President of A/E Graphics, has the following to add regarding plan security:

“PRA has a licensed, password protected planroom to control the process of document distribution for the bidding and construction phase of a project.  Only authorized users may access projects that they have permission to view.  Individual files are posted in low resolution so bidders may view the files on the screen but would produce poor readability when trying to print a plan full size.  These PDF files may be downloaded by the online user if allowed.  Each user’s action is automatically documented including what files were viewed, ordered, downloaded, dates andtimes.

Prior to the internet, only hard copy documents were distributed to bidders.  Here are a couple of “manual” steps that were taken at that time to protect information:

A/E Graphics did blueprints of nuclear submarines for Newport News Shipbuilding.  Any prints that we made that were bad reproductions would typically have been thrown in the garbage, but Newport News required that we must return all documents produced to them as a safeguard of their designs.  This was the exception for plan documents so much that I still remember it.

We also have printed and distributed many correctional facilities over the years.  A large portion of these drawings were of security system schematics.  We took great care in getting company information and signatures from bidders for documents that were released.  A record was kept of each person and company that ordered the bid sets.      

Whether hard copies of information are distributed or someone chooses to post any information online with any software available today, there is a risk of tampering with the data.  It becomes a matter of balancing security with the convenience and speed that consumers demand.

We try to educate our clients to think about their files floating around in e-mails or on the internet with no controls, limitations and tracking of what was sent, viewed or changed.”

If you would like to discuss additional ideas on how to secure your building plans, feel free to contact Gregg R. Golden, AIA, at 414-410-2931 or ggolden@prarch.com.

Gregg Golden, AIA, CDT, CSI
Associate, Project Manager

My first exposure to Form / Reform was in 2001 in Chicago.  This national conference on environment and art for Catholic worship is held every two years, bringing together building committees, pastors, liturgical consultants, architects and artists from throughout the United States and Canada to “address the issues related to the building, renovation, or restoration of a worship space in light of current church documents.”  The conference was well attended and in addition to Catholics, many other Christian denominations also participated.

The Chicago conference was very timely and somewhat controversial.  The guidelines of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, “Built of Living Stones – Art, Architecture, and Worship” had been published the previous fall in November 2000.  This document essentially replaced the Conference of Bishops statement, “Environment and Art in Catholic Worship” published in 1978.  For many the Chicago Form / Reform Conference was their fist introduction to the landmark “Built of Living Stones” guidelines.

The controversy during the conference involved a front page story in the Chicago Tribune on the second day of the conference regarding the somewhat contentious renovation of St. John’s Cathedral in Milwaukee, in which many of the classical interior design features of the Cathedral were removed or significantly modified.

Since 2001, key members of PRA’s religious facilities design studio attend the Form / Reform Conference.  Project Manager, Mike Stancl, traveled to conferences in Houston and Kansas City.  Project Designer and Associate, John Holz attended Form / Reform in Los Angeles.

This summer, Milwaukee will host Form / Reform for the first time.  Scheduled from August 1-4, 2007 in the downtown Hyatt Regency and Milwaukee Art Museum, Form / Reform will offer church building committees, pastors, and worship committees a tremendous opportunity to experience the latest trends in environment and art for Catholic Worship.  There will also be a seminar track on issues impacting worship space for Lutheran congregations.  Other Christian denominations considering building should also attend the conference.  It truly is a one-stop shop to meet with architects, liturgical consultants and artisans that typically work with most denominations.

The theme for this summer’s conference in Milwaukee is “Resurrection Witnesses: From Empty Tombs to new Encounters and Biblical Stories in Conversation with Architecture for Worship.”  Judging from past years, the seminars lead by national experts, should be very informative.  The keynote addresses will be presented by Gordon W. Lathrop, Professor of liturgy Emeritus at the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, presenting “New Dawn: On Orienting the House of the Church towards Resurrection”, Dr. Gail Ramshaw, scholar of liturgical language, presenting “Encountering the Imagination”, and Reverend Bryan Massingale, Associate Professor, Marquette University, presenting “Allowing Conversion”.

In addition to the above, PRA, together with fund-raising consultants, the James Company, and contractor, Miron Construction, will be presenting our popular “Building Visions and Futures Seminar”, which outlines the 15 steps for a successful religious project.  We have been presenting this information seminar, both live and over the internet for the last 7 years, with over 400 people participating.  In addition, we will be exhibiting our award winning religious projects in our booth, and will have maps available for those that would like to visit several of our recently completed churches in the Milwaukee area.

At this time, together with the James Company and Miron Construction, we will also be hosting a new networking event on Thursday night, tentatively titled, “Ask the Experts”.

To find out more about and to register for this summer’s Form / Reform Conference in Milwaukee, click on the following link to the conference website, www.formreformconference.com.  Also, we will post on our website updates on our involvement in the conference.

We look forward to seeing you at Form / Reform in Milwaukee on August 1-4, 2007.

Mark Herr, AIA
Partner

Have you ever experienced that oddly silly but nauseating sensation that you get from watching a dog or cat chase its tail?  It is this type of sensation that reminds me of the notorious strategy within the A/E/C industry of chasing every project that comes through the front doors. While, it appears that your project count increases as your total number of RFP’s produced goes up, what is it doing to your profit margin?  If you can’t answer that question, you might want to find out before you go down a road that isn’t easy to hit a U-turn.

While pursuing more is attractive in its own right, one has to analyze the affect on your profits. More projects yes, but smaller they have become, which essentially will produce less profits and only run up your overhead.  You might even see steam coming out of your marketing staff as they are asked to produce more with less time.  You will ultimately end up diluting your efforts to the point that your sales staff can’t spend the right time pursuing their Top 10, which ends up in a tug of war of where they should be spending their time.  End result, you begin to lose the bigger projects that you once aspired to achieve as the “must-have” clients.

What do you do to turn the corner on this “factory-styled” pursuit assembly line?  That seems to be the million dollar question, as the goal is always to achieve your highest revenue goals, while servicing the clients to the highest level.  After attending a recent PSMJ Bootcamp, it seems most firms are challenged with this very same issue.  Some firms have the opposite challenge, which is that all of their eggs are in one basket, but most are either ignoring or side stepping one basic necessity, the “Go No Go Process.”

PSMJ does a great job of determining positioning for a project.  Their five page long process makes most people run the other way or shutter at the thought of putting more time into a pursuit.  However, it is well worth the effort in the long run.  It not only gives you the true positioning of your firm against the competition, but it also identifies what your proposal strategy should be to WIN.    Even if your current Go No Go Process is working there is always room to improve and always something you can take away from what other firms have found to be successful.

Having been through two of PSMJ’s Bootcamps over the last several years, I would highly recommend the two-day training sessions. If you are also looking for a family vacation destination, I would also highly recommend the Swan & Dolphin Hotel on the Walt Disney World Campus.

Dorothy Snow
Vice President of Marketing