ACEC Impact: Engineering Excellence Winners, QBS, and More

ACEC Impact: Your Monthly Roundup of ACEC Washington happenings

2017 Engineering Excellence Awards

ACEC Washington extends a big congratulations to all of the winners of 2017 Engineering Excellence Awards! This year we honored 42 projects representing a wide range of engineering achievements and demonstrating the highest degree of skill and ingenuity. The top seven awards (one Platinum and six Gold) will go on to compete in the ACEC national competition in Washington, D.C. in April.

Magnusson Klemencic Associates (MKA) received the Platinum Award at the 50th annual Engineering Excellence Awards for their design and project leadership of the Elliott Bay Seawall Habitat and Public Space. Judges commented that replacing the existing seawall in downtown Seattle was a complex undertaking in its’ own right. But finding a way to incorporate ecological enhancements into the basic structural requirements of the new seawall made this project stand out. The team’s ‘outside the box’ thinking about the use of various structural materials and the incorporation of light transference methods to enhance fish passage and the sustainability of the marine environment, while still meeting very stringent seismic requirements, was impressive.

ACEC was also pleased to honor David Winter, President and Chief Executive Officer of Hart Crowser, Inc., with the prestigious Engineer of the Year Award during the annual Engineering Excellence Awards presentation on January 20, 2017. Winter has more than 35 years experience in geotechnical engineering, 27 of those years with Hart Crowser, Inc. Over the years, as he rose from staff engineer to leadership positions, he has won and worked on projects in 12 states in the U.S. and 10 countries around the world. His accomplishments have included designing a field water management system for Husky Stadium allowing the playing surface to be lowered four feet, and designing the first soil nail/soldier pile and tieback hybrid wall for the 39-story Olive8 building in downtown Seattle.

Read the Full List of Winners

Upcoming Events

Mark your calendar for these exciting upcoming events:

February 1: ACEC/ABC Toastmasters Meeting (see info below)
February 23: Workshop- Effective Pricing Negotiations with Public Entities, ACEC Education Center
March 8: Business Practice Breakfast- Risk Reduction Panel Discussion, Coast Bellevue Hotel
March 21: Seminar, Managers as Mentors, ACEC Education Center

*Due to a scheduling conflict the February Business Practice Breakfast has been cancelled. We'll see you in March!

Join the Fun

QBS Watch:

The ACEC Position

While Washington State law mandates the use of QBS for procurement of architecture and engineering (A/E) services, many public owners either fail to understand QBS’s policies and requirements or use practices which defeat QBS by too often focusing on short-term, upfront costs. In doing so, such public owners unwittingly harm their project’s success and overall costs.

As we continue to fight this issue at the local, state and national level, ACEC has put together an issue paper to educate both our members and public owners.

See the Issue Paper

New Year, New You: Get Involved!

Looking for ways to get more involved with ACEC in 2017? Here are some great places to start!

Toastmasters: Toastmasters will help improve your communication skills and open doors in your personal and professional life. It will give you the confidence you need to effectively express yourself in any situation. Acquire these skills in a supportive, self-paced, fun atmosphere in a joint ACEC and ABC group! Meetings are the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of each month from 7:30 am to 8:30 am. Your first meeting is free to attend! Contact Linda Roux for more information!

ACEC Liaison Committees: Prior to the end of 2016, the membership was notified that the Board had adopted a new policy to at least annually seek the names and qualifications of members who are interested in serving on any of the ACEC Liaison Committees. We are currently working on implementing that policy and you should receive more information shortly on how to submit your self-nomination. It will be a simple, web-based system. Keep a watch out!

We want to hear from you! Would you like to to see your firm highlighted? Do you have suggestions for seminar topics or ideas for events? Pressing legislative issues you'd like to see ACEC tackle? Let us know!