Harvard scholars, at least for a day

Submitted by John Take, Practice Leader (Tucson, AZ) and John Malueg, Principal (Louisville, KY)

John Malueg (left) and John Take, sheltered
from the rain at a gate into Harvard Yard

Two months ago, we were asked to deliver a lecture at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Had we been to the Harvard campus before? No. Was the opportunity inspiring, intimidating, or exciting? All of the above, actually. Obviously Harvard’s name has a certain aura associated with it, such that until you go “live” with an audience there, you really don’t know what you’ve volunteered for and how your message will be received… but it was an opportunity we couldn’t pass up.

The request was to contribute to the school’s weekly “Sustainable Infrastructure” course seminars. Designed to showcase public and private sector viewpoints—as well as the urban planning, energy, and transportation aspects of green design—the series had reached the topic of water, and it was our task to lead a three-hour presentation and discussion.

So, we planned a “formal” presentation for a portion of the time with the hope that students would engage in an interactive Q&A session. In addition to communicating our expertise and fostering interest in the topics, we were hoping to learn their perspective as well. What do they see as the challenges and opportunities relative to the role of water resources towards creating a sustainable urban environment?

Outside of Gund Hall, the Graduate School of Design's
main building

After arriving on the Cambridge campus, we entered the Gund Hall classroom and met the relatively small audience. We were struck by the group dynamic, as the students represented a wide range of educational and professional backgrounds—graduate students in architecture, urban planning, transportation, and other disciplines.

We got things underway, sharing retrospective insights on the Clean Water Act, its impact since the 1970s, the evolution of sustainable design, and case studies where we had directly addressed the issues most relevant to the industry. We watched the audience closely and… they were interested! More than that, they were engaged, inquisitive, and incredibly knowledgeable about the sustainability landscape. With a certain amount of relief, we filled the time easily and energetically in facilitating a lively conversation seeking to answer the question “How do you comprehensively and consistently assess and measure infrastructure projects for sustainability?” By day’s end, we hoped and truly felt that everyone had fun—we certainly did.

Later that night, we reflected over cold glasses of beer and noted how encouraging it was to have been able to talk about Stantec’s active role—at Harvard, mind you—in infrastructure sustainability on nearly every project we plan and design. Thinking again about the audience, one response we kind of hoped for but didn’t happen was to be recognized with honorary doctorates… maybe next time.

Walking the Sustainability Footprint, One Step at a Time

Submitted by: Lisa J. Scott, Sustainability Consultant (Markham, Ontario)



Sustainability consultant, Lisa Scott

Climate change and Earth Hour—they go hand in hand, and tomorrow, on March 26th, 2011, the world will come together around the globe to turn their lights off for an hour to bring attention to climate change and how we all have a role in making a difference. Last year, hundreds of millions of people participated with over 4,000 cities and towns turning out their lights, across a record 126 countries. Why should you be a part of this initiative?

My career has spanned the climate change/sustainability realm, so I’ve seen almost every side of environmental work, non-profit, local and provincial government, and now the private sector. And no matter where I’ve worked, I still get asked the same questions: “What’s in it for me, my company, and our operations,” or “So what is sustainability, is it like recycling?” And probably my favorite: “Will all this ‘green stuff’ make any difference to what we are doing?” While some of these queries are quite fun and easy to answer, I often wonder why everyone doesn’t know what I know, what I am passionate about. That less is more—using less means saving more!

Remember when you were a kid, your mother would always “strongly encourage” you to turn the lights off the room you just left? That’s because mom knew if you left the lights on, the energy bill would be higher, which meant spending more money on bills, which meant you were stuck in a pair of hand-me-down shoes that weren’t very fashionable. Or recall a few years back, there was a push to start using cold water when doing laundry? Less hot water use means a cheaper gas bill. Obviously mom did know best (whether you wanted to admit it or not): reduced consumption = reduced expenditures.

The flipside of energy consumption is carbon emissions: less energy use means less carbon, or greenhouse gas emissions. That’s where I come in—applying this general knowledge to the corporate environment. I coordinate Stantec’s carbon and environmental footprint programs measuring everything from our offices’ energy consumption and business-related fuel use to their paper purchases.

As the Beatles said, “I get by with a little help from my friends,” and that’s certainly the case for this initiative. A point person in each of our offices plays a crucial role, gathering and submitting a vast amount of data for me to analyze and report on.

With support from our executive leadership, we use that information to develop performance improvements and to assist each office in their efforts to reduce operational costs and improve operations. We also have a team in the process of implementing ISO 14001, an environmental management protocol, across the whole company, an ambitious but necessary effort.

Each day while at work, I get to connect with a different office, a new person, and while they may not work in the environmental or sustainability field, they are engaged with what we are doing, and feel a part of something important.

Want to be part of something bigger? Join your family, your friends, and your neighbors and participate in Earth Hour on March 26th. Leave the lights off for more than an hour, get engaged with your office’s sustainability efforts, and spread the word! One person may not be able to change the world, but together, we can all make an impact on the footprint and legacy we leave behind—one step at a time!

Turning Wine into Water: Highlights from a “Water Tasting”

Submitted by Kelly Blake, PE, Project Manager (Sarasota, FL)

Kelly Blake

In honor of World Water Day yesterday, Stantec’s Kelly Blake walks us through the unique experience of a “water tasting” event.

The usual suspects from Stantec's Sarasota Station Way office slowly started to gather in the main lobby entrance, headed out to watch the Annual Water Taste Test sponsored by Florida Section Region X of the American Water Works Association (AWWA). Winners from this Southwest Florida regional event will duke it out for the best-tasting water in the country in the AWWA’s national competition.

As if a theme song sang to our step, we arrived to the event in unison. The insight that we have as engineers on our local municipal water climate gives us an advantage in understanding most things water related. We know who buys from whom, we know what processes are employed, and at what cost. We understand the franchise utility movement of the 1970s that has been replaced with county and city municipalities. We understand that the amazing Florida climate promotes growth, not only in the numbers of retired Northerners coming to find an easier life, but also in the growth of oxygen-reducing bacteria.

The judging panel

We follow the price per gallon like some follow the recent gas sales. We understand how many kilowatts it takes to produce one gallon of water; conversely, we also know how many gallons it takes to turn on a 100-watt light bulb. Our expertise is combating water-borne illnesses and providing sanitation practices that support the healthy civilization we call our community. All of these things we carry like a badge, like a 30-year-old pair of Ray-Bans, and, most importantly, like our professional license.

With over 100 years of experience collectively, we show up at the annual taste test geared up for the battle, but on this day we sit on the bench. We watch expectedly as a body of judges comprising chefs, civilians, and regulatory professionals slurp, sniff, swill, and swallow samples of our region’s finest. On this day, water samples are handled like wine and are judged for clarity, odor, and taste on a scale from 1 to 10.

Samples from over seven of our region’s municipalities were chauffeured and escorted by proud water treatment plant operators to the Main Street fountain in Lakewood Ranch, Florida. The judges were given numbered samples of water from each local plant and the blind taste test began. Each judge tasted, smelled, and held samples up to the light. Between each sip, judges were encouraged to cleanse the palate with saltine crackers. 



The winner!

While at wine tastings, samples are noted for the boldness and dimensions that the wine brings to the palate, water taste tests are just the opposite. Taste and odor are the two most common types of complaints from water customers, and various factors can introduce those issues to drinking water. Since we all drink water, every customer is a qualified water critic, so these operators have a hefty job of providing water that not only meets all health requirements, but that is tasty as well.

At the end of the day, the winner—Sarasota County Utilities—was announced, the remaining samples were given to a thirsty plant, and the Stantec crew headed back to our office to gather and discuss the day’s events over a nice glass of the region’s finest tap water.

What's Your Story?

Submitted by: James Patrick, ACB, ALB, Marketing Coordinator (Tucson, AZ)

I’d like to share a true story of two friends of mine. These two individuals have some rather coincidental similarities. They live in the same city, are about the same age, have the same name, are both married with one child, and both have the same occupation working for the same clients. Yet despite their similarities, these two individuals could not be more different from one another.

The one, we’ll call him Fred, is struggling right now. The economy has taken a hefty toll on his business. His clients are not paying what they used to, lesser-experienced competitors are underbidding him, and many companies he used to work for are now using in-house staff in place of his services.

The other we’ll call John. Now I remind you: same age, city, marital status, and occupation. However, where Fred has been floundering, John has been flourishing. His clients enjoy working with him so much that, even though their budgets are not as strong, they still hire him. His word-of-mouth referrals are through the roof. He even wins jobs if he is not the lowest bidder.

So how do two people who have so many things in common end up on such polar sides from one another? The difference between Fred and John is how they branded themselves. One has a personal brand that excites those around him, whereas the other has a brand that does nothing to instill energy and enthusiasm into his clients.

Personal branding is one of many terms we use to describe the impression we leave upon people. Although many confuse it with design, a personal brand is not about logos, brochures, or taglines. Your brand really is you. You are your own brand.

I call it your story. Our stories are completely unique, never duplicated, and they leave a traceable impression on anyone you have an interaction with.

It is the quality of your story that will determine whether or not you get hired, promoted, talked about, or even have the opportunity to do something that matters to you. Whether you want it to or not, it is already shaping how people view you. Each of us already has a story attached to us, despite if we wrote it ourselves or not.

To craft the message of your story, take a moment to do a little self evaluation. Ask yourself the following questions and write out the answers.

• What are you passionate about? 
• What are your strengths? 
• What common threads do you see between your passions and strengths?
• What do you feel sets you apart from others?
• What are your short and long term goals?
• What obstacles are in front of you and how will you overcome them?
• What do the people around you need that you can provide?
• How will you know when you have achieved your goals?

Listing out your core attributes and goals forces you to think about your best skills and qualities. It pushes you to craft a targeted message. This will become your story and your vision for who you are and where you want to go in your career.

Stantec Q&A: Mark Jasin, Mr. Identity

Mark Jasin is a senior graphics designer for Stantec, but he doesn’t design buildings, parks or brochures—he creates environmental branding for entire communities and living environments, like Tokyo MidTown in Tokyo, Japan; YAS Island Resort in Abu Dhabi, UAE; and Value Retail Villages throughout Western Europe. From within Stantec’s historic brownstone office in Boulder, Colorado, the process is intricate, the passion is deep, and his insights are candid.

Mark, entering Stantec's downtown Boulder office

Q: How long have you been a designer?
A: 30 years—I started as an editorial illustrator for one of California’s first full-color papers. That was a cutting-edge time and place—using computers to make commercial designs was a new idea and, through that job, I was able to do some very progressive work that was fairly unique to the design industry.

Q: You now design brands and identities for entire environments and communities. How did that become your forte?
A: Before I came on-board full-time, Stantec in Boulder (formerly CommArts) was a client of mine. I was well-established as a freelance designer/illustrator. Through this job I was introduced to the world of environmental graphic design (EGD). I had the opportunity to do three-dimensional design work, much of which is decorative patterning and architectural motifs. Environmental graphic design wasn’t really a formal discipline twenty years ago, so CommArts typically hired traditional graphic designers like me that could adapt.

Q: Creating an identity for a community is huge responsibility and effort. What’s your process?
A: Henry Beer is a principal here in the Boulder office who has a simple, great design mantra: “memory and prophecy.” It means first having respect for the history and the culture of the place you’re branding (a.k.a. ethnographic research) and, with that knowledge, you can envision its future. The more informed you are, and your understanding of the end uses, the better the project will be. We also listen to our clients and always have their interests in mind. Branding environments is a discipline—we create a design brief (the preliminary document which describes the design direction) and the client gets to be a part of the design process, directly providing input.

Sample logos from some of Mark's projects

Q: You also create logos or “identities” for environments. Is that approach different, harder?
A: It’s not always the same formula. Sometimes we need to let the environment evolve first, sometimes we’re trying to rebrand. A brand is really the ethos of a company—a symbol needs to be aligned with that ethos. It also needs to be reproducible in every type of medium. You try and be creative and take risks but do so with the knowledge of what’s practical for the client’s needs.

Q: What does your home look like?
A: Designers always suffer from “imagery overload,” so my home has very little imagery. I have some of my original paintings hanging though. Those paintings take a great deal of inspiration from Mark Rothko, a minimalist artist. For me, his color-field work is unsurpassed.

Q: What’s it like visiting an environment you helped brand or create?
A: It’s amazing—you feel like you contributed to bringing an environment to life. It’s also a learning experience. You see things that are successful and usually you can learn how to make something better. It’s also difficult seeing it new—you’re too close to the project to really see it the way everyone else does.

Q: Do you have a favorite project?
A: It’s not so much one project that stands out as being challenging or successful—I’m excited by how the process has evolved for me personally. There are times where I have creative break-throughs and I find this fulfilling, creatively… I become more informed in the process and the projects are generally better over time.

Design and the Future of Healthcare

Submitted by Martin Valins, RIBA, AIA, Principal (Philadelphia, PA)

Last month I attended a two half-day roundtable on the state of cardiovascular care hosted by The Advisory Board Company, a healthcare research and consultation organization. The roundtable occurs once a year and is attended by senior hospital and healthcare executives. In contrast to other healthcare conferences, its focus is on the business of healthcare rather than on design or clinical research.

The discussion began by reviewing the state of healthcare reform in the US and its potential effects on healthcare delivery. Forum participants made it a point not to profess personal or political opinions on reform but rather to review the facts of the situation and reflect on what they mean for the industry.

First, the group cited statistics that indicate something isn’t working quite right in the American healthcare system since the US has the most expensive healthcare costs but is ranked #7 out of the top 7 industrialized nations in illness rates, life expectancy, etc. Meanwhile, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, two countries with a universal healthcare model, take the #1 and #2 spots. While, again, no judgment was made about that model per se, it caused the group to examine what a shift to universal healthcare might mean for US hospitals.

The discussion provided a number of insights for those of us in healthcare facility design. The biggest change would be a focus on prevention, primary care, and outpatient services.

A key consequence will be a further fall in the demand for inpatient beds, with the time spent in a patient bed also continuing to decrease. Interestingly, it should also lead to a fall in demand for emergency room visits as a significant proportion of ER visits are by non- or under-insured patients using the ER for nonemergency care.

Yet looking across healthcare design conference agendas and healthcare design magazine articles, which continue to focus on, for example, the patient room as the fulcrum of healthcare design—and then comparing this with the priorities of clients and the direction of healthcare reform as described at the roundtable—it seemed to me that as a profession we may be looking in the wrong direction.

It, however, also reinforced my enthusiasm for Stantec’s commitment to healthcare design research. I am fortunate to work at a firm that has always encouraged original thinkers to challenge the design status quo—and instead creatively align with our clients' strategic needs. It’s all the more rewarding to now have a network of healthcare planning and design colleagues across the globe whose expertise and insights enable us to test norms and think differently.

The lesson I learned from the roundtable was that by connecting with the strategic and financial goals of our healthcare clients, we will continue to ensure that we can optimize our clients' potential for sustainable success. Their success is our success.