March 2005 Edition
Land Surveying
History of Land Surveying in BC
Exploration of British Columbia's coast began in 1741, when Danish navigator Vitus Bering approached the BC coast. He was followed by Spanish explorer Juan Perez in 1774.
Surveying in what is now British Columbia was initiated when Captain James Cook, in His Majesty's barque "Endeavor", charted Nootka Sound in 1778. In 1792, a Spanish expedition and a British expedition under Captain George Vancouver met in Georgia Strait, and cooperated in charting much of Georgia Strait and Puget Sound before sailing to Nootka Inlet to discuss ownership of their new found and claimed lands.
Read the Full Story at BCLandSurveyors.com
Civil Engineering
Green Roofs Growing in Popularity for Building Owners
Increasing problems with stormwater runoff, particularly in urban areas, are prompting greater interest in green, or garden, roofs. In addition to reducing runoff, green roofs can decrease a building's cooling costs by 20% to 30% for a single-story building.
Read the Full Story at Buildings.com
Q: How can you tell an extroverted engineer?
A: When he talks to you, he looks at your shoes instead of his own.
Land Use Planning
Honey, I Shrunk the Lots
How many lots can you cram onto an acre of land? Five? Ten? Fifteen? Would you believe 25, or more? And I’m not talking “units” as in multi-story.
As any developer knows, the more lots, the merrier in terms of a subdivision’s profit potential. Since you can’t make an acre bigger, to squeeze more lots onto one, you must make the lots smaller. But who wants a tin can for a lot?
It turns out lots of folks do, if the can is designed right.
Read the Full Article at NAHB.org
Landscape Architecture
A Stream Grows on Vine Street
The Seattle Post Intelligencer interviews Carolyn Geise, the chairwoman of the Growing Vine Street Steering Committee, about the “Cistern Steps,” a new public arts project that will channel filtered rainwater runoff down a series of steps along Seattle’s Vine Street. The project is part of the larger Growing Vine Street initiative, which aims to turn the area into a hotbed of green development and architecture.
Read the Full Article at SeattlePI.com
Marketing
Revenge of the Right Brain
Logical and precise, left-brain thinking gave us the Information Age. Now comes the Conceptual Age - ruled by artistry, empathy, and emotion.
Read the Full Story at Wired.com
Harmsen News
Scott Peterson, PE becomes LEED accredited!
Scott Peterson, PE of Harmsen & Associates Inc (H&AI) has received his LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) accreditation from the US Green Building Council.
"LEED provides a complete framework for assessing building performance and meeting sustainability goals. Based on well-founded scientific standards, LEED emphasizes state of the art strategies for sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality. LEED recognizes achievements and promotes expertise in green building through a comprehensive system offering project certification, professional accreditation, training and practical resources." (Source: usgbc.org)
Scott works on a variety of projects for H&AI clients ranging from school expansions to residential and commercial development and is currently working on a project within the City of Monroe that will implement a rain garden to positively affect water quality and add aesthetic beauty.
Quote of the Month
"Dreams come true; without that possibility, nature would not incite us to have them."
-John Updike
Harmsen & Associates Inc
17614 West Main Street
Monroe, WA 98272
360.794.7811
info@h-ai.com