Public Private Partnerships
We know that Public Private Partnerships are agreements between the public and private sectors to take on a joint development. But how should we think about PPPs and what are the factors that will mean the difference between success and failure? In this 8-minute kTalk, Libby Seifel shares the case study of the Berkeley Oxford Lot in which the City of Berkeley, a Non-Profit Environmental User and a Private Developer came together in an ambitious PPP. She shares their lessons learned as they attempted to turn a public parking lot into a new Environmental Center, ninety-six unts of affordable housing built over retail space, with underground public and residential parking, while achieving LEED certification
| Presenter: |
Elizabeth Seifel, President |
| Firm: |
Seifel Consulting Inc. |
| Knowledge Area: |
Practice Management |
| Duration: |
08:30 |
Meaningful Collaboration
Why is collaboration an essential component of innovation? Because it takes multiple perspectives to understand the complexity of the contemporary built environment and this diversity of opinions is only accessible through participatory design. In this 8-minute kTalk, Mallory Cusenbery, AIA, offers strategies for engaging the creative input of people normally outside a design team to generate an end result that succeeds on multiple levels and satisfies a range of criteria.
| Presenter: |
Mallory Cusenbery, Principal |
| Firm: |
RossDrulisCusenbery Architecture |
| Knowledge Area: |
Design |
| Duration: |
08:13 |
Merging from a Seller's Perspective
The right merger can mean larger, more interesting projects. It can mean expanded resources and expertise. But is it possible to ensure that core values will align and visions will be shared? In this 5-minute kTalk, Helena Jubany, LEED AP, shares her experience navigating a successful strategic merger between NAC Architecture and her own mid-sized firm.
| Presenter: |
Helena Jubany, Principal |
| Firm: |
NAC|Architecture |
| Knowledge Area: |
Practice Management |
| Duration: |
05:04 |
The Basics of Strategic Planning for Design and Construction Firms
Every design and construction firm is in business for a reason. But not every firm goes to the trouble of articulating it. A strategic plan serves as a roadmap for achieving the vision of your firm. It can be a tool for guiding decisions and identifying opportunities. In this 7-minute kTalk, Ray Kogan, AIA, presents tested methods for developing a strategic plan that will evolve large, sweeping concepts into structured, detailed and actionable metrics.
| Presenter: |
Raymond Kogan, President |
| Firm: |
Kogan & Company |
| Knowledge Area: |
Practice Management |
| Duration: |
07:26 |
50 Ways to Lose Your Project
In school they can teach you many things, but not necessarily the business minefields you’ll need to navigate in order to realize your dreams. In this 12-minute kTalk, Ronald Altoon, FAIA, LEED AP, CDP, shares true tales of clients lost and jobs squandered due to extortion, deception, imprisonment, infidelity, political upheaval, earthquakes, death and drunkenness
| Presenter: |
Ronald Altoon |
| Firm: |
Altoon + Porter Architects |
| Knowledge Area: |
Practice Management |
| Duration: |
12:35 |
Healthcare Planning and Design Affects Patient Outcomes
It has been shown that giving hospital patients views of nature actually lowers the amount of anesthesia required for surgeries and speeds up the recovery process. In this 6-minute kTalk Steven Steinberg, AIA, reveals a string of fascinating insights into the architecture of healing. He believes that the proven benefits of psychosocial design, design that takes the mind, body and spirit into account, make it the future of health care. From the building materials used to construct the walls, to the art that hangs on them, Steinberg shows us that the power design can exert on patient outcomes, as well as the attitudes and productivity of hospital staff, is very real indeed.
| Presenter: |
Steven Steinberg, Aia |
| Firm: |
Ratcliff Architects |
| Knowledge Area: |
Design |
| Duration: |
06:38 |
Developing Performance Based Bonus Systems
The best performance-based systems recognize two simultaneous realities. First, that everyone contributes to a firm's success. And second, that the efforts of individuals and the results those in produce, vary. In this 6-minute kTalk, Michael Strogoff, FAIA, shares a blueprint for encouraging optimal performance in any firm by employing the right mix of criteria, spreadsheets, scales and "buckets".
| Presenter: |
Michael Strogoff, Faia, Founder |
| Firm: |
aecKnowledge, Inc. |
| Knowledge Area: |
Practice Management |
| Duration: |
06:14 |
Brazilian Wooden House Construction System
With its excellent insulating properties, high strength-to-weight ratio and wide availability, there's little wonder that wood has been a centerpiece of construction for centuries. Due to their high durability and resistance to insects, fungi and natural elements, Brazilian hardwoords such as Macaranduba, Ipe and Curumaru make some of the finest construction materials on the planet. In this 7-minute kTalk, Djana Venolia, AIA International, shares the many advantages of the Brazilian Wooden House Construction System, which puts these properties to use in a clean, convenient and sustainable pre-fabricated system that’s also cost-effective.
| Presenter: |
Djana Venolia, Aia International |
| Firm: |
Architect |
| Knowledge Area: |
Design |
| Duration: |
07:11 |
Characteristics of High Performing Design Firms
High-performance firms know how to balance accomplishments, profitability and risk to achieve long-term success. They understand market trends and adjust their directions accordingly. What allows them to so accurately read the writing the wall? In this 8-minute kTalk, Timothy Corbett, LEED AP, introduces SmartRisk Risk Assesments, a risk assessment program that can be used as a peer review tool, a magnifier of areas of strength or concern, and a means of reducing insurance costs.
| Presenter: |
Timothy Corbett, President |
| Firm: |
SmartRisk LLC |
| Knowledge Area: |
Practice Management |
| Duration: |
07:49 |
School Gardens: Teaching Urban Students Where Food Comes From
When asked where food comes from, urban students nearly always say that it comes from the grocery store. In this 9-minute kTalk, Marianne Brown, Master Gardener, proposes the school garden as the ideal setting for urban students to become acquainted with the natural processes that actually stock the shelves of our supermarkets. Providing this hands-on, natural laboratory offers students the chance to get acquainted with seeds, harvests, seasons and large-scale food production and distribution. She believes this time outdoors, where students are exposed to the sounds of wind, scurrying animals and running water, allows them to connect with nature on a real and tactile level that is both invaluable and unavailable in the traditional classroom.
| Presenter: |
Marianne Brown, Master Gardener |
| Firm: |
Volunteer |
| Knowledge Area: |
Design |
| Duration: |
08:39 |
kTalks