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 |
Strategic Positioning to Succeed With BIM
To succeed with BIM you need to have a plan. In this 9-minute kTalk, Deke Smith, FAIA, covers the Open BIM standard approach and how to create a role for the architect in this context. With design representing a relatively minor expense as compared to operating and sustaining a building over the course of its life, a good plan justifies the expense that goes into creating it. Here, Smith explains how the right plan can increase the productivity of the workers, resulting in savings that will pay for the planning, construction and operation of the facility over its lifecycle.
| Presenter: |
Deke Smith, Faia |
| Firm: |
|
| Knowledge Area: |
Integrated Practice/IPD |
| Duration: |
08:50 |
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 |
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 |
Approaching Pro Bono Services
Why do Pro Bono work? In this 7-minute kTalk John Peterson explains that while benefits to a firm might include opportunities for networking, marketing and improved corporate culture--it really is up to the firm to determine the appropriate compensation in return for services. Learn about helpful resources and Pro Bono assessment tools and find out why he believes no charitable act should be purely charitable.
| Presenter: |
Jon Peterson, Architect |
| Firm: |
Design Conspiracy |
| Knowledge Area: |
Practice Management |
| Duration: |
07:06 |
Effectively Hiring from Among Unprecedented Numbers of Applicants
Getting hundreds of applicants for a single position creates a great opportunity and a daunting challenge. How can you quickly separate excellent and mediocre candidates? Can you create a process in which applicants screen themselves out so that you don’t have to? In this 10-minute kTalk, Mary Anne McKernie shares her invaluable experiences and processes for getting the results you want with the time you have.
| Presenter: |
Mary Anne Mc Kernie, Creative Director |
| Firm: |
aecKnowledge, Inc. |
| Knowledge Area: |
Practice Management |
| Duration: |
10:38 |
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 |
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 |
kTalks