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T R E N D L I N E S W W W . T H E Z W E I G L E T T E R . C O M O c t o b e r 8 , 2 0 1 8 , I s s u e 1 2 6 7

Client payments

Working a conference

W e just finished our 19th annual Hot Firm + A/E Industry Awards Conference. It was in Dallas this year, and based on what we heard from attendees, was one of our best ever! We had a large crowd, the break-out sessions were packed, and with the exception of a few minor issues, the event went smoothly. An event like this is a great networking opportunity for those who are there. It was interesting for me to watch the people and see who was really “working” the event and who was more interested in taking a three- day vacation and eating and drinking a lot. There definitely were both types of people there! For those wanting to maximize the value of their participation in something like this, let me make some suggestions: 1)Look over the attendee list and decide who you especially want to meet. Always a good idea. Intentionality works. 2)Dress for the occasion. That means be ap- propriate. If everyone else at the event is “business casual,” you shouldn’t wear a suit – it could make someone else uncomfortable. The converse is true, also. 3)Pack plenty of business cards. You don’t want to be at something like this and not have cards. And be sure they have your cellphone number on them as well. 4)Put a smile on your face and be upbeat. People like positive people. They are more fun to be around and lift you up versus dragging you down. Be one of the positive people! It’s good for you and your business.

“Everyone can do a better job at events and use their time more wisely. But it may take some thought and some training.”

Zweig Group’s 2018 Fee & Billing Survey collects data on how firms handle collections and manage their accounts receivable. Collecting AR in a timely fashion is critical to improving cash flows and overall firm performance. Over the last few years, researchers have found that fewer firms are offering early-payment discounts as an incentive, but that more firms are charging interest on late payments . Firms are sending a second invoice showing aged AR after 45 days. OPEN FOR PARTICIPATION zweiggroup.com/survey-participation/ F I R M I N D E X Architecture Design Collaborative............2 Chen Moore & Associates.......................6 Gensler...................................................4 Goody Clancy.......................................10 Modulus Architects. ................................8 Pennoni. .................................................2 SNARKITECTURE...................................8 UNStudio..............................................10

Mark Zweig

MORE COLUMNS xz FROM THE CHAIRMAN: Continuing ed Page 3 xz POP MARKETING: Back it up (with bass, if needed) Page 9 xz GUEST SPEAKER: Site safety Page 11

Page 6 Conference call: Peter Moore See MARK ZWEIG, page 2

T H E V O I C E O F R E A S O N F O R A E C F I R M S & M A N A G E M E N T C O N S U L TA N T S

ON THE MOVE BRIAN YOUNG JOINS PENNONI AS BALTIMORE, MD OFFICE DIRECTOR Pennoni has hired Brian Young to serve the firm’s Baltimore, Maryland, location as office director. Young joins the firm with more than 20 years of experience in all elements of highway operations, design, construction, and traffic engineering. This experience, combined with more than 15 years of management and employee development, prove Young will be the seamless addition for growing Pennoni’s Baltimore clientele and managing the firm’s diverse team. Prior to joining Pennoni, Young served as district engineer for MDOT State Highway Administration and led the SHA’s District 3 office. This office serves nearly two million citizens of Prince Georges and Montgomery Counties in the metropolitan Washington region. He oversaw a staff exceeding 280 at five locations. Young shares his excitement on his appointment, saying, “I’m looking forward to working with the talented team here in Baltimore as well as throughout the organization to continue to provide our clients with exemplary service. The Baltimore office will continue to serve the community and we look to grow our presence throughout the Baltimore/Washington region.” Regional Vice President Ron Moore anticipates success and is confident with this decision, saying, “Brian has many years of diverse experience throughout Maryland and he is highly respected in the state and the region. Pennoni is thrilled to have Brian join our management team to help expand our work in the MD/ DC region and provide smart solutions to our clients.” Young received his civil engineering degree from Morgan State University. He has extensive experience working with federal, state, county, and local elected officials and municipalities and bringing teams together for a better community and excellent projects. ARCHITECTURE DESIGN COLLABORATIVE PROMOTES ALEXANDRA GOMEZ TO PRINCIPAL TO HELP WITH NATIONAL GROWTH Alexandra Gomez was the first employee to join Architecture Design Collaborative as one of the founding members in January 2014. She has worked with Craig Chinn, president and founder of ADC, since

2011. She manages the multi-disciplinary architecture and design firm’s largest retail projects and clients across the United States and will continue to do so in her new role as principal of retail environments. Gomez’s work has been integral in the expansion of the Retail Studio, as well as the national and international recognition that the firm has been honored with since their founding nearly five years ago. “Alex provides our clients with the very best service, she has managed our largest and most complex retail projects. Our collaborative design approach ensures our clients with the very best designs and memorable experiences,” said Craig Chinn, AIA, principal. With her experience in the retail shopping environments, Gomez is credited with the development and implementation of the firm’s Mobile Design Studio, an on-site collaborative design charrette service. From designing award- winning shopping centers, to custom lighting and furniture, to enhancing the consumers’ shopping experience, Gomez has done it all. Her focus of late has been to design experiential nodes to increase shopper dwell time, activating dead courts, and creating outdoor community spaces. She travels between the firm’s Orange County and Denver offices to train and mentor ADC employees. On her personal time, she enjoys spending quality time with family and loves the outdoors. “I am very excited to continue the great collaboration within the ADC team as well as with our ADC clients and partners. The key to great design is creating experiential environments where the different elements of the space coherently work together to satisfy the needs of the user to create both useful and memorable spaces,” said Gomez. Architecture Design Collaborative also brought on board Scott vonKaenel as director of retail. As a new member of ADC, vonKaenel brings over 18 years of commercial and retail experience. Born and raised in upstate New York, vonKaenel is an alumni of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and has been licensed in California for 15 years. He enjoys hiking with his family and performing as an accomplished bass player and songwriter.

1200 North College Ave. Fayetteville, AR 72703 Mark Zweig | Publisher mzweig@zweiggroup.com Richard Massey | Managing Editor rmassey@zweiggroup.com Christina Zweig | Contributing Editor christinaz@zweiggroup.com Sara Parkman | Editor and Designer sparkman@zweiggroup.com Liisa Andreassen | Correspondent landreassen@zweiggroup.com

Tel: 800-466-6275 Fax: 800-842-1560

Email: info@zweiggroup.com Online: thezweigletter.com Twitter: twitter.com/zweigletter Facebook: facebook.com/thezweigletter Published continuously since 1992 by Zweig Group, Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA. ISSN 1068-1310. Issued weekly (48 issues/year) $250 for one-year print subscription; free electronic subscription at thezweigletter.com/subscribe Article reprints: For high-quality reprints, including Eprints and NXTprints, please contact The YGS Group at 717-399- 1900, ext. 139, or email TheZweigLetter@ TheYGSGroup.com. © Copyright 2018, Zweig Group. All rights reserved.

MARK ZWEIG, from page 1

5)Keep notes on everything. I use my phone. You do whatever you need to do but do it immediately and the quality of your notes will be much better. 6)Follow up with everyone you meet immediately after the event. Send an email. Send a letter. Provide any info you promised you’d get them. Everyone can do a better job at events and use their time more wisely. But it may take some thought and some training. MARK ZWEIG is Zweig Group’s chairman and founder. Contact him at mzweig@zweiggroup.com.

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O P I N I O N

Continuing ed

Of all the things I can think of to recommend to fellow professionals, the top one is this: Never stop learning.

W e’ve had some sensational AIA lunch and learn sessions in the office recently, demonstrating to me how quickly advances in technology are changing the way we build things. A recent session presented by a large global glass manufacturer opened my eyes to the advancement of glass manufacturing and the extent of options we have as we specify glazing systems, both for energy conservation, quality, and quantity of light and heat coming through the glass.

Edward Friedrichs

making 12-volt DC fixtures (same power supply coming from photo-voltaic panels), allowing the wiring to be the same as computer cables, eliminating the need for conduit or electrical innovative systems that are coming available on an almost daily basis.” “Construction technologies are evolving rapidly. It is our duty as practicing professionals to keep abreast of new products and

I’m currently exploring some additional new glazing systems that, in a double-glazed wall, allow the inside surface of the first glass panel to incorporate thin-film photo-voltaic, making the skin of a building a generator of electricity. At the same time, the inside surface of the second panel incorporates either a photo-chromic coating like that on eye glasses that turn dark when exposed to direct sunlight, or an electro-chromic coating, allowing the glass to turn dark with an electric charge, dramatically changing the type of window covering – drapes, blinds, roller-shades – required for sun control or privacy. On another front, the advancements in low- voltage lighting are dramatic, with manufacturers

See EDWARD FRIEDRICHS, page 4

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BUSINESS NEWS THE ICON OF NEWMACAU EARNS GLOBALACCLAIM MORPHEUS HOTEL AT CITY OF DREAMS IS NAMED ONE OF THE “WORLD’S GREATEST PLACES 2018” BY TIME MAGAZINE Just two months after its grand opening, Morpheus Hotel at Macau’s legendary City of Dreams resort was hailed as one of the “World’s Greatest Places 2018” by TIME magazine, as the only Macau entry on the list. This sought-after accolade is part of a new annual list culled from nominations by TIME editors and experts around the world to recognize 100 new and emerging destinations and locations that are breaking new ground, leading industry trends and offering guests an experience that is truly unique. To create the list, TIME solicited nominations across a variety of categories – including museums, parks, bars, restaurants, theme parks, cruises, and hotels – from TIME editors and correspondents around the world, as well as dozens of industry experts. TIME evaluated each one based on several key factors, including quality, originality, innovation, sustainability, and influence. The result is a list as diverse as the world it reflects, with entries spanning six continents and 48 countries. A revolutionary architectural masterpiece designed by the late Pritzker Prize-winning architect Dame Zaha Hadid DBE, Morpheus has been described as “The Icon of the New Macau” and is the first hotel brand to

be wholly developed and created by Melco Resorts & Entertainment. Since opening with a star-studded gala in June, the hotel has set a new benchmark for ultra-luxury hospitality in Macau, and features a spectacular collection of “world firsts”. This includes being the world’s first free-form exoskeleton high-rise architectural structure; the first spa concept in the world to feature a Snow Garden with real snow; and the world’s first hotel to feature an entire floor dedicated to legendary chef Alain Ducasse, with two Ducasse restaurants and a bar. The hotel, which offers 770 guestrooms, suites, and villas, including six duplex villas and a lavish 510-square-meter pool villa, features an unparalleled range of unique attractions and world-exclusives. Gastronomic highlights include The Universe of Pierre Hermé, the first partnership between Maison Pierre Hermé Paris and a hotel property in Greater China, bringing the unique combination of tastes, sensations and pleasures created bythe “Picasso of Pastry” and 2016 World’s Best Pastry Chef, Pierre Hermé, to Macau; Yí at the Sky Bridge, which offers a one-of- a-kind blend of regional Chinese cuisines served in a ‘non-menu’ style that is a first in Asia. Guests at Morpheus can also enjoy an innovative 12,000-square-foot retail destination housing sought-after luxury

brands like Proenza Schouler, Thom Browne, and Repossi; a stunning collection of specially commissioned installations by acclaimed artists such as Charles Pétillon, Shinji Ohmaki, and KAWS; the Morpheus Spa, which features a range of globally acclaimed brands and cutting-edge treatment programs, as well as the signature in-house Spa Butler concept; and the awe-inspiring Sky Pool located at a dizzying 130 meters above the ground. “We are thrilled to receive such a prestigious accolade from TIME magazine so soon after opening,” said Lawrence Ho, chairman and CEO at Melco Resorts & Entertainment. “At Melco, we continually strive to provide our guests with one-of-a-kind experiences that raise the bar in terms of luxury and design and Morpheus is the perfect expression of that vision. With Morpheus, we have solidified our position as a pioneer and innovator in premium travel, leisure and entertainment, and we are proud to help drive Macau’s reputation as the World Center of Tourism and Leisure.” Dame Zaha Mohammad Hadid was an Iraqi- British architect. She was the first woman to receive the Pritzker Architecture Prize, in 2004. She received the U.K.’s most prestigious architectural award, the Stirling Prize, in 2010 and 2011.

EDWARD FRIEDRICHS, from page 3

use the recycled water for flushing toilets, irrigation, and cooling towers. Stanford University has developed a new nano-technology filter system that can make the water potable, which is too expensive with current systems. While this is not required for all recycled water uses, we’d like to try it in our project if and when it is commercially available. “The color temperature of the light can adjust during the day to emulate outdoor lighting conditions, or in the case of one application I’m investigating, to be used for indoor farming.” Construction technologies are evolving rapidly. It is our duty as practicing professionals in architecture, interior design, and engineering, to keep abreast of new products and innovative systems that are coming available on an almost daily basis. If you’ve made some interesting discoveries lately that you feel your fellow professionals would benefit from, please forward them to me, and I’ll add them to a future article to help us all keep up with our rapidly evolving world. Never stop learning! EDWARD FRIEDRICHS, FAIA, FIIDA, is the former CEO and president of Gensler. Contact him at efriedrichs@zweiggroup.com.

inspections for initial installation or modifications. Along with power supply and control systems, the lamps themselves have been dramatically improved to allow greater color tunability. In other words, the color temperature of the light can adjust during the day to emulate outdoor lighting conditions, or in the case of one application I’m investigating, to be used for indoor farming where the light can be tuned to the color temperature that will allow specific fruits and vegetable to grow optimally. One company I’m working with has developed LED streetlights, with very low energy requirements. That company is doing an installation in South America between two towns that are 22 kilometers apart. Photo- voltaic panels are affixed to the top of every fifth light standard which are linked together with low voltage cable to a battery supply, allowing the batteries to be charged during daylight hours for night-time illumination. The cables can also include the ability to distribute Wi-Fi signals to become a data transmission line. Another important step has been taken to further improve water and waste recycling systems. We’ve been working on the development of a recycling system for our project here in Reno, a high desert climate where water is a scarce resource and evaporation is high from cooling towers and irrigation. We’ll use 50 percent less water in our project compared to hooking each user to a water meter. We’ll

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This is an exclusive event for top leaders to discuss the highest level issues facing CEOs and the C-suite of today’s AEC rm. This two-day event includes educational and networking sessions in an upscale setting, and is part of Zweig Group’s new Experience Education series. The November 7-9 event will explore the roots of Kentucky bourbon and how these family owned distilleries have grown to serve a worldwide boom while maintaining the culture and character of their businesses. Bourbon lovers or just lovers of the outdoors will enjoy the trip as we travel the Kentucky countryside to some of the most well known distilleries. During our tour of these historic and architectural sites, we will learn the roots of businesses, how these organizations have scaled operations to meet worldwide demand, and how their marketing, sales, and management strategies have built strong brands and rich cultures. We will couple this experience and knowledge with the most pressing issues and ideas in AEC rms today. With attendees in control of the subject matter, we will conduct roundtable discussions on a variety of topics that will hit right at the heart of what is needed to eect change in your organization. The program is led by industry experts with extensive experience working with and leading AEC rms. The two-day agenda covers areas of discussion determined by those in attendance. It’s presented in a guided discussion format to encourage discussion among all attendees. CEO ROUNDTABLE BOURBON EXPERIENCE November 7-9 Louisville, KY

Follow the link for more details, the agenda, information on the presenters, and venue. zweiggroup.com/seminars/ceo-roundtable/

THE ZWEIG LETTER October 8, 2018, ISSUE 1267

P R O F I L E

Chen Moore & Associates employees at a holiday party.

Conference call: Peter Moore President and CEO of Chen Moore & Associates (Best Firm Multidiscipline #26 and Hot Firm #88 for 2018), a 70-person firm based in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.

By LIISA ANDREASSEN Correspondent

“E ven more important than a good partner, though, is making sure that a very frank con- versation is had with that good partner to fully out- line all the responsibilities in the project from the first day of the pursuit to the final closeout,” says Moore, referring to the design-build delivery mod- el. A CONVERSATION WITH PETER MOORE. The Zweig Letter: While plenty of firms have an ownership transition plan in place, many do not. What’s your advice for firms that have not taken steps to identify and empower the next genera- tion of owners? Peter Moore: I would tell the owners of these firms to prepare themselves for a reality check that is go- ing to hit them incredibly hard. Unless they are very fortunate, their lack of planning will hurt their egos, but even more importantly, it will im- pact their pockets. TZL: There are A/E leaders who say profit centers create corrosive internal competition for firm re- sources. What’s your opinion on profit centers?

PM: When we opened our first branch office, we spent a lot of time setting up our accounting sys- tems to compare the “home” and “branch” office, including setting up a complicated formula to apply the “corporate” overhead. During the downturn, we consolidated all of the information to focus on the overall health of the company. As we grew, instead of putting the profit centers back in place, we fo- cused on projections for individual project manag- ers and we now manage staffing based on different combinations of our project managers in the office where they primarily work. This has led to project profitability focus, rather than competitive offices. TZL: The talent war in the A/E industry is here. What steps do you take to create the leadership pipeline needed to retain your top people and not lose them to other firms? PM: We’ve grown the firm from three people to 70. We’ve done this more out of a desire to provide management and leadership opportunities for our young and mid-career talent. By developing addi- tional offices, disciplines, and specialized teams, we’ve provided a large number of positions to fill.

Peter Moore, President & CEO, Chen Moore & As- sociates

THE ZWEIG LETTER Octo

TZL: As you look for talent, what po- sition do you most need to fill in the coming year and why? PM: We’ve done a pretty solid job in recruiting, training, and keeping our management staff, but we need a pipline of entry-level (up to five years) engineers to allow our managers to move away from split duties as the technical lead on projects as well. TZL: Zweig Group research shows there has been a shift in business development strategies. More and more, technical staff, not marketing staff, are responsible for BD. What’s the BD formula in your firm? PM: All of our managers are handling both the workload they have to exe- cute now, and the pursuits to provide their workload in the future. TZL: Diversifying the portfolio is never a bad thing. What are the most recent steps you’ve taken to broaden your revenue streams? PM: In the last six years, we’ve opened additional geographic offices and add- ed landscape architecture. Recently, we’ve focused on water resources, spe- cifically with an emphasis on sea level rise. TZL: What is the role of entrepre- neurship in your firm? PM: We’re not AECOM or Jacobs, so everyone that works at Chen Moore joins as part of an entrepreneurial spirit. “All of our managers are handling both the workload they have to execute now, and the pursuits to provide their workload in the future.” TZL: In the next couple of years, what A/E segments will heat up, and which ones will cool down? PM: Interest rates are rising, so pri- vate investment will decline. All other markets are going to stay hot. TZL: Measuring the effectiveness of marketing is difficult to do using hard metrics for ROI. How do you See CONFERENCE CALL, page 8

We’ve also gone through an ownership change recently, and expanded the ownership group to 11 key employees, and, even more importantly, we’ve de- veloped a procedure for identifying and processing future owners to make that process consistent. “Scope creep, additional liability, and unsuccessful pursuits are the main risks, but communication up front with a good partner can mitigate that as much as possible.” TZL: What’s your policy on sharing the firm’s financials with your staff? Weekly, monthly, quarterly, annu- ally? And how far down into the org chart is financial information shared? PM: We prepare monthly financials that are shared among our executive group. We prepare more formal pack- ages for our quarterly board meet- ings that, once approved, go to all the shareholders. We have annual “state of the company” presentations to all staff reviewing high level financial in- formation. Being transparent is im- portant in a changing economy. TZL: The design-build delivery mod- el appears to be trending upward. What are the keys to a successful design-build project? What are the risks? PM: For more than 15 years, we’ve embraced design-build. I have to ad- mit that we got very lucky in our first few pursuits, so that delayed imple- mentation of more formal processes for these pursuits until recently. We don’t build, so the most important key to a successful project is a good part- ner. Even more important than a good partner, though, is making sure that a very frank conversation is had with that good partner to fully outline all the responsibilities in the project from the first day of the pursuit to the fi- nal closeout. A good partnering agree- ment is the key to establish that un- derstanding. Scope creep, additional liability, and unsuccessful pursuits are the main risks, but communication up front with a good partner can mitigate that as much as possible.

YEAR FOUNDED: 1986 HEADQUARTERS: Fort Lauderdale, FL OFFICES: 5 offices in Florida: ❚ ❚ Fort Lauderdale ❚ ❚ Miami ❚ ❚ West Palm Beach ❚ ❚ Orlando ❚ ❚ North Central NO. OF EMPLOYEES: 70 PETER MOORE: When he joined the firm in 1999, the company had three employees. SERVICES: ❚ ❚ Civil engineering (water and sewer) ❚ ❚ Transportation ❚ ❚ Landscape architecture and planning ❚ ❚ Environmental ❚ ❚ Construction engineering inspection MARKETS: ❚ ❚ Water and wastewater (utility engineering) ❚ ❚ Transportation ❚ ❚ Government facilities ❚ ❚ Institutional and educational ❚ ❚ Parks and recreation ❚ ❚ Commercial ❚ ❚ Retail ❚ ❚ Industrial ❚ ❚ Residential COMPANY CULTURE: CMA actively supports various community organizations including Habitat for Humanity, Toys for Tots, the Cooperative Feeding Program, and Ocean Watch. Staff participate in local professional society events including the American Society of Civil Engineers, Florida Engineering Society, American Society of Landscape Architects, Irrigation Association, International Society of Arboriculture, and the United States Green Building Council. They support their industry and the communities where they live, play, and work.

ober 8, 2018, ISSUE 1267

BUSINESS NEWS MODULUS WINS THE CURVY DESIGN CONTEST USING PURE TIMBER FLEXIBLE HARDWOOD In August, Elements Manufacturing announced Modulus Architects of San Jose, California, the winner of the Curvy Design Contest with their submission of the Möbius Infinity Lamp. Earlier this year, architectural firms across the country were challenged to submit designs of Pure Timber flexible hardwood. The winner receives a fully-constructed version of their winning design, built by sponsor Elements Manufacturing, an architectural millwork firm in Santa Cruz, California. The flexible hardwood material was provided by contest co-sponsor Pure Timber, a hardwood supplier in Gig Harbor, Washington, that has developed the proprietary Extreme Wood Bending process. Modulus Architects describe the Möbius Infinity Lamp as “a beautiful new twist on the mathematical and unorientable Möbius Strip. With neither a beginning nor an end, the lamp’s form is derived from a single cross section rotated about a central axis while simultaneously revolving around a full circle.” In announcing the winner, Elements Vice President, Alan Stormes said, “We want to congratulate Modulus for an amazing design. The Möbius Infinity Lamp elegantly combines the functionality and aesthetic properties of this exciting new wood bending technology. This will be fun for our woodworking team to build and install.” Elements delivered Modulus Architects’

winning Möbius Infinity Lamp to to the firm this month. HARBOUR CITY X SNARKITECTURE PRESENT “BOUNCE” INTERACTIVE INSTALLATION Last summer, Harbour City, the largest shopping mall in Hong Kong, teamed up with SNARKITECTURE , the renowned New York- based collaborative and innovative design studio, to create their first interactive art installation in Hong Kong – “BOUNCE.” It is a tailor made art campaign from the idea of enlarging the ordinary bouncy ball to combine with their signature “pure and white design” staging on Harbour City’s unique outdoor location from August 10 through September 2. Meanwhile, an installation featuring a massive invasion of balls was also held at the Gallery by the Harbour. Harbour City specially invited the New York design studio, SNARKITECTURE, to create its first exhibition in Hong Kong. By transforming the familiar into the extraordinary, SNARKITECTURE makes architecture perform the unexpected. They have done an innovative signature installation “The Beach” in National Building Museum in Washington D.C., Paris, Bangkok, and Sydney before. Their work received a lot of international media attention and has become the “hot-pick” for many Instagrammers. “BOUNCE” is an immersive and interactive installation designed by SNARKITECTURE, which is building a large “stadium” situated along the Hong Kong waterfront. To investigate the boundaries between art and architecture, this time they used the concept of the “bouncy

ball” to create a surreal interactive playground. The visitors were invited to roll, lift, and toss hundreds of enlarged 300 percent, one-meter diameter white “bouncy balls” in the outdoor stadium. The stadium is also an iconic cage structure defined by a series of white steel frames. The nature of the public art installation encouraged visitors to create their own unique playing experiences. Kids and adults alike have enjoyed their moments in this remarkable stadium. SNARKITECTURE is a New York-based collaborative practice established to investigate the boundaries between art and architecture. The name is drawn from Lewis Carroll’s “The Hunting of The Snark,” a poem describing the “impossible voyage of an improbable crew to find an inconceivable creature.” In its search for the unknown, SNARKITECTURE creates architectural-scale projects, installations, and objects. SNARKITECTURE’s work focuses on the reinterpretation of everyday materials, structures, and programs to new and imaginative effect. With a conceptual approach centered on the importance of experience, the studio creates unexpected and memorable moments that invite people to explore and engage with their surroundings. By transforming the familiar into the extraordinary, SNARKITECTURE makes architecture perform the unexpected.

CONFERENCE CALL, from page 7

to be said about organic growth. What are your thoughts on why and how to grow a firm? PM: We’re still looking for that “perfect marriage” with an- other firm, so to date, all of our growth has been organic. In today’s hot market, we work very diligently to avoid over- paying for a merger. TZL: Do you use historical performance data or metrics to establish project billable hours and how does the type of contract play into determining the project budget? PM: I’d like to say that we do, but most of our projects vary so greatly based on the client, schedule, and site that a pro- posal can vary from 50 to 200 percent of previous project expenditures. That said, we do have a “low performing” analysis that we put in place to identify problematic clients and avoid repeat losses. TZL: What’s your prediction for 2018? PM: 2018 will be a strong year for growth and profits throughout all our locations and market sectors. We’ll need to bank some of that for a potential slowdown in 2020 or beyond. We expect to add, at minimum, another 10 employ- ees.

evaluate the success/failure of your firm’s marketing ef- forts when results could take months, or even years, to materialize? Do you track any metrics to guide your mar- keting plan?

PM: We track success “hit rates.”

TZL: They say failure is a great teacher. What’s the big- gest lesson you’ve had to learn the hard way? PM: This is a pretty loaded question since I took the firm over on January 1, 2008. I would say that “cash is king” is the biggest lesson. “We’re still looking for that ‘perfect marriage’ with another firm, so to date, all of our growth has been organic. In today’s hot market, we work very diligently to avoid overpaying for a merger.”

TZL: While M&A is always an option, there’s something

THE ZWEIG LETTER October 8, 2018, ISSUE 1267

O P I N I O N

I play bass in a classic rock band. We were doing a sound check at a recent gig when I hit the last note of the song and – plunk – I broke a string! Marketers for professional services firms should expect, and be prepared for, inevitable setbacks in the submittal process. Back it up (with bass, if needed)

with World War II, refers to having someone’s back. Marketing is the ultimate team profession, but just knowing that other people are working on the same initiative does not equate to having all the bases cov- ered. It is wise to designate a specific individual as your backup in case anything goes wrong (that never happens, right?). The relationship should function like the lead actor and the understudy who is ready to step in at any moment’s notice without missing a line. ❚ ❚ The magical “Save As”. File Explorer, OneDrive, “When backups are mentioned, most folks immediately think about information technology, computer files, and databases. What about our marketing world?”

Close to 60 percent of bass players polled by the website Ultimate Guitar said they have never broken a string. I have been playing since 1988 and this is the third or fourth time this has happened. Suffice it to say, this issue pops into my mind every time I am packing up for a gig. A backup instrument always comes along for the ride. After the sound check incident, my panic subsided when I glanced over at my second bass just waiting to be picked up. When backups are mentioned, most folks immediately think about information technology, computer files, and databases. What about our marketing world? A study by software developer Workfront indicated that 80 percent of marketers say they are overloaded and understaffed. This lethal combination of too much work being done by too few staffers screams the need for backup. Here are three areas we should look at: ❚ ❚ Who has your 6? The phrase, commonly associated

Javier Suarez POP MARKETING

See JAVIER SUAREZ, page 10

THE ZWEIG LETTER October 8, 2018, ISSUE 1267

BUSINESS NEWS UNSTUDIO’S DESIGN SELECTED FOR THE SOUTHBANK BY BEULAH IN MELBOURNE From designs submitted by six of the world’s leading architecture firms for their latest development in the heart of Melbourne, Beulah International announced that UNStudio ’s proposal has been selected as the winning design. The other shortlisted teams were BIG, Coop Himmelb(l)au, MAD, MVRDV and OMA. Ben van Berkel from UNStudio: “For our proposal to be selected by Beulah – such a forward-focussed developer – and from entries by such an exceptional group of our peers is a true honour. From the outset we worked with a fantastic team of cultural placemakers, sustainability consultants, landscape designers, artists, and engineers to achieve a fully integrated design.” UNStudio’s design proposal for Southbank by Beulah is integrally organised by one big detail: a “Green Spine” of vertically networked platforms, terraces, and verandas. This multifaceted spine is created by the splitting open of the potential single mass at its core, thereby forming two separate high rise structures and causing them to reveal the almost geological strata of their core layers. In addition to providing the towers with a twisting, sculptural silhouette, the Green Spine is an architectural element that incorporates a multitude of functions in one fluid gesture. It extends the Southbank Boulevard and the public realm upwards and acts as the key organizational element of the building with respect to program, culture, landscape, and

sustainability. In addition to housing a variety of amenities, all programs are linked to the Green Spine. A host of programs, including recreation, retail, offices, residential, hotel, and exhibition spaces are integrated into the vertically stepped public infrastructure – an infrastructure that is formed by indoor-outdoor spatial frames that embed nature, public space, and culture. UNStudio’s proposal was motivated by the concepts of togetherness joint ownership and open access for local residents and the wider community. The mixed-use podium was therefore created to not only be accessible and tailored to the users of the building, but also for the people of – and visitors to – Melbourne. The podium and its public rooftop park are reserved for public use. GOODY CLANCY BECOMES FIRST JUST ORGANIZATION IN THE CITY OF BOSTON Architecture, planning, and preservation firm Goody Clancy is Boston’s first JUST organization. JUST is a voluntary disclosure and transparency platform created by the International Living Future Institute to measure social justice and equity in the workplace. JUST requires that participants like Goody Clancy disclose a range of organization- and employee-related metrics-data which is then publicly shared. JUST social justice and equity indicators include: ❚ ❚ Diversity (non-discrimination, and gender and ethnic diversity)

❚ ❚ Equity (pay scale equity, gender pay equity, living wage, family-friendly policies) ❚ ❚ Safety (occupational safety, hazardous chemicals) ❚ ❚ Worker benefit (happiness, benefit programs, continuing education) ❚ ❚ Local benefit (local control, local sourcing) ❚ ❚ Stewardship (responsible investing, volunteering, charitable giving, transparency) “Goody Clancy has a longstanding commitment to the principles of social justice and equity, both within our firm and through the work we do with our clients and their communities,” says David Spillane, Goody Clancy president. “But becoming a JUST organization has added new rigor to our policies, required us to adopt clear metrics to measure our success, and allowed us to identify areas where we can and should do more. In sharing our commitments publicly, we’re establishing a baseline on which we can build.” Goody Clancy is an award-winning Boston- based architecture, planning, and preservation firm serving educational, governmental, and private sector clients and communities nationwide. Goody Clancy combines creative passion and a spirit of exploration with deep expertise and a rich appreciation of context. The firm’s focus on each client’s defining purpose leads to work that is visually distinctive and socially innovative-and client relationships that have extended over decades.

fails, remember there are 25 more letters.” Marketers for professional services are programmed to look first and foremost at being compliant with a solicitation, so it should be a natural progression to prepare for inevitable setbacks in our submittal processes. In other words, being ready for plans A, B, and C while dotting all the “i’s” and crossing all the “t’s.” Do not let a broken string ruin your gig. Have that second bass ready to rock – even if it’s a fretless one that you have not played in a really long time. JAVIER SUAREZ is the central marketing and sales support manager with Geosyntec Consultants. Contact him at jsuarez@geosyntec.com. “Marketers for professional services are programmed to look first and foremost at being compliant with a solicitation, so it should be a natural progression to prepare for inevitable setbacks in our submittal processes. In other words, being ready for plans A, B, and C while dotting all the ‘i’s’ and crossing all the ‘t’s.’”

JAVIER SUAREZ, from page 9

SharePoint, marketing automation tools, custom tools – take your pick on how you manage submittal documents. The landscape may be different, but the premise is the same: You should have duplicity while storing proposal files. The hor- ror stories are endless, including corrupt files, checked-out documents that live in limbo, red team reviewers locked out of systems, and so on. Play the “save as” card as frequently as possible so you can go back to a version of the documents that can salvage the whole process. ❚ ❚ Car 54, where are you? I feel like a preacher, but I am com- pelled to always talk about the actual submittal of a proposal or critical marketing document, easily the most overlooked step in the process. Probably due to human nature, people take for granted how little has to go wrong to effectively ruin a submittal, from car accidents and huge traffic jams, to pow- er outages and downed servers. Always, always have a backup plan for this crucial step. If you are hand delivering, plan to drive way in advance and be ready to assemble a second set of documents and a second driver in case something goes wrong. If you are uploading a proposal, have staff in different offices with access to the documents on call in case you are unsuccessful. Do you have a local print shop that can imme- diately print your documents if your printers malfunction? I can go on forever, but you get the picture. Non-fiction author Chris Guillebeau said, “If plan A

THE ZWEIG LETTER October 8, 2018, ISSUE 1267

O P I N I O N

Site safety

AEC firms must be diligent during design and construction to avoid becoming ‘responsible’ for worksite injuries or death.

A lthough site safety generally is the responsibility of construction contractors and subcontractors, when injuries or deaths occur at a worksite, design firms may also be the targets of related litigation and claims. Site safety is complicated and a function of various federal, state and local laws, regulations, codes, legal precedents, and your contract, any of which may affect how a lawsuit is resolved.

Brett Gough GUEST SPEAKER

Ames & Gough recently commissioned a white paper on site safety for design firms by noted engineering/construction authority Gary Brierley, Ph.D. (To request a free copy of the white paper, email me.) Here are some key exposures for design firms described in the paper and potential remedies: For design firms, protection against liability for site safety starts with contract clarity, which needs to be maintained throughout the execution of your work. This may be increasingly challenging given the growing popularity of design-build and integrated project delivery methods, which often call for “shared” responsibilities and collaborative efforts.

However, keep in mind, as a design firm, disclaiming site safety responsibility is good for your firm as well as for the owner and the project because it places the responsibility for accidents and related risk with the party presumably best suited to manage it – the general contractor or the design-build prime. In this regard, AEC firms need to be aware of key OSHA definitions that apply to site safety, both for the protection they may provide as well as to understand potential risk. For instance, OSHA defines the “host employer” (usually the project contractor) as responsible for construction site safety of its employees and all others. Additionally,

See BRETT GOUGH, page 12

THE ZWEIG LETTER October 8, 2018, ISSUE 1267

BRETT GOUGH, from page 11

construction activities relating primarily to the design intent of the finished facility. At no time and under no circumstance will the design firm’s employees supervise, direct, or control the project contractor’s means, methods, techniques, sequences or procedures used for construction of the finished facility or, more importantly, for any of the temporary structures required for that construction. The project contractor is and shall remain fully responsible to accomplish all of the work as specified in the Contract for construction. The design firm is also not authorized to stop the work which action can only be taken by the project owner’s representative who signed the Contract for construction. Beware onerous flow-down requirements. A potentially serious problem for a design firm can occur when it is a subconsultant to a prime designer that seeks to flow- down all of its responsibilities with the project owner to its subconsultants. Lower tier design firms should carefully review the superior document to understand their potential responsibilities under the prime agreement. In some instances, they may choose to walk away from an assignment if accommodations cannot be made. Whenever injuries, deaths, or private property damage oc- cur on a project and a claim is filed against a design firm, the firm should immediately notify its insurance company and obtain legal representation. Talk to your insurance broker about submitting the claim to your professional liability carrier and to your general liability carrier. The lat- ter may be obligated to defend the claim and those defense costs typically do not erode the limit of liability. The design firm’s counsel typically will use experts to investigate the cause of the accident and review all contracts and agree- ments related to the project. In addition, OSHA will likely conduct its own investigation, which may have a signifi- cant impact on the legal proceedings. Design firms must be diligent during design and construction to avoid becoming “responsible” for site safety. They should consider using outside attorneys to review complicated or potentially onerous contract requirements and consult their insurance advisors for assistance and related risk management. BRETT GOUGH is a senior vice president and partner of Ames & Gough. He is based in the firm’s Boston office and can be reached at bgough@amesgough.com. “Protection against liability for site safety starts with contract clarity, which needs to be maintained throughout the execution of your work. This may be increasingly challenging given the growing popularity of design-build and integrated project delivery methods.”

a “competent person” employed by the host employer is tasked with “recognizing” potentially unsafe working conditions and is “authorized” to take corrective action. So far, so good – neither of these statutorily defined roles should fall to the design firm. “Whenever injuries, deaths, or private property damage occur on a project and a claim is filed against a design firm, the firm should immediately notify its insurance company and obtain legal representation.” On the other hand, OSHA defines a “qualified person” as someone who “by degree, certificate, or professional standing … has successfully demonstrated … ability to solve or resolve problems relating to the subject matter, the work, or the project.” This definition could apply to design professionals. So, it’s important for design firms to work with their legal advisors to make sure safety roles and responsibilities are clearly described in all their agreements. They should also scrutinize agreements for potentially over-reaching language that could hold design firms responsible for site safety exposures. Consider adding language that disclaims site safety responsibility while affirming that role as the GC’s. Design firms should request project owners to contractually require the project contractor to “… indemnify and hold harmless the project owner and design firm for all costs, damages, or losses arising out of or relating to the means and methods of construction or for the safety procedures related thereto.” With respect to job site safety in their agreements with project owners (or the design-builder), design firms might consider requesting clarifying language, such as the following: The design firm shall not be responsible for job site safety during construction which is the sole responsibility of the host employer. At no time and under no circumstance will any of the design firm’s employees advise on, issue directives for, or assume control of job site safety. In particular the competent person as defined by OSHA shall be employed by and report directly to the host employer. When the design firm’s employees are on site during construction they are there as guests of the host employer and shall be trained in and agree to abide by all aspects of the host employer’s Safety Program. Similarly, design firms might insert the following wording for “services during construction:”

When the design firm’s employees are on site during construction they are there to observe and monitor

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THE ZWEIG LETTER October 8, 2018, ISSUE 1267

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