TZL 1283

BUSINESS NEWS TACOMA ART MUSEUM’S NEW BENAROYA WING DESIGNED BY AWARD WINNING ARCHITECTS OLSON KUNDIG DRAWS IN THE CITY OF TACOMA The newest addition to the Tacoma Art Museum is the Rebecca and Jack Benaroya Wing, a 6,595-square-foot expansion to showcase the Benaroya Collection gift, which opened to the public in January. Led by Design Principal Tom Kundig and Principal Kirsten Murray, the design of the Benaroya Wing balances opacity and transparency providing symmetry with recent TAM addition of the Haub Family Galleries, also designed by Olson Kundig . The addition strengthens the visual connection between TAM and the city by activating the north end of the museum, offering a new platform for visitors to observe the urban context from the galleries. “With the Benaroya Wing, I’m most excited about the opportunity to break down traditional thresholds between the museum and the public. The new vista gallery is designed to entice people inside to view the Benaroya Collection by offering a look into what’s happening inside the museum,” says Kundig. The addition includes 4,800 square feet of gallery space, which will contain works from TAM’s permanent collection, including the Benaroya Collection. Because the Benaroya Collection was originally a privately held collection, Olson Kundig and TAM identified

key design strategies around a sensitivity to scale, lighting and protection of the art. The resulting design translates this private collection to a civic-scaled public exhibition forum. Olson Kundig is a Seattle-based design practice founded on the ideas that buildings can serve as a bridge between nature, culture, and people, and that inspiring surroundings have a positive effect on people’s lives. TALL MASS TIMBER CODE CHANGES GET FINAL APPROVAL The International Code Council has released the unofficial voting results on code change proposals considered in 2018, including passage of the entire package of 14 tall mass timber code change proposals. The proposals create three new types of construction, which set fire safety requirements, and allowable heights, areas and number of stories for tall mass timber buildings. Official results are expected to be announced during the first quarter of 2019. The new provisions will be included in the 2021 International Building Code. “Mass timber has been capturing the imagination of architects and developers, and the ICC result means they can now turn sketches into reality. ICC’s rigorous study, testing and voting process now recognizes a strong, low-carbon alternative to traditional tall building materials used by the building and construction industry,” said American

Wood Council President and CEO Robert Glowinski. The three new types of construction that will be included in the 2021 IBC are: ❚ ❚ Type IV-A – Maximum 18 stories, with gypsum wallboard on all mass timber elements. ❚ ❚ Type IV-B – Maximum 12 stories, limited- area of exposed mass timber walls and ceilings allowed. ❚ ❚ Type IV-C – Maximum nine stories, all exposed mass timber designed for a two- hour fire resistance. “The addition of tall mass timber to the International Building Code provides a comprehensive set of safety standards for these new types of construction. This vote caps off several years of scientific research and testing, and verifies that mass timber meets the robust performance standards called for by our nation’s building codes,” said AWC Vice President of Codes and Regulations Kenneth Bland, P.E. ICC’s code development cycle continues through 2019. Additional structural requirements for tall mass timber buildings will be considered, with final approval of 2019 proposals expected to occur in late October. The 2021 IBC is expected to be released in late 2020, along with the full set of 2021 I-codes.

BERNIE SIBEN, from page 11

We wanted to give the larger box to an engineering department of a large city which had a $25 dollar limit on gifts to individuals. So we addressed the box to the “Engineering Department” and delivered it to our project manager. That way, the project manager was aware of our “thank you for your business” gift, which he accepted as a group gift for the department, and left the opened box on the department secretary’s desk for anyone who wanted a piece. The gift was large enough for everyone in the department to enjoy, so there was no question that it was a group gift. We also wanted a nice gift for when one of our local principals met with a business owner or C-suite staff member. We chose a nice pen and pencil where a bulk order brought each item to less than $25. Then we ordered boxes for one or both items. On the public-sector side, we gave away pens. On the private sector side, we gave away pen- and-pencil sets. So what’s the moral of my story? It’s simple: knowledge will save the day and your marketing prospects. Make a phone call to any public-sector client to whom you might want to give a gift. Let them tell you the limits their organization imposes. Then, you can’t go wrong. BERNIE SIBEN, CPSM, is an experienced freelance strategic and marketing consultant for AEC and other firms. He is based in Austin, Texas. He can be reached at 559.901.9596 or by email at muzyqman@ sbcglobal.net.

influence the current or future selection of my firm for a project. Other public-sector clients have no problem with their people accepting gifts around the holidays or any other time of year, but they impose a dollar limit on the value of the gifts their staff members may accept. That limit can be as low as $5 (e.g. a coffee mug, a Starbucks gift card), or as high as $25 (e.g. a nice pen, a gift card at Barnes & Noble, or lunch at a mid-level restaurant), or even more. “Make a phone call to any public-sector client to whom you might want to give a gift. Let them tell you the limits their organization imposes. Then, you can’t go wrong.” Sometimes, you can get past this through creative selection, delivery, and addressing of your gift. For instance, when I was in-house at a large national engineering firm, we used two-pound and three-pound boxes of really good chocolates as our client holiday gift. The smaller box cost around $25 and the larger one about $40.

THE ZWEIG LETTER February 11, 2019, ISSUE 1283

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