We're #...334! ENR Announces Top 500 Design Firms

Yes we're #334 on ENR's list of the Top 500 Design Firms for 2009, up from #413 last year!  The list, published annually in April, ranks the 500 largest U.S.-based design firms—both publically and privately held—based on design-specific revenue. 

According to ENR, the Top 500, taken as a group, had overall design revenue of $80.02 billion in 2009, down 11.7% from 2008’s figure of $90.85 billion. Domestically, Top 500 revenue fell 13.1%—from $68.14 billion in 2008 to $59.22 billion in 2009—while revenue from projects outside the U.S. dropped by 7.3%, from $22.44 billion to $20.80 billion last year.

Click here to read more.

Don Horine to Retire April 30 after 39 Years with GBA; Brad Burton to Take the Helm of the Civil/Site Development Group

Best wishes to Don Horine (above, left), GBA VP and Principal in charge of our Civil/Site Development Group, who will retire on April 30 after 39 illustrious years with the firm!  Senior Associate Brad Burton (right) will assume Don's position as head of the group.

Over the years Don has had a hand in shaping the landscape of communities throughout the KC Metro Area and beyond with projects that include:

• Renner Ridge Corporate Center, a 75-acre business park and mixed-use development in Lenexa, Kansas;
• Executive Park, a 1,200-acre business and industrial park in the Northeast Industrial District of Kansas City, Missouri;
• Southlake Technology Park, a 310-acre planned business park in Lenexa, Kansas;
• Lenexa City Center’s East Village and North Village, new urban mixed-use developments that encompass a total of 77 acres in Lenexa, Kansas;
• The Falls, a 200-acre retail and recreational development in Independence, Missouri;
• The Wilderness, a 460-acre upscale residential community in Overland Park; and
• Sprint World Headquarters Campus, a 200-acre corporate campus in Overland Park, Kansas.

And many, many more!  Don is leaving the Civil/Site Development Group in good hands with Brad at the helm. A 25-year veteran of GBA’s Civil/Site Development Group, he will ensure continuity and continuing excellence as we move forward.

Congratulations to both Don and Brad as they launch into new and exciting endeavors!

The New Era of Suburban Development: Don Horine Shares His Thoughts in CJ Midwest Magazine

GBA’s Don Horine knows his stuff, and that “stuff” was the subject of an article that appeared in the February/March issue of CJ Midwest magazine. As a VP and Principal who heads up our Civil/Site Development Group, Don has worked closely with developers in the Kansas City area and throughout the Midwest. He definitely knows a thing or two about engineering planning and design work for developments of all types.

So when CJ Midwest asked Don to write about changes in suburban development, he jumped at the chance. The essence of the article is that we’re seeing a rapidly changing environment in which the era of sprawl, which began after WWII and lasted, basically, through the end of the 20th century, is being replaced.

The new era embraces “smart growth and encourages sustainability and energy efficiency in all types of development, from the design of conventional, single-use properties to the development of new, mixed-use communities.” What’s more, Don says “many cities and counties are adopting form-based codes as well as mixed-use zoning ordinances and design guidelines intended to control the character of developments rather than to establish land use types.” What’s involved? How have things changed? And how have they stayed the same?  You can read the full article here.

February's APWA Reporter...In the Spotlight: Council Bluffs' Successful Sanitary Sewer Rehab Program

GBA Senior Associate Gary Beck and Council Bluffs Director of Public Works Greg Reeder shared the success of the city’s Sanitary Sewer Rehabilitation Program in an article that appeared in the February issue of the APWA Reporter. The article sets out the level of effort required and steps needed to significantly change the level of protection of the city’s sewer system. Other cities can learn from this example.

A quick summary. Back-to-back storms during the summer of 1987 exceeded storm intervals and brought system inadequacies to the forefront. Even before the storms, basement backups and overflows to streams were common during storms. Deteriorating sewers, early design practices that allowed private storm connections, and incomplete and often inaccurate city records, contributed to the problems faced by the 150-year-old city. The following year Council Bluffs selected GBA to evaluate the condition of the sewer system and develop and implement an improvement plan.

Today more than 20 years later the program has been a great success. Steps have included investigation and pilot studies, funding source determination and approval, selection of design storm protection, investigative phases, database and GIS mapping, I/I reduction, structural repairs, and capacity improvement. 

While the success of the Sanitary Sewer Rehab Program is apparent – damaging sewer backups and overflows have been reduced from hundreds annually to almost none – city leaders realize that maintaining the integrity of the system requires constant monitoring and capital investment.

KC Business Journal Talks to GBA VP Roy Wilson About LEED Certification in the Current Economy

KC Business Journal staff writer Mark Kind talked with GBA VP Roy Wilson for an article entitled "Cost concerns growing, but LEED is not slowing" that appeared in the February 5 issue of the publication.  How has the recession in the construction industry affected the pursuit of LEED certification?  Roy shared his thoughts along with Bob Berkebile, principal of Kansas City's BNIM Architects, and Bob Courtney, energy manager for the Olathe School District.  

All agree that energy-efficient buildings are the gold standard today, whether LEED is part of the mix or not.  In fact, Roy noted that some states are developing alternative regulations to allow state-owned energy-efficient buildings to avoid the costs associated with LEED verification.  Countney said that he's not sure the district can justify going for an award (LEED certification), and opted out of obtaining LEED certification for three existing schools because of the high cost. He will do the same with another school now under construction. Yet Berkebile noted that while fewer projects are being designed and built because of the recession, the percentage of those seeking LEED certification is growing. 

Commissioning is a well documented, systematic method of assuring that a building’s systems perform according to design standards and meet the needs of the owner and occupant. It is a prerequisite for LEED certification.  Roy noted that commissioning is a critical step, especially for buildings containing critical 24/7 operations. But while many owners elect to have their buildings commissioned, they choose not to seek LEED certification.

As our clients know, we are committed to helping then achieve their goals for sustainability, from small steps that incorporate green materials, principles, and practices,  to helping them earn LEED certification. That's the goal of our FocusGreen Team of LEED Accredited Professionals.

GBA Receives Award from Hillsdale Water Quality Project

GBA's Les Barnt, Associate head of the firm's Stormwater/Environmental Group, accepted the Hillsdale Water Quality Project's (HWQP) 2009 Water Quality Supporter of the Year Business Award on behalf of the firm. Les currently serves on the HWQP board of directors. The award was presented to GBA for "outstanding effort and dedication to improve, restore, and protect water quality in Hillsdale Lake."  Kudos to Les and to members of his group who have been involved.

Hillsdale Lake is located in Miami County, Kansas, and contributes to flood protection on the Marais des Cygnes, Osage, and Missouri rivers. As a flood control device, it is designed to contain more than 7,000 surface acres. It serves as a recreational destination for more than 2 million visitors annually.

Yet Hillsdale's water quality was threatened by phosphorous, nitrogen, pesticides, and wastewater treatment discharges within the watershed. In 1991, concerned citizens initiated the Hillsdale Lake Water Quality Protection Project to help ensure the long-term protection of the lake and its watershed. To date, the Project has been very effective in assisting communities with learning to protect their water resources to sustain growth and the growing demand for water.

GBA Opens Full-Service Office in Omaha

GBA has opened a new office at 9370 G Court in Omaha, Nebraska. It's the firm's sixth office and will focus on providing GBA’s multidiscipline services for water, wastewater, and transportation infrastructure, building design, land planning, civil/site development, municipal engineering, roof consulting, and surveying.

According to GBA Principal and VP Bill Carter, GBA is committed to a long-term relationship with the City of Omaha and the new office will enable the firm to provide local support to them and other area clients. Carter, who has more than 30 years of experience in the industry, will head up the Omaha office.