This is a bittersweet posting because it will be the last one in Bob’s Blog.
One of my many resolutions for 2011 was to spend more time with my family, and to that end I have stepped down this week after thirteen years as the CEO and Chairman of TRO Jung|Brannen. I will continue to serve in a part time capacity as a Principal for the duration of the year, advising our new leadership team and assisting with business development. The future for the firm is very bright, indeed, and I am delighted to be transitioning my role under the most positive of circumstances.
Few architects have had the pleasure, as I have, of working exclusively for one design firm during their entire career. Fewer still have had the rare privilege of leading such an extraordinary firm as TRO Jung|Brannen.
I hope that the readers of this blog have enjoyed my many musings and occasional rants. I know that I have enjoyed writing them.
Thank you for listening.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Happy New Year
It will, indeed, be a happy New Year for architects in Massachusetts if Governor Patrick signs the new Lien Law legislation.
To bring you up to date on this important piece of legislation, the Lien Law essentially gives design professionals in Massachusetts the same property lien rights now enjoyed by contractors. Thirty-eight other states have already enacted similar laws. This legislation has long been sought by the BSA’s Legislative Affairs Committee, and is supported by numerous other professional societies such as AIA Massachusetts, the MA Bankers Association, and the ASM (subcontractors). It was originally filed two years ago as two separate bills: House Bill H1769, sponsored by the current House Majority Leader James Vallee, and Senate Bill S1806, sponsored by Senator Karen Spilka. Both bills were filed with the Joint Judiciary Committee which favorably “reported out” the bills as one consolidated piece of legislation – Senate Bill S2512. BSA members Mike Hicks and John Nunnari were particularly effective in managing the progress of this legislative effort.
Earlier this month both the Senate and the House concurred with one another’s amendments, and concluded their formal enactment of the legislation yesterday. The Governor now has ten days within which to either sign or veto the bill. He is expected to sign it into law, and it will take effect in July, 2011. If you would like more information on the Lien Law, please contact John Nunnari at the BSA (617-951-1433 ext 263).
Let’s hope that Governor Patrick doesn’t turn out to be Governor Grinch!
To bring you up to date on this important piece of legislation, the Lien Law essentially gives design professionals in Massachusetts the same property lien rights now enjoyed by contractors. Thirty-eight other states have already enacted similar laws. This legislation has long been sought by the BSA’s Legislative Affairs Committee, and is supported by numerous other professional societies such as AIA Massachusetts, the MA Bankers Association, and the ASM (subcontractors). It was originally filed two years ago as two separate bills: House Bill H1769, sponsored by the current House Majority Leader James Vallee, and Senate Bill S1806, sponsored by Senator Karen Spilka. Both bills were filed with the Joint Judiciary Committee which favorably “reported out” the bills as one consolidated piece of legislation – Senate Bill S2512. BSA members Mike Hicks and John Nunnari were particularly effective in managing the progress of this legislative effort.
Earlier this month both the Senate and the House concurred with one another’s amendments, and concluded their formal enactment of the legislation yesterday. The Governor now has ten days within which to either sign or veto the bill. He is expected to sign it into law, and it will take effect in July, 2011. If you would like more information on the Lien Law, please contact John Nunnari at the BSA (617-951-1433 ext 263).
Let’s hope that Governor Patrick doesn’t turn out to be Governor Grinch!
Monday, December 13, 2010
Keeping Promises
I went Christmas shopping this weekend and bought a Pogo stick for my Godson. I just thought you would like to know that I keep my promises.
Monday, November 22, 2010
Thanksgiving
This weekend the new Watkins Center at Heywood Hospital opened in Gardner, Mass; on Thursday evening I attended a reception at the hospital and met many of the clinicians who helped shape the design.
I particularly enjoyed speaking with Rick Ellbeg who is the hospital’s Director of Critical Care, Emergency, and Surgical Services. Rick was involved throughout the design and planning process and was justifiably proud of the end result. However, he emphasized that it was the extraordinary experience that he and his staff had with our design team that made the project so successful. He thanked me and said, “You are fortunate to be leading such a great group of people.” The next day at work I reread the foreword to our firm’s monograph. In it I had written, “As we conclude our first century of practice, we recognize that our most valuable asset is our people – talented, inspiring and thoughtful people with exceptional credentials.”
So, let me take this opportunity to give thanks to the Heywood Hospital design team and to all the TRO Jung|Brannen staff who make my job so enjoyable; and, finally, thanks to Rick who reminded me.
I particularly enjoyed speaking with Rick Ellbeg who is the hospital’s Director of Critical Care, Emergency, and Surgical Services. Rick was involved throughout the design and planning process and was justifiably proud of the end result. However, he emphasized that it was the extraordinary experience that he and his staff had with our design team that made the project so successful. He thanked me and said, “You are fortunate to be leading such a great group of people.” The next day at work I reread the foreword to our firm’s monograph. In it I had written, “As we conclude our first century of practice, we recognize that our most valuable asset is our people – talented, inspiring and thoughtful people with exceptional credentials.”
So, let me take this opportunity to give thanks to the Heywood Hospital design team and to all the TRO Jung|Brannen staff who make my job so enjoyable; and, finally, thanks to Rick who reminded me.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Geoengineering
Today is my Godson’s sixth birthday, I almost gave him a pogo stick, but instead I bought two “young scientist” projects that teach simple lessons in climatology and renewable energy through entertaining experiments that any six year old kid can do. I know the pogo stick sounds like more fun, but I think he has a future as a geoengineer and I wanted to get him started early!
Geoengineering is an emerging science that studies the potential manipulation of the Earth’s climate to offset global warming. The most seductive proposal now under consideration involves injecting sulfur dioxide into the upper atmosphere to simulate, on a global scale, the effects of the Mount Pinatubo eruption in 1991 when the Earth’s temperatures cooled considerably from the ash cloud. And, it’s cheap and relatively easy to do. So, what’s the problem, you ask? Well, scientists recently met in Japan and agreed to defer geoengineering initiatives until the international effects on such diverse things as rainfall and terrorism can be studied in detail. Very sensible; they point out that we don’t want a rogue nation to upset the atmospheric apple cart. However, I think there is a more fundamental reason to reject geoengineering proposals such as this. If you’ll pardon the pun, it’s an unsustainable quick fix. As Americans, we want a quick fix for everything. For example, we’d rather take a diet pill than eat sensibly and exercise regularly. Our grandchildren {and Godchildren} deserve better.
Don’t worry, this Christmas I’ll get him the pogo stick.
Geoengineering is an emerging science that studies the potential manipulation of the Earth’s climate to offset global warming. The most seductive proposal now under consideration involves injecting sulfur dioxide into the upper atmosphere to simulate, on a global scale, the effects of the Mount Pinatubo eruption in 1991 when the Earth’s temperatures cooled considerably from the ash cloud. And, it’s cheap and relatively easy to do. So, what’s the problem, you ask? Well, scientists recently met in Japan and agreed to defer geoengineering initiatives until the international effects on such diverse things as rainfall and terrorism can be studied in detail. Very sensible; they point out that we don’t want a rogue nation to upset the atmospheric apple cart. However, I think there is a more fundamental reason to reject geoengineering proposals such as this. If you’ll pardon the pun, it’s an unsustainable quick fix. As Americans, we want a quick fix for everything. For example, we’d rather take a diet pill than eat sensibly and exercise regularly. Our grandchildren {and Godchildren} deserve better.
Don’t worry, this Christmas I’ll get him the pogo stick.
Monday, November 8, 2010
Gather No Moss…..Again!
I will apologize in advance for beating this subject to death, but I just couldn’t resist the temptation to point out that an employee’s character is far more important than his/her talent.
Four weeks ago I blogged about Randy Moss and the fact that the coach of the Patriots, Bill Belichick, elected to trade the future Hall-of-Famer in mid-season to the Minnesota Vikings. Many football fans thought that Brad Childress, the coach of the Vikings, had put one over on Bill until Childress unceremoniously dumped Moss by placing him on waivers after only three games as a Viking. Unfazed and unapologetic, Moss watched as twenty-one teams declined to sign him until the Tennessee Titans finally claimed him off the waiver wire. The Titan’s coach, Jeff Fisher, gushed about his good fortune. He then made a prophetic observation, calling Moss “a tremendous threat wherever he has been.”
Four weeks ago I blogged about Randy Moss and the fact that the coach of the Patriots, Bill Belichick, elected to trade the future Hall-of-Famer in mid-season to the Minnesota Vikings. Many football fans thought that Brad Childress, the coach of the Vikings, had put one over on Bill until Childress unceremoniously dumped Moss by placing him on waivers after only three games as a Viking. Unfazed and unapologetic, Moss watched as twenty-one teams declined to sign him until the Tennessee Titans finally claimed him off the waiver wire. The Titan’s coach, Jeff Fisher, gushed about his good fortune. He then made a prophetic observation, calling Moss “a tremendous threat wherever he has been.”
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Collaboration
The rescue of the Chilean miners is a remarkable story of collaborative teamwork.
Thirty three miners were trapped more than two thousand feet below ground after hundreds of tons of rock collapsed and isolated them. Rescuers persevered for seventeen days before the miners were located and confirmed to have survived. The miners subsisted on milk and a spoonful or two of tuna fish rationed every two days and somehow maintained their unity and optimism. Hundreds of engineers, medical personnel, and construction workers collaborated on a bold, untested rescue plan that few thought would succeed. In the end, all thirty three were extracted safely sixty nine days after the ordeal began. Even NASA helped. A spokesperson for the mining company called it “a triumph of the human spirit.”
At TRO Jung|Brannen we realized long ago that talent, experience, and even hard work are simply not enough to ensure remarkable outcomes. Collaborative teamwork alone is omnipotent. It is not hard to imagine how the miners’ fate may have been different had the rescuers worked in isolation, or bickered over authority, or put their own interests before those of the miners. But none of that happened.
This month TRO Jung|Brannen is beginning its first major project, MaineGeneral Hospital, involving the Integrated Project Delivery {IPD} process. Like the rescue of the Chilean miners, IPD is a bold, but largely untested methodology and many design firms are reluctant to embrace it. IPD requires all project participants – owner, architect, and contractor – to unselfishly subordinate their own interests in support of the project’s welfare, to willingly trust one another, and to relentlessly collaborate until a successful outcome is achieved.
The Chilean miners would love it.
Thirty three miners were trapped more than two thousand feet below ground after hundreds of tons of rock collapsed and isolated them. Rescuers persevered for seventeen days before the miners were located and confirmed to have survived. The miners subsisted on milk and a spoonful or two of tuna fish rationed every two days and somehow maintained their unity and optimism. Hundreds of engineers, medical personnel, and construction workers collaborated on a bold, untested rescue plan that few thought would succeed. In the end, all thirty three were extracted safely sixty nine days after the ordeal began. Even NASA helped. A spokesperson for the mining company called it “a triumph of the human spirit.”
At TRO Jung|Brannen we realized long ago that talent, experience, and even hard work are simply not enough to ensure remarkable outcomes. Collaborative teamwork alone is omnipotent. It is not hard to imagine how the miners’ fate may have been different had the rescuers worked in isolation, or bickered over authority, or put their own interests before those of the miners. But none of that happened.
This month TRO Jung|Brannen is beginning its first major project, MaineGeneral Hospital, involving the Integrated Project Delivery {IPD} process. Like the rescue of the Chilean miners, IPD is a bold, but largely untested methodology and many design firms are reluctant to embrace it. IPD requires all project participants – owner, architect, and contractor – to unselfishly subordinate their own interests in support of the project’s welfare, to willingly trust one another, and to relentlessly collaborate until a successful outcome is achieved.
The Chilean miners would love it.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)