Compensation structure

In Zweig Group’s 2019 Best Firms To Work For survey, employees rated their firm’s effort to improve its compensation structure to remain competitive within the AEC industry. On a five-point scale with five signifying the strongest agreement, firms received an overall score of 4.02. However, when broken down by job level among engineering positions, the opinions notably differ between lower and upper level staff. Entry level (3.91) and project level (3.86) engineers represented the only sub-four scores of the hierarchy while project managers (4.05) were in line with the overall score.

Participate in a survey and save $320 on any Zweig Group research publication. Visit bit.ly/TZLsp to learn more.

T R E N D L I N E S

F I R M I N D E X

W W W . T H E Z W E I G L E T T E R . C O M

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 T A N T S

Gateway Engineers ...............................12

Liberty Environmental, Inc. ......................4

OZ Architecture ......................................2

Pennoni ................................................10

TLC Engineering Solutions ......................6

Ulteig ......................................................4

Zaha Hadid Architects ..........................12

Page 6

J u n e 1 7 , 2 0 1 9 , I s s u e 1 3 0 1

Conference call: Michael Sheerin

See MARK ZWEIG, page 2

“Years ago, I worked for an A/E firm in Memphis

by the name of Pickering,

Wooten, Smith and Weiss. My boss was Don Smith and my

mentor was Irving Weiss. Both of them taught me a

lot about this business.”

Years ago – back in the early ‘80s – I worked for an A/E firm in Memphis

by the name of Pickering, Wooten, Smith and Weiss. My boss was Don Smith and my mentor was Irving Weiss. Both of them taught me a lot about this business.

Don – then chairman and president – taught me a lot about selling work, and Irv – who was executive vice president and COO – taught me a lot about management and business. They were an interesting pair that didn’t always agree on everything but complemented each other and worked well together! Don was a Baptist deacon from Mississippi, and Irv was a leader in his local synagogue who grew up in Memphis. They are each still alive – or at least they were a year ago when I spoke with Irv on his 80th birthday.

I first met Irv as a client of mine when I worked for a recruitment and management consulting firm in St. Louis in 1980. He was going through his executive MBA program at Memphis State at the time and wondered what would happen if we applied modern management techniques in an A/E firm. So, he dedicated himself to that task.

Here’s some of what I learned from this pair:

1) Just because you are an owner you don’t get a free pass. These two were relentless in clearing out dead weight principals and moved nearly half of their owners out during the few years I worked there because they wouldn’t do what needed to be done to be successful.

2) Age doesn’t mean anything. Several of us – myself included – got promoted into jobs that

Early lessons from the past

MORE COLUMNSxz DAVID COYNE: Growing apart, together Page 3

xz JASON HAYNES: Egypt, Rome, beyond Page 9

xz AARON RICHARDSON: Project management improvement plan Page 11

Mark Zweig

© Copyright 2019. Zweig Group.

All rights reserved. THE ZWEIG LETTER June 17, 2019, ISSUE 1301

2

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we were weren’t ostensibly qualified for – and were given the chance to buy stock in the company as well, all in our 20s.

3) Just because you are an owner doesn’t mean you get consulted on everything. We had a very strict separation of ownership and management, and, as owners, we got to vote shares on who was on the BOD, a share of profits in accordance with our share of ownership, and stock appreciation if the firm did well. And that was it.

4) You don’t have to make people wait all year for a raise if they are doing a good job. One year, Don gave me three or four raises. Irv then warned me that I would really have to perform or be out of a job quickly!

5) The best way to teach people is to show them. Don took me on his BD calls and meetings. He told me not to speak unless I was spoken to. I observed and learned. He taught me personal sales skills for this business.

6) Price has nothing to do with cost. It instead should be based on what the market will bear. We charged six times raw labor for asbestos consulting because we had the exper-tise no one else had at that time. On the other hand, we were lucky to get a 2.6 multiple on structural engineering then because no one needed it.

7) Celebrate your success. We had a cache of cheap cigars above the visor of every com-pany car – Swisher Sweets and AC Grenadiers. And we fired one up every time we won a job.

8) Have good financial information and share it. We were early advocates of open-book management and graphic financial performance reports showing how the company was doing.

9) Make a bad decision? Make a new decision. We once bought an architecture firm in Nashville and it turned out there were significant cultural differences between our pri-mary owners and theirs. We divested that firm less than six months later.

I’m sure there were many more lessons I learned from these two gentlemen. The fact is they were a large part of why I dedicated my entire career to this industry. They were great people with honorable intentions who worked hard to build a business and cared about other people selflessly. I will be forever indebted to them!

MARK ZWEIG is Zweig Group’s chairman and founder. Contact him at mzweig@zweiggroup.com.

MARK ZWEIG, from page 1

BUSINESS NEWSOZ ARCHITECTURE DESIGNS NEW URBAN SENIOR LIVING COMMUNITY OZ Architecture is overseeing construction on a new 128,000-square-foot assisted living and memory care community in Englewood, Colorado. OZ Architecture designed the six-story urban residential property conveniently located between Swedish Medical Center and Highway 285, with easy access to pharmacy and post-acute rehabilitation services. Atria Englewood will include 24 memory care studios and 106 assisted living studios, as well as one- and two- bedroom options.One of the highlights of OZ Architecture’s contemporary design is a sixth-floor dining room with unobstructed, panoramic views to the north, south, and west. Adjacent to this is a demonstration kitchen, cafe, theater room, and club room. Two separate rooftop terraces will overlook sweeping mountain views.OZ Architecture’s design also includes an underground parking garage, two private courtyards, and several on-site amenities. Crisp colors, modern finishes, and natural wood elements create an up-to-date yet warm environment. The two-story lobby features

a grand fireplace and bistro with morning breakfast and full-service bar in the evenings, as well as an outdoor garden and courtyard. First-floor memory care residents will have access to a kitchen, dining room, activities room, salon, and private garden. Assisted living units on the second through sixth floors will include a library, salon, and fitness center.“By blending modern sensibilities with the practical needs of the older adult community, Englewood Senior Living Residences will help usher in a new era of older adult residential design,” says OZ Architecture associate Angela Gunn.Atria Englewood is scheduled to open in August 2019.Headquartered in the vibrant RiNo district of Denver, and with studios in Boulder and Colorado Springs, OZ Architecture has been at the forefront of design since 1964. The OZ team includes more than 165 architects, designers, strategists, and artists whose broad range of expertise and passions create a variety of project types on every continent.

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3

THE ZWEIG LETTER June 17, 2019, ISSUE 1301

Those of us who started our careers in the late 1980s and early 1990s didn’t realize it, but we represented the end of an era. Until that time, the place where you

worked was a defined space – be it an office, shop, project site, or factory. And if you weren’t in that physical space with your colleagues, you probably couldn’t get much done. So, we invested heavily in that physical space. It defined both our workforce, our ability to work together, and the products we created.

The future AEC workspace will be flexible but more connected than ever, so invest in data bandwidth and mobility.

O P I N I O N

But while we were busy over the past 30 years, the entire concept of the professional working environment changed utterly, thanks to technology. Working together still means what it always has, of course, but the concept of physical space within this definition has dropped out completely. Time zones notwithstanding, we can now work with colleagues in New York, London, or Tokyo with such ease and clarity that we may as well be in the same room.

We in our 40s or 50s may not have changed much, but our younger colleagues have embraced the technological reality that allows for a much

greater degree in physical work flexibility, and are not only productive but perfectly comfortable in a range of environments, be it a co-working space, in transit, at a remote office, or at home. Consider this: A worker under the age of 30 today has been internet-connected for their entire

Growing apart, together

David Coyne

See DAVID COYNE, page 4

“The smart bet for AEC firms looking to attract young talent and transition to new leaders is to grow around this paradigm of connected freedom.”

© Copyright 2019. Zweig Group.

All rights reserved. THE ZWEIG LETTER June 17, 2019, ISSUE 1301

4

life. So, as my peers and I begin to transition our daily management responsibilities to this next generation of future leaders in the next 10 years, freedom of movement in work environments won’t be so much an option as an expectation, borne of advances in IT infrastructure and a greater awareness of work-life balance that we never sought. AEC firms that fail to leverage these two concepts in their workspace risk being left behind.

Sound far-fetched and broadminded? Or, are you thinking that this won’t fit your business model? Consider what’s changed in just the past 10 years alone, as we enjoy fiber-speed connections between offices and cloud-hosted applications. Further, the upcoming age of 5G data transfer from mobile devices and between the ‘Internet of Things’ will speed information wirelessly at rates that exceed even the fastest wired connections from just a few years ago. As this next phase of data infrastructure is built out, the costs to use these connections will become manageable within our business models. So if this isn’t traditionally how you’ve viewed your company operations, you’ll simply need to adjust your thinking a bit. Here are a few things to consider:

z Invest in speed. Right now there are few better investments for your AEC business than data bandwidth. Simply stated, it’s the glue that binds worker productivity and is well worth the cost.

z Mobilize your workstations. Light, stable, and affordable PCs that slide into work bags or purses have rendered boxy desktop PCs obsolete, even for the most data-intensive tasks. Today, nobody needs to leave their workstation behind.

z Simplify connections. Even the lightest mobile workstations and the fastest bandwidth won’t be the least bit helpful if you don’t have a simple and reliable way for your employees to connect to your company’s data set. Thankfully, this can be as simple as a gateway device sitting on your office server that allows a remote PC to map its files and folders, or an online portal that accesses cloud-hosted data and apps. Most importantly, these solutions are becoming more secure and affordable.

z Rethink your space. Think about that big stuffy boardroom and consider adapting this and other underused spaces into areas designed for web conferencing, or even co-working space for your field or sales staff. You’ll get more productivity out of each square foot.

Although it’s taken me a few years, I’m now a believer in this new definition of workspace, because I’ve made these changes myself and have seen the benefits at my firm. So the smart bet for AEC firms looking to attract young talent and transition to new leaders is to grow around this paradigm of connected freedom. Companies that do so will be poised to reach new levels of productivity and creativity into the 2020s and beyond.

DAVID COYNE is a principal and the COO of Liberty Environmental, Inc., which provides environmental consulting and engineering services to clients across the United States. Coyne can be reached at dcoyne@libertyenviro.com.

DAVID COYNE, from page 3

“Freedom of movement in work environments won’t be so much an option as an expectation, borne of advances in IT infrastructure and a greater awareness of work-life balance that we never sought. AEC firms that fail to leverage these two concepts in their workspace risk being left behind.”

ON THE MOVEULTEIG NAMES MIKE FARRELL AS NEW SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, CIVIL AND FIELD SERVICES Ulteig – a leading provider of design engineering, program management, and technical and field services – has announced the appointment of Mike Farrell as senior vice president of civil and field services.Farrell is an accomplished technical leader who will oversee the civil business that serves public infrastructure clients, particularly those in the transportation and water Lifeline Sectors, in addition to Ulteig’s project management and land services businesses.Farrell has a distinguished 30-year career in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, most recently with the rank of colonel. Prior to joining Ulteig, Farrell served as commander of a task force that managed and executed the $300 million Mosul Dam remediation project on behalf of the government of Iraq. Before that, Farrell held multiple leadership positions in the Corps, including commander of both the Sacramento and Walla Walla

Districts and Deputy Commander of the Europe District. Farrell has received numerous military awards and decorations throughout his career, including the Legion of Merit and Bronze Star awards.“Mike has built and led teams in the U.S. and abroad, capitalizing on his competency in planning, executing and delivering large-scale infrastructure projects and programs in challenging circumstances,” said Doug Jaeger, president and CEO of Ulteig. “His wealth of experience and strong credentials will be a tremendous asset as we strengthen our civil and field-based services and expand our offerings in water and wastewater management.”Farrell earned his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Princeton University, a master’s degree in construction engineering from Cranfield University, and a master’s degree in national resource strategy from the Eisenhower School, National Defense University.

“I am pleased to be joining Ulteig as it celebrates its 75th anniversary,” said Farrell. “With an impressive history of service and a dedication to client success, I look forward to helping the organization extend its reach with its exceptional capabilities and collaborative approach.”

Founded in 1944, Ulteig delivers comprehensive design engineering, program management, and technical and field services that strengthen infrastructure vital to everyday life. Ulteig connects people and resources to develop compelling, integrated solutions across multiple Lifeline Sectors, including power, renewables, transportation, and water.

Ulteig’s footprint spans the country and leverages its expertise with a wide range of public and private clients. With 10 offices across the U.S. and more than 450 employee-owners, Ulteig serves clients in more than 40 states.

THE ZWEIG LETTER June 17, 2019, ISSUE 1301

5

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THE ZWEIG LETTER June 17, 2019, ISSUE 1301

6

P R O F I L E

Conference call: Michael SheerinCEO of TLC Engineering Solutions, an Orlando, Florida-based firm pushing its way into the future.

As the firm’s CEO, Sheerin’s role is to lead the company’s team of principal owners and staff and to remain true

to the firm’s mission: Think. Listen. Create. TLC Engineer-ing Solutions, recently known as TLC Engineering for Archi-tecture, recently updated the firm’s name to summarize the evolution of TLC’s differentiators, and builds on the firm’s promise of “Fostering teams of skilled listeners driven by intellectual curiosity.”

“You can’t just beat people over the head with metrics, you need to give them the tools and training to get them and their teams to the next level,” Sheerin says.

A CONVERSATION WITH MICHAEL SHEERIN.

The Zweig Letter: How many years of experience – or large enough book of business – is enough to become a principal in your firm? Are you naming principals in their 20s or 30s?

Michael Sheerin: Yes. We’ve welcomed several young-er shareholders and value their contributions to our firm. Future shareholders are nominated by the current group of

shareholders. In those nominations, we encourage discus-sion of how this individual has and will continue to contrib-ute to the firm’s success. Age isn’t a factor; it’s more about the leadership and initiative that the candidate demon-strates.

TZL: Internal transition is expensive. How do you “sell” this investment opportunity to your next generation of principals? How do you prepare them for the next step?

MS: As a widely held firm, we describe that we are perpet-ually in ownership transition. While that makes for some busy work, it also ensures that we avoid the intensity and

By LIISA ANDREASSENCorrespondent

“We are flexible to employees moving amongst places where TLC has offices (and where we don’t), and reward beyond market based on their performance as an individual and within a team.”

© Copyright 2019. Zweig Group.

All rights reserved. THE ZWEIG LETTER June 17, 2019, ISSUE 1301

7

YEAR FOUNDED: 1955

HEADQUARTERS: Orlando, FL

NO. OF EMPLOYEES: 385

NO. OF OFFICE LOCATIONS: 13

SERVICES:

z Mechanical

z Electrical

z Plumbing

z Structural engineering

z Technology

z Energy services

z Commissioning

z Life safety and fire protection

z Acoustics

z Lighting design

MARKETS: Arts and entertainment, education, federal government, healthcare, high-rise, historic preservation, public safety and judicial, science and technology, sports and recreation, unique and innovation, hospitality and housing, infrastructure/central energy plants, mission critical, mixed-use, office, restaurant and retail, senior living, themed entertainment and transportation.

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT: Building technologies are evolving rapidly. TLC actively researches new technologies and how they can be incorporated into their designs, as well as how to accurately model these when evaluating building energy budgets. TLC’s Peak Institute, also known as PI, leads the way in embracing new systems and technology, as well as sharing this information across TLC and with its clients to benefit building owners.

angst of a monumental, capital intensive transition that can ruin the fun. That, and our success and continual efforts to im-prove, are our “sell.” We are succinct and clear about the risks, commitments, and possible rewards, and encourage candi-dates to consider this as their career-de-fining decision. We are okay with a “no,” as people are at different circumstances personally, professionally, and financially. They’re still great team members.

TZL: Describe the challenges you en-countered in building your management team over the lifetime of your leader-ship? Have you ever terminated or de-moted long-time leaders as the firm grew? How did you handle it?

MS: You have to have a team that fits your leadership style, folks that you can trust implicitly, and are confident enough in their role that they can do their jobs well and give you the necessary news you need to hear – good or bad. Changes may be necessary if people don’t meet that cri-teria, but it’s important to have an open channel of dialogue to ensure that, togeth-er, you find the right place for the person and you don’t lose a good team member.

TZL: In one word or phrase, what do you describe as your number one job respon-sibility as CEO?

MS: “Exciter” – a CEO needs to ensure that we’re bringing an energy to all that we’re doing and exploring – and channel, not squander – the great energy that teams create spontaneously when they sync well.

TZL: If the worker shortage continues, do you see wages increasing to encour-age more talent to enter the AEC space, or will technology be used to counter the reduced work force?

MS: Yes and yes. We monitor and adjust compensation based on market factors to attract new talent and also retain the team we have. We are also investing in the R&D,

technology, and tools that will help us do our work more efficiently now.

TZL: There is no substitute for experi-ence, but there is pressure to give re-sponsibility to younger staff. What are you doing to address the risk while pur-suing the opportunity to develop your team?

MS: Providing the right amount of respon-sibility at the right time is the responsi-bility of our senior leaders. TLC provides training and tools to help support young project managers in developing their skill sets. We also have an Emerging Leaders program to develop those who we envision as our future leaders. These people are typ-ically drawn from our PM ranks, to expose them to the soft skills and talents they need to see and grow within themselves. An additional outcome of this program is the strong relationships that develop among the participants – connecting our various offices and disciplines across oper-ating units. It’s very beneficial to both the participants and the future of our firm.

TZL: Engineers love being engineers, but what are you doing to instill a busi-ness culture in your firm?

MS: We have a long-standing project man-ager training program called the “Business of Consulting Engineering” that goes be-yond the basics and makes these emerging and key staff aware of the actions, risks, consequences, and rewards of their role at TLC. You can’t just beat people over the head with metrics, you need to give them the tools and training to get them and their teams to the next level.

TZL: The seller-doer model is very suc-cessful, but with growth you need to adapt to new models. What is your pro-gram?

MS: Relationships with architects, own-ers, and contractors are crucial to our suc-cess. We’ve successfully built our firm on the seller-doer model which has resulted in a very high percentage of repeat clients. The balance of selling and doing varies – with some staying very engaged in the management of the project, while others are available to the team and check in reg-ularly to maintain continuity. There is no one perfect solution – it depends on the personalities and management styles of each individual. TLC does have a handful of dedicated business development staff who are integral to our on-going success.

See CONFERENCE CALL, page 8

“As a widely held firm, we are perpetually in ownership transition. While that makes for some busy work, it also ensures that we avoid the intensity and angst of a monumental, capital intensive transition that can ruin the fun.”

© Copyright 2019. Zweig Group.

All rights reserved. THE ZWEIG LETTER June 17, 2019, ISSUE 1301

8

TZL: Diversity and inclusion is lacking. What steps are you taking to address the issue?

MS: In 2016, TLC pursued its JUST label. JUST is a volun-tary disclosure and transparency platform created by the International Living Future Institute to measure social jus-tice and equity in the workplace. JUST requires that orga-nizations seeking the label disclose a range of firm and em-ployee-related metrics. The exercise was enlightening and compelled our leadership to take a deeper dive into how we support a culture of inclusiveness and equity. Our Board im-plemented some modest adjustments to policies and TLC earned our JUST label. In 2018, as we renewed our JUST la-bel, we were much more confident in what we could accom-plish and where we could challenge ourselves to excel in the program.

TLC is one of only two organizations in Florida and only 85 organizations in the world to earn the JUST distinction, and it affirms that we’re diverse, offer solid benefits, are eq-uitable, and that we value our employees. This helps us at-tract talent, as well as provide enhanced value to project teams that are pursuing WELL and Living Building certifica-tion. TLC also has a grassroots-led Women’s Initiative – this group does outreach to schools, provides training across the firm through videos, presentations and shares ideas and in-formation with other companies in the AEC space that are engaged in similar activities.

TZL: A firm’s longevity is valuable. What are you doing to encourage your staff to stick around?

MS: TLC has a solid track record in retaining employees. We know that staff stay for different reasons and we try to en-sure that every TLC employee feels encouraged to excel, gets feedback from a supportive supervisor, develops through a career track, and does great work on exciting and challeng-ing projects. We are flexible to employees moving amongst places where TLC has offices (and where we don’t), and re-ward beyond market based on their performance as an in-dividual and within a team. We have an ownership group

that staff sees lead every day; they see the opportunity to become the future of our firm.

TZL: Benefits are evolving. Are you offering any new ones due to the changing demographic?

MS: In recent years, we’ve expanded our FMLA protections to provide 12-weeks paid maternity/parental leave. We’ve also added pet insurance, legal access at reduced rates, and zero cost healthcare options. With our new office locations in expensive urban markets like Atlanta and Philadelphia, and to further enhance our sustainable footprint, we ad-justed our parking policy to better encourage and support using public transit options, in addition to reducing the sig-nificant out of pockets for parking when applicable.

TZL: Tell us about the last time you named a new princi-pal from outside the firm.

MS: TLC acquired Allen + Conrad in 2015 and the owners of that firm immediately were welcomed as shareholders. Other than through acquisition, TLC hasn’t typically had a new hire join the firm as a principal, but it could occur when making strategic hires or other circumstances.

TZL: How have the tax cuts impacted your firm’s valua-tion? Do you plan on doing another valuation due to the tax cuts?

MS: Our stock price has steadily increased in recent years based on successful years of continued growth. Our price is valued annually based on our governing documents. The tax cuts and other extraordinary events caused a more signifi-cant jump in our recent price adjustment.

CONFERENCE CALL, from page 7

“TLC is one of only two organizations in Florida and only 85 organizations in the world to earn the JUST distinction, and it affirms that we’re diverse, offer solid benefits, are equitable, and that we value our employees.”

The TLC Board of Directors: Front row: Jim Ferris, COO; Michael Sheerin, CEO; Bill Daly, CFO; Middle row: Mark Gelfo, Rania Sadrack, Bob Danner, Lawrin Ellis; Back row: Matt Wiechart, Brian Lomel, Gary Krueger, Mark Costello and Moncef Hadiji

9

THE ZWEIG LETTER June 17, 2019, ISSUE 1301

The earliest evidence of land surveying dates back to the Egyptians in 2700 B.C., during the building of the Great Pyramids at Giza. They would use basic geometry

to redraw property boundary lines when the Nile River would overflow. The Romans used the same techniques to continue the practice of surveying properties and construction. The first evidence of using tools and equipment specifically made for land surveying comes from Roman carvings.

Surveying technology has been around for thousands of years. What’s new today will be old tomorrow, but the basics will remain the same.

O P I N I O N

Today’s land surveyors still use equipment and instruments based on the same principles, however with technology constantly evolving, the term “land surveyor” has truly become a moving target to define. And firms everywhere are tasked with integrating these new technologies into their core services. When I started as a surveyor, we did everything with a total station and level. At the time, GPS was the latest and greatest tool, and way too expensive for most companies. Today, GPS has become commonplace, and other technology advancements have taken its place as the latest and greatest new tool.

One of the newer technological applications in a land surveyor’s arsenal is the Unmanned Aerial System, commonly called “drones.” Having a small, light, nimble, and inexpensive platform on which

you can attach cameras or mobile 3D scanners has dramatically changed the work we do, giving us access to infrastructure inspections, building façade inspections, safety planning, and much more. One of the assignments we see is material stock pile volume and calculations. Typically, we

Egypt, Rome, beyond

Jason Haynes

See JASON HAYNES, page 10

“Despite the technology and application advancements, the basics of how we as land surveyors perform our tasks are all based on the principles laid out by our ancient forefathers.”

© Copyright 2019. Zweig Group.

All rights reserved. THE ZWEIG LETTER June 17, 2019, ISSUE 1301

10

would use a total station, or High Definition Laser Scanner 3D scanner if available, to get the necessary elevation information to do the volume calculations. But what if the pile is too large for the typical methods, where you can’t get all faces accurately? Or what if the pile is a material you can’t walk on, like salt? For these types of situations, using a UAS to fly around and over the material pile, gathering data on all faces, no matter the size or shape, is invaluable. The software accurately calculates the volume of the pile with all the information collected.

We are also utilizing 3D scanners to digitally recreate crime scenes, vehicular accidents, or arson scenes. We can apply physics and other calculations to recreate the incident using the 3D measurable world collected from the 3D scanners and replay from a witness, victim, or any other perspective, as a part of an investigation. When a tragic accident occurs, the investigative teams want to be able to

quickly gather as much accurate data as possible. However, the investigation is most efficient when the data contains all the information available at the scene. By using 3D scanners to collect information from the surrounding environment, in addition to the direct evidence, the scanner provides context to the scene. This additional information can be invaluable to the investigators and can then be used as evidence during court proceedings.

UAS and incident reconstruction were both brought to our firm as new technologies and service offerings for our clients, which have both grown and evolved over time, like all technology does. When I helped bring 3D scanning to our firm in 2006, the equipment was cumbersome and took a very long time to be effective. Today, 3D scanners are smaller, faster, and much more capable. The same is true of drones. In 2010 when I started advocating for the use of UAS in survey mapping and inspections, the technology was relatively new to the survey world. The capabilities were limited and regulations had not been truly established like they are now. Today, the use of UAS has become a standard piece of essential equipment.

Despite the technology and application advancements, the basics of how we as land surveyors perform our tasks are all based on the principles laid out by our ancient forefathers. It’s exciting to think and dream of what land surveyors will be able to do in the future!

JASON HAYNES, LSIT, is an associate surveyor at Pennoni and also a licensed drone pilot. He has 19 years of experience providing surveying services to private development and governmental clients. He can be reached at jhaynes@pennoni.com.

JASON HAYNES, from page 9

“Today’s land surveyors still use equipment and instruments based on the same principles, however with technology constantly evolving, the term ‘land surveyor’ has truly become a moving target to define. And firms everywhere are tasked with integrating these new technologies into their core services.”

BUSINESS NEWSARCHITECT PAUL RUDOLPH’S “UMBRELLA HOUSE” NAMED TO THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES Paul Rudolph’s internationally acclaimed Umbrella House has been added to the National Register of Historic Places. The iconic house, one of Rudolph’s first solo projects as a young architect, was commissioned by entrepreneur Philip Hiss in 1952 to be the eye-catching model home for his new Lido Shores development. Architectural Digest has called the building “one of the five most remarkable houses of the mid-twentieth century.”Originally fabricated of wooden uprights and tomato stake slats, the home’s “umbrella” shade structure was damaged and then lost in a tropical storm in the 1960s. The house remained “umbrella-less” for 50 years, until its restoration was begun in 2011.Owners Anne and Bob Essner received notification of the NRHP designation in February. “We knew this house was special and that people should care about its preservation,” says Anne, “but we also knew how relentless development forces make these mid-century structures vulnerable to destruction. Once we found out Umbrella House was for sale, we decided we wanted to be the ones to

safeguard its future. This beautiful building is one of Sarasota’s architectural gems and we are delighted this has been recognized by the National Register.”The Umbrella House is only the 78th building in Sarasota County to receive the historic designation, and only the ninth Sarasota School of Architecture design on that list. Since the restoration, the Essners have given extensive access to the Sarasota Architectural Foundation, which hosts on-site events and fundraising tours of the house.“The Umbrella House amplifies the ‘can-do’ optimism of post-war America,” says SAF board chair Christopher Wilson. “Rudolph created intelligent architecture-simple, well-considered and beautiful. It’s unlike anything that came before it.”“This designation is validation,” says architect Greg Hall, who oversaw the four-year restoration. “I believe there’s long been a prejudice against modernism in the national conversation. To me, this represents a broadening of perspectives. The Sarasota School of Architecture has always been important for us here in Sarasota. Now its importance is being recognized throughout the United States.”The Umbrella House restoration received the

2016 Florida Trust for Historic Preservation Outstanding Achievement Award, 2016 Florida AIA Honor Award of Excellence for Historic Preservation/Restoration and the 2016 Florida Gulf Coast Chapter AIA Honor Award for Historic Preservation and Rehabilitation.The Sarasota School of Architecture movement, which attracted like-minded architects drawn to the creative energy of those already working in southwest Florida, found its inspiration in part from the post-World War I European Bauhaus style. The Sarasota School is characterized by bold horizontal lines, open and airy layouts, innovative materials and a seamless integration within the surrounding Florida environment. Paul Marvin Rudolph was an American architect and the chair of Yale University’s Department of Architecture for six years, known for his use of concrete and highly complex floor plans. His most famous work is the Yale Art and Architecture Building, a spatially complex brutalist concrete structure. Rudoph passed away in 1997. SAF is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization that educates, advocates, and celebrates on behalf of the Sarasota School of Architecture’s significant contributions to mid-century American architecture.

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THE ZWEIG LETTER June 17, 2019, ISSUE 1301

In line with Gateway Engineers’ continual improvement philosophy, years ago we began working on an informal, project manager led process that would yield

incremental, yet measurable improvements to overall client satisfaction. The result of our efforts was the creation of a seven-step process we refer to as Project Management Improvement Plans or PMIPs.

Use this seven step process to focus on project management for year-over-year improvement.

O P I N I O N

One of our objectives for the PMIP process was for it to be more supportive. We presented the process to our PMs and from there, let them decide if they wanted to develop an individual plan. We thought that once several project managers experienced success using the process, others would take notice and momentum would build for more people to give it a try.

The process:

1) Review. A recommended first step in developing any plan is to see what happened on the last one. During this step, we emphasize conducting a review of their last PMIP. The project manager would ask questions like, “Did I focus on the right thing?” “What did I learn from last year’s plan?” “Was my plan achiev-able?” Asking these questions often produces in-sights that may otherwise not be considered.

2) Research. Through this step, we encourage

reviewing past and current project performance seeking out common issues, trends, and themes. Reviewing the metrics from the best and worst projects while looking for trends, project managers’ research can help answer questions like what went right or wrong and why? This information combined with engaging in honest, open discussions with other PMs, those resources on their project teams, internal support staff, and even clients may yield insightful nuggets of information.

3) Core dump. This is a transitional step. The idea is to write down all the things that could be improved as it relates to performance and client satisfaction. Fundamentals less used, issues, gaps in knowledge, pain points, etc. This step (also known as a brain dump) is used to prepare the project manager for steps four through seven.

Project management improvement plan

Aaron Richardson

See AARON RICHARDSON, page 12

© Copyright 2019. Zweig Group.

All rights reserved. THE ZWEIG LETTER June 17, 2019, ISSUE 1301

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4) The what. Now that there is a list of opportunities for im-provement, this is the step where we create initiatives. Refer-ence the work completed during the “Research” and “Core Dump” steps to develop themes and prioritize. What should the focus be? For example, after going through the first three steps, a PM could see themes develop around possible short-comings within the planning and delegation of tasks. The objective here is to get the list of initiatives down to just one or two, spending the appropriate amount of time developing initiatives that will yield the most significant impact.

5) The why. Once the PM decides on the initiative(s), this step attempts to capture a few sentences explaining exactly why those initiatives were selected. This may help bring clarity to the plan ensuring the PM is focusing on the right thing. It’s a back or sanity check to reaffirm the appropriateness.

6) The how. This is the plan of action. Everything up to this point can be correct, but if there is not a solid “how” devel-oped, then the plan has little chance of success. Within this step of the PMIP, the PM attempts to create a plan that is as specific, realistic, and quantifiable as possible. In other words, whatever the individual plan details, it should be achievable.

7) Impact. The final step of the process, here we suggest calcu-lating the positive impact each initiative can have to overall client satisfaction. This is one of the reasons we stress the

importance of plans being specific, realistic, and quantifiable. If it doesn’t improve client satisfaction, it’s probably not a good initiative for a PMIP.

While the process has been used by PMs for years, it has not changed. Today, roughly half of our PMs engage in the PMIP process annually. Many kick off the PMIP process in the fall so they can have their plan developed for the coming year. Engaging in such a process has encouraged our PMs not only to identify but also combat potential weaknesses. Participants say they are more organized and focused, ultimately experiencing improved client satisfaction.

AARON RICHARDSON, PMP is the director of project management with Gateway Engineers headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Contact him at arichardson@gatewayengineers.com.

AARON RICHARDSON, from page 11 “Engaging in such a process has encouraged our PMs not only to identify but also combat potential weaknesses. This has led those participating claiming to be more organized and focused, ultimately experiencing improved client satisfaction.”

BUSINESS NEWSMELCO’S MORPHEUS WINS 2019 BUILDING OF THE YEAR AWARD Melco Resorts & Entertainment Limited is excited to announce Morpheus as winner of 2019 Building of the Year Awards, Hospitality Architecture Category. The $1 billion project is the world’s first free-form exoskeleton high-rise designed by the late Dame Zaha Hadid. Morpheus is one of the awards’ 15 cross-category winners shortlisted from more than 4,000 global architectural projects, as voted by readers of ArchDaily, the world’s most visited architecture website. Celebrating its 10th edition, this year’s awards received more than 80,000 votes from the platform’s readership comprising global professionals; recognizing architectural excellence for its beauty, intelligence, creativity and contribution to society. Named after the god of dreams in Greek Mythology, Morpheus is the latest addition to the Phase III development of City of Dreams Macau, and exemplifies Melco’s position as a pioneer and innovator in premium travel, leisure and entertainment. This achievement follows being named one of TIME Magazine’s “World’s Greatest Places 2018” last year, just two months after its opening.Lawrence Ho, chairman and CEO of Melco Resorts & Entertainment, said, “Melco and Zaha Hadid Architects shared the same vision and determination from the very beginning to push boundaries. Morpheus offers a journey of the imagination, offering sophisticated travelers the most remarkable experiences that go beyond gaming and raise the bar in global

luxury hospitality. We are excited to receive this global accolade and wish to thank the award organizers and its voters, and of course ZHA for making this achievement possible. Melco will continue to aspire to the creation of iconic world-firsts for both Macau and beyond.”Viviana Muscettola, associate director of Zaha Hadid Architects, said: “Macau’s buildings have previously referenced architecture styles from around the world. Morpheus has evolved from its unique environment and site conditions as a new architecture expressly of this city. The comprehensive parametric model combined all of the hotel’s aesthetic, structural and fabrication requirements and will radically change how our built environment is planned and constructed.”Morpheus represents another stunning world first contribution Melco has created in Macau, characterized by an unprecedented level of attention to detail and designed with the premium guest experience in mind. Morpheus represents several architectural and technological breakthroughs. The monolithic block is intriguing in its unconventional architectural construction. A series of voids offers complexity and volume; the building’s two towers are connected at the podium levels and at the roof, with two additional bridges for guests to experience the external voids within the building.Located in City of Dreams, an integrated entertainment resort that has established itself as a premier leisure and entertainment

destination in Macau, Morpheus houses more than 770 guest rooms, suites and villas, an executive lounge, a sky pool situated 130 meters above ground, the world’s most fashion-forward brands and retail options, an in-house Spa Butler concept, in addition to VIP gaming and VIP villas on the top floors. Morpheus offers guests world-class experiences exceeding five-star hotel standards. Dining options include Alain Ducasse at Morpheus, awarded two Michelin-stars less than six months into its opening, and Voyages, the legendary French chef’s restaurant inspired by his travels. Yí offers regional Chinese cuisine served omakase-style, while the king of modern patisserie, Pierre Hermé, has created a sleek lounge serving the finest delicacies never seen before in Asia. The hotel also serves as a living gallery featuring original contemporary art by globally renowned artists KAWS, Jean-Michel Othoniel and Thilo Heinzmann. Dame Zaha Mohammad Hadid 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. In 2012, she was made a Dame by Elizabeth II for services to architecture, and in 2015 she became the first and only woman to be awarded the Royal Gold Medal from the Royal Institute of British Architects.