Ideas for the Metropolitan Tract

Recently, instead of a party invitation, I found the following intriguing summons in my inbox, from Steven Goldsmith of the Puget Sound Business Journal, as follows:

“In 250 words or less, briefly describe your idea for the Metropolitan Tract 20 years from now — how it should look, and who should own and occupy it.

 What kinds of shops and offices should be there? Should the tract go all-residential? Pedestrian-only?  Should the UW turn it into a downtown campus? Or sell the whole thing?

 In short, what changes there would be best for the city, and for the university?  Be bold — no idea is too far-out.”

The message had a link to the Metropolitan Tract page of the UW Real Estate Office. My interest was piqued, so I went to the site and read the following information:

“In 1860, the Legislative Assembly of Washington Territory passed "An Act to Relocate the Territorial University" in Seattle, "provided a good and sufficient deed to ten acres of land, eligibly situated in the vicinity of Seattle, be first executed to the Territory of Washington for University purposes." Early in 1861 Arthur and Mary Denny, Charles and Mary Terry, and Edward Lander fulfilled the legislature's stipulation by executing deeds to a forested 10-acre knoll overlooking Elliott Bay. The University was established there, on the site of what is now The Fairmont Olympic Hotel on University Street.

Over the next thirty years, growing enrollment and the growth of Seattle around the 10 acres made the property inadequate for the University's future needs. In 1895, the University's main campus was relocated to its present Montlake site on the shore of Lake Washington. Some years later, the original campus site (less a small portion that had been sold in 1902) was leased to the Metropolitan Building Company for a term of 50 years. The Metropolitan Tract was expanded in 1958 in a property exchange with the US Postal Service and in the 1962 purchase of the site for the Olympic Hotel garage. The present area is 11 acres, and is managed and operated through long term leases with Unico Properties, Inc. and LHCS Hotel Holdings.”

 “As presently developed, the Metropolitan Tract contains over 1,500,000 rentable square feet of office space, 200,000 rentable square feet of commercial retail space, 450 hotel rooms, 91 residential units, and about 2,000 parking spaces. The Metropolitan Tract is managed and operated through three long-term leases: one with Unico Properties, Inc. for the commercial office and retail buildings (Rainier Tower & Square, Financial Center, IBM Building, Puget Sound Plaza, Skinner Building); one with Unico for the residential Cobb Building; and one with LHCS Hotel Holdings for The Fairmont Olympic Hotel and garage.

 In guiding Metropolitan Tract policy through the years, the UW Board of Regents has adhered to one primary objective: to generate maximum long-term value and related cash flow through the best possible use of this endowment of land and buildings.”

I was flattered to be asked – there was an impressive list of addressees – but really didn’t have any big, bold ideas. Just before the deadline (as usual) I put together a few thoughts – a little over the word limit, actually. I left out references to choice bits such as the early masterplan for a “City Within a City”. It will be in the Puget Sound Business Journal this Friday, Dec. 11th, along with other submissions, including one we know well from the Great Debate, if he accepted the invitation. What sort of advice would you have given them? What sort of vision would you have dreamed up ?

 

What should the Metropolitan Tract become in 20 years?

 This is a foundation property, part of the history of the University and of the city. Don’t sell it; it’s like spending the principal. The Tract makes great connections in all directions. It has great bones, and the flesh is pretty good, too. Don’t rush to change it too quickly.

 The crossing of University and 5th Avenues is your basic framework. Fifth connects from the Westlake transit hub and the shopping district through to the civic district. It is a special street, of narrower width than the other north-south arterials, beautifully treed, comfortably proportioned, and lined with high end shops and theaters. This will be the next street for people on foot, after Pine through Westlake is returned to us.

 

University Avenue, that historic reminder, connects from the waterfront to First Hill. This street is different, too. The urban form of full streetwall and blockface is broken here – by SAM and the Benaroya, and all over the tract - the street court at the Fairmont Olympic, to the corner plaza at IBM; interior courts and upper plaza invite at Rainier Square and the Financial Center. Little spaces are carved out everywhere, out of the tower itself. This is special to the Tract; keep it.

Some things will change, and should. Office space will still be needed but residential units are needed even more. The area is well served by transit and more is on the way. Parking garages will change to other uses. The function of the Post Office is changing; that half block will redevelop as midrise residential mixed-use along the lines of the Cobb. If not redeveloped as a residential high rise, the concrete mass of the Olympic Garage will be converted to artist studios and performance space for the downtown branch of the UW schools of the Arts. Keep the option of a presence in this, your historic place.

Honda Concept C

 Unveiled a the 2012 Beijing Auto Show, the Honda Concept C is study of a midsize sedan specifically targeted for the Chinese Market.

The Concept C previews a production model currently under development, and expected to go on sale in 2013.

The aggressive design is characterized by a rather flowing roofline and a sculpted body, with the surface treatment showcasing an elaborate interplay of sharp lines.

The focus on the Chinese taste appears particularly evident in the rather busy front and rear areas.

According to the company, the “C” represents “Cool,” “Challenge,” and “China”, while the sporty design that was inspired by the image of a dragon.

The product planning for this model was led by Honda’s Chinese associates and the development was done through cooperation between development teams in China and Japan.

Back to School: Retirement in a College Town

Retirement in a college town is a growing trend among seniors. As AP journalist Carole Feldman writes in her article More Retirees Head Back To College Towns: “College is not just for the young. With many people seeking a retirement that is culturally active and intellectually stimulating, colleges and universities are working to bring retirees to their campuses and towns, offering them free or reduced-rate classes, artistic performances or lectures.”  This is an enticing prospect to ponder, particularly because Pullman, Washington, home to Washington State University, is on MSN.com Real Estate’s list of top college towns for adults. Proximity to a college environment provides access to intellectual opportunities, arts, and culture. A smaller community can offer greater public safety and a livable, walkable environment easier to afford than in a large urban center.

 The Pacific Northwest abounds with smaller communities that contain major higher education institutions. Besides Pullman, Ellensburg, two hours east of Seattle, is home to Central Washington University; Eastern Washington University is in Cheney (near Spokane); and Western Washington University is in Bellingham in northwest Washington. Oregon’s largest public universities are in the smaller communities of Eugene and Corvallis, and Kelowna is home to the University of British Columbia’s Okanagan campus. Community colleges and private institutions expand this list of institutions that reside in smaller communities. Most of these institutions offer persons 65 and older tuition and fee waivers for auditing classes, a wonderful opportunity to expand knowledge, interact with people of all ages, and continue to participate and grow. But, this is merely the tip of the iceberg of what a college town offers.

 Each college and department within the university routinely sponsors lectures, presentations, and events outside of the day-to-day curriculum. This provides a depth and richness of experience not always available in smaller communities. WSU’s School of Communications hosts the annual Murrow Symposium, which includes an annual lifetime achievement award; this year’s recipient is Dan Rather who will speak at the symposium this September in Pullman. Besides drawing leaders in their fields, college campuses draw world-renowned cultural events either directly or through other organizations in the community. Theater, music, concerts, as well as exhibitions of art and culture are all part of college life.

 Being smaller towns, college communities tend to be walkable and affordable, catering to the limited budgets of students. Due to the demands of a student population, the amenities that a college town draws are often more extensive than a similarly-sized community that doesn’t need to cater to those needs. Businesses that would normally only be able to justify their existence in a larger population center can prosper in a smaller college community. Even though these are relatively compact communities, transit is typically available and robust, therefore reducing the need for a car on a daily basis. Diverse and interesting restaurants are typical of the college town and generally provide a range of choice that spans from fast food to five-star restaurants.

 The fact that universities, by virtue of their connectedness to the world, demand ready access to transportation usually results in good airline, bus, or rail access, facilitating both travel from the community and access for out-of-town family and friends. This is of major importance to the active senior. This connectedness, as well as the student population itself, usually supports ample health facilities. Some universities even include medical research institutions within the campus, although none is as remote as to not provide ready access to the most sophisticated health care available in nearby urban centers.

 So how does college town retirement really look? A few years ago I managed the design and execution of a project in Northfield, Minnesota that focused on creating a condominium community for persons aged 55 and over within a college town. Northfield is home to both Carleton College and St. Olaf College, two renowned private liberal arts colleges. Situated just 30 minutes south of Minneapolis/St. Paul, the community is home to about 20,000 permanent residents. Located along the banks of the Cannon River, Northfield, like many other communities in Minnesota, was a flour milling town, and still boasts the large Malt-O-Meal plant you pass as you enter town from the west.

 Downtown Northfield, MN

 Cannon River, Northfield, MN

It’s a quiet, mid-western town with a Main Street, tree-lined neighborhoods, and a small town atmosphere. This environment is energized by activities associated with the colleges, including concerts by the famous St Olaf Choir. This rich, intellectually stimulating environment has grown a remarkable organization focused on seniors.

 St. Olaf College, Northfield, MN

In the spirit of “life-long learning,” the Cannon Valley Elder Collegium provides high-quality academic experiences in the humanities for students over age fifty. The faculty members of the Collegium, predominantly retirees themselves, include emeriti faculty from the colleges and retired public school teachers. The focus on “life-long learning” has led to the development of course offerings selected from the liberal arts. A curriculum to challenge participants with serious academic course work is offered to participants and is based upon the personal favorite courses of the instructors, developed during life-long teaching careers. Most courses have a seminar format with learners participating in research and dialogue. There are no prerequisites and previous formal education is not a requirement. Collaborative leadership is encouraged — all participants (faculty and students) have opportunities to take part in forming policy, deciding course offerings, selecting instructors, and evaluating courses.

 Cannon Valley Elder Collegium

At the Village on the Cannon, the community includes a library as the focal point as one enters, study carrels, large tables for collaboration, and a large multi-purpose designed as a lecture classroom. These amenities mirror the facilities available at the local colleges and provide the spaces to support the pursuit of learning. Several of the residents are retired teachers and professors, adding to the richness of the community.

 Intellectual stimulation keeps us healthier, more connected, active, and feeling relevant as we advance in years. The stimulation goes both ways. The interaction with a university or college provides mutual inter-generational learning opportunities. Although my own son attended community college classes in the midst of “urban” Seattle, he would come back with great stories about his conversations with students in his classes who were in their sixties. As fellow students, elders provided a frame of reference that he had not previously experienced in an academic environment.

 As an architect who more recently has been designing communities for seniors in need of assisted living, my pondering goes to the stage of life where an active senior needs more assistance and care. What happens when being a physically “active” senior is no longer possible? Turning back to the example of Northfield, a virtual continuing care retirement community was created by co-locating an assisted living community next to the seniors’ condominium community. This came about through negotiations between the for-profit developer of the Village and the not-for-profit developer of Millstream Commons, the assisted living community. Three Links (a part of the Oddfellows organization) purchased a parcel of land from Collegeville Communities, the developer of the Village. Three Links engaged the same team to design and execute the assisted living community, and we were able to provide such elements as shared access, walkable linkages between the buildings, and ability for the two separate properties to connect. The Cannon Valley Elder Collegium serves Millstream Commons as well as Three Links independent and skilled care communities located elsewhere in Northfield.

 Millstream Commons

 As established livable, walkable, and sustainable communities, college towns offer up those great attributes that we seek and treasure in our urban centers. They are quieter and offer safety and affordability not always attainable in an urban context, while providing plentiful and robust cultural and intellectual opportunities. The stimulation and interaction so vital to aging successfully in community exists in these places and provides an alternative that is sure to continue to attract seniors back to our college towns.

Interior

The world is full of information. To get the most out of it, it is of the utmost importance that it is properly filtered, prioritized and visualized. As a part of this, the optimization of the HMI (human machine interface) is a task particularly dear to our hearts.

 

Starting with people and their needs, we develop solutions for networking the vehicle with its driver and passengers, with mobile devices, with other vehicles, and with the outside world. Our experience in the field of systems integration enables us to combine different functions into one single component.

Body & Security – Enhancing comfort and safety

We develop and produce electronic systems that enable access to vehicles, control driving authorization, and ensure the availability of safety and comfort features within the vehicle.

A core field of our work is in the area of vehicle control units that govern the operation of windshield wipers, headlights and electronic immobilizers, for example. Also of keen interest are our tire pressure monitoring systems. They reliably notify drivers of irregularities in tire inflation.

Our versatile and scalable solutions for battery and energy management help maintain a vehicle’s roadworthiness while at the same time reducing fuel consumption. This is of particular pertinence with regard to hybrid technology.

Connectivity – Always in touch

With the number of mobile devices steadily rising, the requirements that integration solutions have to meet are also increasing. We offer surefire possibilities for more conveniently employing these constant companions in vehicles.

Our wide-ranging telematics solutions make it possible to receive and transmit information in and from the vehicle. Our development is geared towards making motoring safer and more comfortable.

Visual Display Systems – Driving with everything well within view

We work on possibilities for optimally processing information to best suit the needs of drivers according to the situation. A key focal point is prioritizing information, which, depending on the vehicle, is shown on various displays and indicators.

 

Our instrument clusters offer attractive and well-structured possibilities for keeping the driver informed. What is more, our portfolio also includes displays and other indicating systems for the center console. These can be linked to additional displays. Our head-up display projects the information most important to the driver onto the windshield.

Control Elements – Operation and control convenience

We are specialists for cockpit integration solutions. Our service spectrum extends from the development of individual components through to the production of complete cockpits. In the production area we operate within the framework of a joint venture with Faurecia.

Our core competences are to be found in the realization of new HMI concepts and climate control systems as well as in the development of innovative haptic controls and the configuration and delivery of integrated center stacks.

Infotainment – Intelligent infotainment on the go

Our innovative radio, navigation and multimedia systems for all vehicle categories make it possible to conveniently connect mobile devices. Furthermore they offer solutions that promote safe and environmentally friendly driving.

The solutions are scalable and range from analog radios with excellent reception to elaborate multimedia systems with updatable software that keep pace with advances in consumer electronics. What is more, our navigation-data-based systems lend major support to driving economy and driver assistance systems.

 

Simplify your Drive – Simply drive better!

Everyone is different – every day.

That’s reason enough to ponder a vehicle concept that enables you to drive just the car you want at any time. Fridays it’s a sedan for a relaxing business trip, Saturdays a budget car for doing the week’s shopping, Sundays a sports car for dynamic driving fun.

The full range of possibilities in one vehicle

Our Simplify your Drive concept – unique worldwide – enables carmakers to invest just one vehicle with any number of driving identities. To achieve this, existing functions are bundled together with new ones in profiles that can be activated at the push of a button. This offers motorists maximum flexibility and the possibility of holistically experiencing all a vehicle’s functions.

Focusing on carmakers’ demands

This all-embracing approach – replete with a host of innovative solutions – gives the Simplify your Drive concept maximum flexibility. Different brands, customer groups and models as well as different markets and regions can be served without changing the hardware. The software is simply integrated into the existing vehicle architecture and adapted as required.

Products for Passenger Cars

For passenger cars we develop and produce brake systems, chassis and safety systems and offer our customers products and systems solutions from the powertrain and engine management to sensorics, actuation and hybrid technology. A further area of activity is the realization of future orientated ideas towards the optimization of information management in vehicles.

Chassis & safety products for passenger cars

Just Drive And Enjoy Safety

Comprehensive driving safety as a core competence.

We develop and produce electronic and hydraulic braking and chassis control systems, driver assistance systems, airbag systems and occupant detection systems, windscreen washer systems, electronic air suspension systems and sensors.

Together with our customers in the automotive industry, we develop components and systems solutions perfectly matched to their requirements. With just one single goal: to assure the best possible level of safety for traffic participants in all motoring situations.

The Different Driving Phases – Normal Driving

Normal driving: information

During normal driving the driver is supported by Advanced Driver Assistance Systems such as Adaptive Cruise Control or Speed Limit Monitoring.

Drivers can maintain a safe distance to the car in front by means of an intelligent cruise control system and distance warning alerts. Lane departure warning systems improve lane discipline with the aid of camera data, steering intervention and haptic warnings. Lights are adjusted according to the weather conditions and time of day, speed restrictions are displayed and the radio or navigation device give traffic updates.

Electronic Brake Systems

Our Electronic Brake Systems are one of the most progressive in the world. They offer advanced brake engineering for all classes of vehicles, from compact cars to light trucks. We have a long tradition of manufacturing these brake systems.

The MK60 generation has been developed for the high-volume models of the European market. Our MK25E/A version has been designed for the use in luxury class cars, vans and transporters. The MK70 has been developed in the way that the box size has been reduced by focusing the design on the pure ABS function (smaller pump motor and implementing only the mandatory number of electronic valves, no cut valves for pressure increase).

Our newest and technologically most advanced brake systems, the MK25/60E and MK25/60A both offer high-performance electronics and hydraulics. A new generation of electronic brakes – the MK100® – will gradually replace the previous model series of brake systems from 2011 onwards.

MK 100® – The new generation of electronic brakes

The new MK 100® goes into series production in 2011 in European and Asian platforms. Many more car manufacturers in Europe, NAFTA and Asia have also already awarded or opted for the MK 100® and will be bringing it into series production in their future vehicle platforms. The positive response by vehicle manufacturers globally therefore proves that the concept and the technology behind the MK 100® is a success.

High level of integration ability

The new generation of the electronic brakes distinguishes itself especially by its high level of integration ability. The ESC sensors can already today be integrated on the circuit-board of the controller (PYA technology). In future, the control of the new generation of the electric parking brake will also be integrated into the ESC which results in no separate controller being required for the triggering of the integrated parking brake (IPB). A result thereof is a minimization of the number of controllers that need to be integrated and thus an increase of available storage space in the vehicles.

Speed Limit Monitoring

 

Speed Limit Monitoring (SLM) recognizes the speed limit and displays it to the driver.

 Camera System

Engine Systems

 Piezo direct injection – taking fuel economy to new levels

Since 2006 the trend setting piezo technology has also been implemented with gasoline engines – particularly for higher displacement engines. By using piezo direct injection we facilitate a stable combustion in a stratified lean operation, thus achieving the greatest possible fuel savings in an extended engine operating range. Compared to conventional port injection, this can result in fuel consumption reductions of up to 20%.

  In addition to our injector know-how, our comprehensive system solution portfolio also includes efficient high pressure pumps, generating fuel pressure of up to 20 MPa (200 bar), and intelligent engine management control units. The modular and scalable engine management platform, based on our EMS 3, allows us to meet challenging quality targets despite ever shorter development cycles and the constantly growing number of variants. Furthermore, we also offer injection systems for alternative fuels such as compressed natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas and ethanol, which can make a contribution to reducing global CO2 emissions.

Solenoid direct injection – increased torque at lower engine speeds

 In turbocharged, homogeneous combustion gasoline engines, in combination with variable valve timing, our solenoid direct injection technology offers significant fuel saving potential, a reduction in emissions and an increase in lower engine speed torque compared to port injection. Our DI XL3 solenoid injector provides enhanced linearity due to very fast opening and closing times and multi-stream spray geometry enables optimal adaptation to all engine-specific requirements.

  Port injection – proven technology

 Particularly in the high-volume segments port injection continues to dominate the market because of its attractive cost benefit ratio. Specifically for this type of engine, we have developed the DEKA VII injectors – with reduced weight, extended range of operations and improved performance.

. Extremely fine atomization improves the combustion process, thereby reducing emissions of the engine. Adaptability to different applications is a key property of the DEKA VII family: all three body lengths can be combined with any nozzle length option and retain identical characteristics. Furthermore, a wide range of spray forms can also be adjusted to suit different intake manifold geometries.

AC Generation

An understanding of how an AC generator develops an AC output will help us analyze the AC power generation process.

The elementary AC generator (Figure 1) consists of a conductor, or loop of wire in a magnetic field that is produced by an electromagnet. The two ends of the loop are connected to slip rings, and they are in contact with two brushes. When the loop rotates it cuts magnetic lines of force, first in one direction and then the other.

Development of a Sine-Wave Output

Figure 1 Simple AC Generator

At the instant the loop is in the vertical position (Figure 2, 0o), the coil sides are moving parallel to the field and do not cut magnetic lines of force. In this instant, there is no voltage induced in the loop. As the coil rotates in a counter-clockwise direction, the coil sides will cut the magnetic lines of force in opposite directions. The direction of the induced voltages depends on the direction of movement of the coil. The induced voltages add in series, making slip ring X (Figure 1) positive (+) and slip ring Y (Figure 1) negative (-). The potential across resistor R will cause a current to flow from Y to X through the resistor. This current will increase until it reaches a maximum value when the coil is horizontal to the magnetic lines of force (Figure 2, 90o). The horizontal coil is moving perpendicular to the field and is cutting the greatest number of magnetic lines of force. As the coil continues to turn, the voltage and current induced decrease until they reach zero, where the coil is again in the vertical position (Figure 2, 180o). In the other half revolution, an equal voltage is produced except that the polarity is reversed (Figure 2, 270o, 360o). The current flow through R is now from X to Y (Figure 1).

Figure 2 Developing a Sine-Wave Voltage

The periodic reversal of polarity results in the generation of a voltage, as shown in Figure 2. The rotation of the coil through 360° results in an AC sine wave output.

Summary

• A simple generator consists of a conductor loop turning in a magnetic field, cutting across the magnetic lines of force.

• The sine wave output is the result of one side of the generator loop cutting linesof force. In the first half turn of rotation this produces a positive current and in the second half of rotation produces a negative current. This completes one cycle of AC generation.