Dennis Peters

Are you prepared for the big change occurring on March 15, 2012?  I am talking about the implementation of the 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design.  If you aren’t aware of it or need a reminder, the U.S. Department of Justice has updated the 1991 ADA regulations.  These updates, in conjunction with the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments, directly affect ALL businesses, local governments, and covered employers. 

We at Schemmer have been attending seminars, preparing in house guidelines and even using the new standards in our current projects and have been doing so for the past year.  There are many changes that directly affect the design and flow of new buildings and renovations of existing buildings. 

I was able to find a web site that gives insight to the new regulations.   Marcela Abadi Rhoad has kindly allowed me to direct you to her web site where you can read more about the ADA regulation updates in her newsletters and on her blog.  CLICK HERE for more information.

Remember that at Schemmer, we are always striving to be on the leading edge when it comes to keeping current with the changing codes relating to the construction industry.  Do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions in regards to the upcoming required changes.

John Rickert, AIA, FCSI, CCS, LEED AP

John Rickert, AIA, FCSI, CCS, LEED AP is appointed as the At-Large member of the Mayor’s Fair Housing Advisory Board.  The Fair Housing Advisory Group is an ad hoc committee invited by the Mayor of the City of Omaha to bring particular insight and expertise on developing strategies to affirmatively further fair housing within the City of Omaha.

In 1993, the City of Omaha’s Mayor Morgan appointed an advisory group to assist in reviewing Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice data and recommend possible actions to address identified issues.  The composition of the advisory group was designed to include representatives of housing-related professions and groups most likely to encounter barriers to fair housing.  In 1996, Mayor Daub issued an Executive Order establishing the Fair Housing Advisory Group as a permanent body.  Mayor Fahey and Suttle, demonstrating the City’s ongoing commitment to fair housing, each issued a similar executive order.

John has served as project manager, project architect, and project specifier for numerous projects throughout the Midwest in a career spanning over 34 years. His success in projects such as high-rise and multi-family residential facilities in the public and private housing sector demonstrates a range of uniqueness and diversity.  He is very knowledgeable in ADA standards and his professional services coincide well with the upcoming changes to ADAAG’s standards to the Department of Justice’s ADA Standards for Accessible Design (2010) that becomes mandatory March 15, 2012.

Pat Birch, AIA, LEED AP BD+ C

Stop by The Schemmer Associates’ booth and visit with Pat Birch, AIA, LEED AP, at the Nebraska 2012 Housing Innovation Marketplace on January 24th and 25th. Pat has extensive architectural expertise and experience in affordable housing projects. She has designed multifamily LIHTC units, and has worked with U.S. Housing and Urban Development projects over the course of her years of professional practice. A LEED AP accredited design professional, Pat is Schemmer’s lead advocate in sustainable design principles.

Pat will also be participating in the Sustainable Design, Highlights of the latest innovationsseminar on January 24th at 1:30-2:30 p.m. 

Good Samaritan Society | Hastings Village Gardens | Hastings, NE
The transformation of a city block at the Hastings Village campus has taken place for the new Hastings Village Gardens, an independent senior living development for low-income residents. The project includes 40, two-bedroom apartments, arranged into fourplexes. These structures are designed in a cottage style, with generous front porches, groupings of double-hung windows for light-filled interiors, a combination of siding materials and trim, and a brick wainscot. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE

The Schemmer Associates hire Tim Conway, RLS

Published: Monday, January 9, 2012 – By the Omaha World Herald and the Lincoln Journal Star

Click on the links below to view full articles:

OMAHA.COM  |  JOURNALSTAR.COM

By the Omaha World Herald – OMAHA.COM | Published: Thursday, January 5, 2012

A $3 million gift is expected to go a long way to cure the growing pains of a Lutheran school in northwest Omaha.

Concordia Lutheran Schools announced Thursday that William and Berniece Grewcock of Omaha have pledged $3 million toward a $5.9 million expansion campaign for its junior and senior high campus at 156th and Fort Streets. The donation is contingent on the school raising an additional $2 million by April 1.

The Rev. Jim Rasmussen, chief executive officer of Concordia Schools, said Concordia has already received commitments of $1.4 million. The Grewcocks’ donation of 40 acres of land and a building enabled Concordia Junior and Senior High to open in 2001 with 45 students.

William Grewcock worked at Peter Kiewit Sons’ Inc. for 56 years, retiring as vice chairman of the construction and mining firm. His wife has long been involved in community affairs.

“Our school wouldn’t be here without the Grewcocks,” Rasmussen said. “Now, their support is helping us take this next great step that will have such a wonderful impact on the next generation of students.”

Concordia has hired Schemmer, an Omaha-based architecture and engineering firm that designed the school, to lead the project. Construction is expected to begin this spring and be completed in the summer of 2013. READ MORE

Traffic studied for Ralston arena

By the Omaha World Herald – OMAHA.COM | Published: Tuesday, January 3, 2012

A traffic study will be under way soon where the Ralston sports and events center is under construction at 72nd and Q Streets. Ralston officials said the City of Omaha also is interested in what impact arena traffic will have on surrounding streets. “We asked Omaha what we needed to do to be a good neighbor on this,” said Ralston Public Works Director Dan Freshman. The study will be overseen by Mark Lutjeharms, manager of the traffic engineering division at Schemmer Associates. He is conducting a similar study for the Pinnacle Bank Arena at the Haymarket in Lincoln.

Click here to read more.

Frank Comisar, AIA

Welcome to the new Schemmer blog. I am honored to write this inaugural post to introduce myself and our new home for sharing thoughts, ideas and commentary about our passion, architecture and engineering, as well as our mission to enable our clients’ to define and achieve their goals.

First, a little about me. My name is Frank Comisar, AIA.  I am the CEO and President of The Schemmer Associates Inc. and December 15, 2011 will mark my 25th anniversary with the firm. Not only does saying this make me feel old, but it also serves to remind me about the incredible changes to every facet of society and the built environment that we have witnessed over the years. With regard to architecture and engineering, those changes encompass everything from designer’s tools to project implementation and everything in between.

Our blog is the next step along the evolutionary path. Our goal here is to create an interactive on-line community of people with related interests where we can share thoughts and ideas about what we do, how we do it and how together we might do it better in the future. Schemmer is fortunate to count among its staff and clients, numerous industry experts, who will become regular contributors to this blog. Our experts will be introduced to you in the coming weeks and months through their posts. We will share ideas about best practices, news, technology, industry trends, sustainable design and a variety of other topics. We hope you will not only find our posts interesting, but that they will include valuable information you can use in your organization to achieve a greater level of success.

In closing, let me extend a formal invitation to you to become a part of our on-line community. We encourage you to check back often and if so inclined, provide your own comments and thoughts. We welcome your input. Architecture and engineering affects every one of us, as well as our families and businesses. We live, work and play in the built environment. With that in mind, this blog is dedicated to improving the built environment and helping your organization achieve greater success!