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A Holistic Approach to Transportation and Community Design

Posted on by OTAK Team

The cool thing about Otak—the reason we love working here—is our complete focus on making the places we live, work, and play even better than they are today.  We do that through our work and through our community activities. The services we provide as transportation engineers and planners are one of the ways we help implement a community’s vision.

Few elements shape a community and how it functions more than transportation. From roads to trails to transit systems, how and how far we travel has a direct impact on the economic and environmental sustainability of a region and ultimately its livability.

For the past thirty years, Otak has been working with city planners, municipal leaders, and developers to design new urban centers, plan transit systems, and restore and protect natural spaces. The hallmark of our work is an integrated multi-disciplinary approach to each project and to community development. We think about the community as a whole and all the implications of a project—a process we believe is critical when it comes to transportation planning.

Transportation engineering planning as a whole.

When we look at the transportation needs of a city or region, we look beyond the immediate problem to gain a broader perspective of priorities and possible solutions. We start by listening to the people who live and work in the community, as well as city leaders. We seek to understand the desires and needs of the community as a whole—residents, businesses, and commuters. We bring into focus the long-term goals, looking years into the future, exploring growth challenges, and possible solutions.

Otak’s continuing work with Community Transit (CT), Snohomish County’s transit provider, is a case in point. We have led the final design work on each of CT’s three BRT lines. Each of these lines is intimately connected with the cities and neighborhoods they serve. A value we provide is that we know those communities and have the experience to use our design talent to improve mobility and make them even better places to live—all while avoiding unwelcome impacts.  

Leveraging limited resources.

By looking at transportation projects as part of a whole, we not only find practical solutions that will not have to be replaced in a few years, we often learn of other pressing needs and projects, and ways to leverage resources and budgets for greater outcomes. What may seem like competing priorities can often work together.

A problem facing many cities today is a backlog of infrastructure repair and maintenance projects, as well as an equally pressing need for infrastructure expansion. The challenge is addressing both with limited funding resources and strict regulatory mandates. Finding workable solutions requires some creativity, but it all comes down to understanding the full range of community needs, current and proposed projects, as well as the regulatory process and the different funding sources available. One of the strengths of our team is we have experienced engineers, designers, and planners who are knowledgeable about both current regulatory guidelines and compliance, and funding and funding streams.

An integrated approach to solving problems.

At Otak, we are very intentional about how we bring various disciplines together—water resources, landscape architecture, civil engineering—enabling our teams to take an integrated approach to planning, design, and construction. It is what sets Otak apart from larger and less experienced firms and has led to exciting opportunities and work we can be proud of.

One such example is the work we are doing in Colorado. On behalf of the City of Manitou Springs, Colorado, an integrated Otak team of structural, civil, and water resource engineers are collaborating with our landscape architects to replace an aging bridge with an aesthetically pleasing, functional, and resilient structure. The new bridge will improve safety for drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists alike, while also incorporating public art and low-maintenance contextual landscaping into the solution. Working together, in partnership with the client and the local community, the Otak team is creating a unique multimodal solution and a beautiful gateway to the Garden of the Gods.

Our planning, engineering, and construction services teams work on a full range of transportation projects throughout the Pacific Northwest and Colorado that are making a difference in how communities remain connected. From community transit projects crossing multiple jurisdictions, and first- and last-mile solutions, to culvert design for improved fish passages, and pedestrian and bike trails, we are solving complex transportation challenges and offering multimodal ways of commuting that present a sustainable model for a resilient future.

Reflections on COVID-19, the impacts on our business and the future

Posted on by OTAK Team

A Rapid Test of Our Capabilities 

COVID-19 has upended our normal routine. We have changed the way we work, interact, create, and contribute across the board. We empathize with those who have lost loved ones due to the pandemic. The changes we have implemented showed us that our company can be flexible while still providing excellent service to our clients and that by adapting to new circumstances we may help create a better environment not just on a large-scale but also within our personal surroundings.   

As Stay-at-Home orders were put in place in the regions where we work, we were able to shift to a predominately remote workplace. Many of our staff were already equipped with a laptop, making us well prepared to pick up and recreate our workspaces from home. Our IT team stepped up to help ease the pains of transition providing training, upgrades, and support. Some of our practice areas already implemented Microsoft Teams for their inter-office and client communications. New users were able to get training on the basics which allowed our groups to continue functioning effectively—and in some cases with improved efficiency!  

This change did not come without its challenges. Moving all meetings to teleconference came with growing pains, whether from a co-worker’s screen freezing as their bandwidth tried to accommodate simultaneous first-grade Zoom meetings, movie streaming, and a video conference, or determining how to best present our team during a virtual interview for a key project pursuit. Additionally, keeping a work-life balance, especially with children and pets became a big task with all family members suddenly at home. 

Moving towards the future

Otak is reflecting on the ways in which this time has impacted our business and what we can realize going forward in order to operate more efficiently, allow employees to maintain a work-life balance, and deliver great work while reducing our footprint as a business. 

Operations

With fewer employees now working from our offices, the need for expansive office space is changing. We still want to give our employees a place to work from, but this begs the question: do we need all of this square footage? It is something that many employers are contemplating, especially those who had office expansions planned for 2020. Each employee may not need their own workspace. Offices could be set up to offer shared hubs or hotel desks for those who primarily work from home in the future. 

Work-Life Balance

Allowing for flexible schedules might be one of our favorite benefits of working from home. Many employees appreciate the flexibility to take a walk, run or bike ride during their lunch break, or even run some errands in the middle of the day when things are less crowded. People with children have learned to work around getting their kids set up for school, doing homework, preparing lunches, and scheduling “after school activities”. Being able to keep multiple priorities balanced looks much different now. Work-life balance also means keeping self-care and mental health a top priority during these stressful times. Many of our employees signed up for the Bike More Challenge in Portland to log their bike trips throughout the month of June. Local yoga studios and gyms have also pivoted to offer remote classes. 

Deliver Great Work 

With our increased collaboration on MS Teams and other video conference platforms, we are able to continue to deliver great work to our clients. In some cases, we have seen project schedules condense, leading to overall cost savings. One reason for this has been more efficient or fewer site visits and less travel time. Additionally, video conferencing allows our project teams to review and work together on project deliverables. We no longer have to wait until everyone is in the office. While it was an adjustment for some, redlining plans and making markups can also be faster when done digitally. 

Impacts on Otak’s Sustainable Practices

All of these advantages come with the underlying benefit of reducing our overall footprint as a company. Most of our staff are no longer commuting to the office each day, which reduces vehicle emissions as well as commuting time. We have cut back on printing and paper by emailing invoices and digitally signing or stamping when allowed, reducing our waste stream company-wide. With fewer people in the office, our utility demands are decreased. And our company travel to project site visits, between offices, and to client meetings has been drastically reduced! 

This pandemic also challenges some of Otak’s approaches to sustainability in other ways. While our travel to project sites may be reduced, when we do travel for a site visit, we are advised to travel individually. For employees in our Portland office, the health risk of taking public transportation means many employees will prefer to drive (or bike!) to work when offices reopen. The impact of these choices on traffic volumes in our cities remains unclear. 

Despite this pandemic and the disruptions in our societal norms and economies, Otak is working to see a bright side. We are working diligently to implement the lessons we have learned and continue to operate more efficiently while providing a safe and welcoming workplace each employee can be proud to call their second home.

Otak’s Western Washington SMAP Report

Posted on by OTAK Team

In December 2019, Otak surveyed staff from 26 Western Washington’s Phase II municipal stormwater permittees to assess their preparedness to develop an effective Stormwater Management Action Plan.

Under the 2019-2024 NPDES permit’s SMAP requirement, cities and counties will need to develop a capital improvement program specifically to improve the water quality of their rivers, lakes, and streams—a first for many of the permittees.

The study’s results are highlighted in Otak’s white paper “How Prepared Are Phase II Western Washington Jurisdictions to Create Stormwater Management Action Plans?” and covers:
* how well SMAP requirements are understood,
* how stormwater management is communicated between departments, and
* what resources can help permittees reach compliance.

Four Ways an Art + Science Approach Produces Better Results

Posted on by Otak Staff

More than 500 years ago, renaissance artist Leonardo DaVinci said “art is the queen of all sciences, communicating knowledge to all the generations of the world.” Just as DaVinci believed a person needs to study the science of art and the art of science to develop a complete mind, the marriage of art, structure, sustainability, and planning is essential to developing complete projects.

Communities built for the 21st century need a balanced approach, with input from multiple disciplines and solutions that are unique to the client and project area. In this age, projects are too complicated for either art or science alone. Here are four ways art + science = better results:

1. Planning and architecture are not afterthoughts

Most companies in our industry primarily emphasize either art (planning and architecture) or science (science and engineering). And in most A/E firms, engineers take the lead by managing projects, being the public face to clients, and running the company.

For the best results, clients need to be able to tap into the combined talent and backgrounds of architects, planners, engineers, scientists, and other team members. Planners and architects need to serve important roles on multidisciplinary projects.

2. Clients and communities are best served by a multidisciplinary approach

Very few challenges can be solved within the realm of one discipline. Try replacing a road without addressing water quality challenges, for example. The best project teams are balanced, with input from multiple disciplines creating solutions that are unique for the client and community. Whether designing the expansion of King County Metro’s bus transit bases to support the county’s booming bus ridership, developing an overlay district for Denver’s hot RiNo neighborhood, or designing a leading-edge, mixed-use, car-free building with a hotel and housing in Portland’s trendy Pearl District, clients and communities are served better when we bring different types of expertise to the table. A diversity of thought results in a stronger project and 21st century communities.

3. All disciplines are equally valued and appreciated

In many large A/E firms, each discipline operates as its own business. Some clients might partner with a firm for years, never learning how the company could help tackle their challenges in other areas. When a client issues a request for proposals, companies need to form teams that contain the best subject matter experts from across all practice areas and a project manager who can get the job done right, no matter their area of expertise. What’s critical is that the entire team collaborates to deliver the best service possible to our clients.

4. Employees can bring art and science in their own lives

Employees who are driven by their individual passions to ask questions, find the answers, and leverage their collective passions are more likely to improve their communities and the world.

Take Zaq Dohallow, for example, an architectural designer driven by a passion for science. He interpolates raw data to inform the design process, and he integrates incentives to promote sustainable design measures. As one of Otak’s sustainability champions, he is also our go-to person for green tech systems to improve building performance.

And then there’s Ann Nguyen, who views landscape architecture and planning as a compilation of environmental design, policy, and science. As an urban planner and gifted sketch artist, Ann applies her art and science approach to her public outreach for the City of Denver Santa Fe Streetscape; Food Bridge International Marketplace and Center for Asian Pacific American Women; the Cleworth Architectural Legacy Project; and other organizations.

When Otak’s founders conceived of the company in 1981, they looked at the region’s planning, landscape architecture, and engineering firms and imagined a firm that was integrated and collaborative—an approach that’s art + science. Want to learn how Otak is living out our founders’ art + science approach by serving our clients well? Contact us to find out more.

At the Nexus of Inclusion and Innovation

Posted on by Otak Staff

Believing that diversity fosters innovation and strengthens our skills, at Otak, we’re working to build a culture of equity and inclusion. Our professionals come from diverse backgrounds, and we regularly collaborate across the disciplines of planning, architecture, landscape architecture, civil engineering, structural engineering, project and construction management, natural resource sciences, and other areas of expertise. This interdisciplinary dynamic embraces equity, inclusion, and valuing each other’s unique perspectives. We continue to explore how to foster this aspect of our culture even more and to a greater level of depth throughout all our offices and teams.

In October, Otak leadership participated in a workshop, hosted by the Medici Group of New York, to learn more about how diversity can directly contribute to innovative ideas and our success in business.

Our thought leaders from Medici, Sharang Biswas and Juliana Echeverri, facilitated interesting discussions and group exercises, helping us experience first-hand the magic that can happen when diversity and inclusion overlap with innovation and strategy as shown in their signature approach graphic to the right.

Participants broke into five small teams organized to include people of diverse disciplines, backgrounds, interests, ages, genders, geographic locations, and technical expertise. Each person shared information about themselves in short phrases and key words, writing on a large piece of paper in the form of a mind map. Then team members asked each other questions to gain a better understanding of each person’s story. The next step got participants’ ideas flowing—each team was asked to randomly pick two items on the mind map and come up with a new business-related idea or concept. The last step was to repeat the same exercise, but to brainstorm new ideas that were specific to a strategic goal of the company.

The Medici Group, founded by Frans Johansson, author of The Medici Effect (Harvard Business Press), a foundational book on innovation, and The Click Moment (Penguin Portfolio), helps companies activate diversity into an innovative edge by breaking down silos and leveraging diverse talents. Just as the Medici family catalyzed the Renaissance by bringing together people from different disciplines, cultures, and backgrounds, the Medici Group inspires the Renaissance of today.

Who were the Medicis?
The Medicis gained prominence in Italy in the early 15th century as wool merchants and bankers whose businesses were extremely profitable. They were leaders in business, politics, religion (three popes were Medicis), and the arts. Together with other prominent families, the Medicis inspired the Renaissance by funding creators from a wide range of disciplines—scientists, sculptors, poets, philosophers, financiers, painters, architects, and others, who converged on the city of Florence, where they learned from one another, broke down barriers, and forged a new world based on new ideas.