Latimer, Sommers & Associates, P.A.

Announcements

11.10.11
Bill Latimer's Retirement Reception

Bill Latimer with the Partners at LSA. From left: Dave Everhart, Bill Bassette, Jim Latimer, Bill Latimer, Bruce Corbin (Energy Management & Control Corporation), Richard Beardmore, Eric Hethcoat, and Alex Karam.

After 55+ years of providing professional engineering services, Bill Latimer has officially retired. LSA held a reception in honor of his achievements on November 10th. He was presented with the Ad Astra statue by sculptor Richard Bergen as a gift in honor of his years of service. We wish Bill all the best in his retirement!
11.7.11
Taylors Farm Apartments Seeks LEED Gold Designation

Taylors Farm Apartments is a new community located in Dallas, Texas incorporating innovative green building designs and technologies to help residents live in a more energy efficient and environmentally sustainable environment. Scheduled for completion in November 2011, residents will be able to save money by lowering their utility bills and participate individually and collectively in reducing overall energy consumption.

The community is seeking Gold Level LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification, from the U.S. Green Building Council. LSA provided mechanical, electrical, and plumbing design for the project.
10.31.11
Echo Ridge’s Green Housing Development featured in the Topeka Capital - Journal

The Echo Ridge Community is a duplex neighborhood developed by the Topeka Housing Authority as a Green Community initiative serving Topeka residents. This project has 34 duplex buildings that share a common groundsource loop that each duplex can draw from to heat and cool the homes. Other energy saving items include LED lighting, Energy Star appliances and fixtures and domestic water pre-heating via the unit heat pump.

Check out the full article about Echo Ridge’s green community on Topeka Capital-Journal’s website.
9.22.2011
The Lakes at University Park Announced as the Winner
of the Excellence in Construction Award

The Associated Builders & Contractors, South Texas Chapter, have announced that Galaxy Builders, Ltd. and the design consultants of The Lakes at University Park have been awarded the Excellence in Construction Award for the Residential Retirement Facility category. LSA provide MEP design on this project.
9.15.2011
Eisenhower Ridge Building 19 Announced as Timmy Awards Finalist

The National Housing & Rehabilitation Association announced Eisenhower Ridge Building 19, located in Leavenworth, Kan., is a finalist for this year's J. Timothy Anderson Awards For Excellence In Historic Rehabilitation.

The annual "Timmy Awards" honor outstanding real estate projects that involve the rehabilitation and preservation of older and historic buildings nation-wide. Building 19 was named as one of two finalists in the category of Best Commercial/Retail/Non-Residential Project. The project rehabilitated a 125-year-old mess hall that historically served Civil War veterans as part of the Western Branch, National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers. Now, the building serves modern veterans as the Department of Veterans Affairs Central Plains Consolidated Patient Accounts Center.

Located on a park-like campus, Building 19 was one of 38 historic buildings placed on the National Trust for Historic Preservation's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places in 2000. The historic buildings were saved when developer Pioneer Group, Inc. of Topeka signed an enhanced-use lease with the VA to rehabilitate the structures. The rehabilitation and adaptive reuse of Building 19 is the most recent project to be completed on the campus, bringing 400 new jobs to Kansas and giving new life to the once vacant building.

Latimer, Sommers & Associates provided mechanical, electrical, plumbing, telecommunications, security, and audio/visual design. Designed by Treanor Architects, this rehabilitation and adaptive reuse project preserved the historic character defining features of the building while adding modern amenities for a state-of-the-art office building. The $14 million rehabilitation was completed in July 2011 by Straub Construction Company.
9.1.11
Ribbon Cutting Ceremony held for new Central Plains Consolidated Patient Account Center

The new Central Plains Consolidated Patient Account Center located on the Dwight D. Eisenhower Veterans Affairs Medical Center campus in Leavenworth is officially open. LSA was responsible for the mechanical, electrical, plumbing, telecommunications, security, and audio/visual design for the state-of-the-art facility. The 66,000 square foot, renovated facility provides traditional hospital revenue functions for all VA treatment locations within the region.

Left: Photo by the Leavenworth Times

Check out the full article at the Leavenworth Times.
8.18.11
Washburn Rural Unveils New Gymnasium

Check out the video below by KSNT on the new gymnasium, running track, locker rooms, and weight room at Washburn Rural High School. LSA provided the mechanical, electrical, plumbing, telecommunications and audio visual design.
12.6.10
Eric Hethcoat has successfully completed the Emerging Leaders Program sponsored by the American Council of Engineering Companies of Kansas (ACEC).
KTWU’s Sunflower Journeys recently featured Eisenhower Ridge, a LSA preservation project in Leavenworth, Kansas. Watch the video to get the full history of the project.
Heritage Park Solar Powered Restroom was the feature story in the August 2010 issue of the national magazine PHC News. See link for full article.
Prairie Lakes Apartments | Noblesville, Indiana
Hyde Park Apartments and Northeast Junior High Place both win Capstone Awards from the Kansas City Business Journal.
Westar Operating Center in Lawrence, Kansas has achieved LEED Silver Certification. Richard R. Beardmore, P.E., LEED AP served as Project Administrator for the certification process. Dave Everhart, P.E., LEED AP and Maggie Robinson, I.E., LEED AP assisted in the LEED submittal and documentation. As an all-electric facility, there were challenges to achieve the energy savings needed, but a combination of ground source heat pumps, controls, lighting controls, and diverse and efficient equipment allowed the project to realize its goal. This is the first LEED certified project in Lawrence and only the third in Kansas to achieve the Silver Level. This is the second Silver Level project LSA has designed.
6.30.09

James A. Latimer, P.E. and Andrew J. Hess, P.E. have passed the USGBC LEED Exam and are now LEED Accredited Professionals.
6.1.09
Kevin Taylor passed the BICSI Certification Exam and is now a Registered Communications Distribution Designer.
6.23.09

William R. Bassette, P.E. and Kyle R. Wilk, I.E. have passed the USGBC LEED Exam and are now LEED Accredited Professionals.
The Kansas Preservation Alliance has selected the historic rehabilitation project at NE Jr High Place In Kansas City, Kansas to receive the KPA 2009 Award of Excellence for outstanding restoration. This project involved the restoration and renovation of a 1923 junior high school in a challenged Kansas City neighborhood into affordable housing for elderly residents. Richard R. Beardmore, P.E., LEED AP served as the Project Engineer.
On 2.3.09, the Topeka City Council approved the 2006 Uniform Mechanical Code to become effective approximately 60 days from being published in the Metro News which is roughly 4.11.09. Richard Beardmore, P.E., LEED AP, is Chairman of the Topeka Board of Mechanical Examiners which reviewed the code.
Richard R. Beardmore, P.E. has been appointed to the City of Topeka Planning Commission.
Latimer, Sommers & Associates, P.A. is pleased to announce Eric Hethcoat, P.E. and Alex Karam, P.E. have been elected as partners of the firm.
Andrew J. Hess, P.E. passed his professional engineering exam. LSA now has nine licensed engineers and three EIT's on staff.
1.30.08

David Everhart, P.E.; Richard Hammer, P.E. and Maggie Robinson, I.E. join Richard Beardmore, P.E. as LEED Accredited Professionals by passing the USGBC LEED exam.