Perots receive Vision Award Ross Perot and Ross Perot Jr. have been named co-winners of the inaugural Vision Award from the Urban Land Institute North Texas District Council. The announcement was made at a ULI North Texas event Dec. 3. The award will be presented at the ULI North Texas Impact Awards ceremony to be held at Union Station in Dallas on March 19, 2015.
“The selection of the Perots is natural because of their combined vision in so many fields – business, philanthropy and certainly real estate,” said Michael Jackson, chair of ULI North Texas District Council. The Vision Award has been instituted to honor those in real estate development who have made an outstanding, positive lifetime contribution to the built environment of the North Texas Region. The honoree must exhibit future vision, innovation and creativity and have a record of community service and leadership. The Perots were selected as the first recipients of the Vision Award at a joint meeting of the ULI North Texas Board of Governors, national ULI Trustees in the region and other leaders of the North Texas District Council.
In his announcement, Jackson noted that Ross Perot Sr. has shown leadership by breaking out of the box from the early days of the Electronic Data Systems (EDS) campus on Forest Lane in Dallas, through the move to the Legacy development in Plano. Ross Perot Jr. is chairman of Hillwood, one of the largest real estate development companies in the nation. Alliance Airport, the nation’s first industrial airport developed by Hillwood in 1988, has served as an economic engine bringing industrial, commercial and residential development to northeast Tarrant County. Victory Park, another Hillwood development, was one of the largest brownfield reclamations in the north Texas region.
That giant blueprint sound A new Tri-National Mutual Recognition Agreement made by the architectural regulatory authorities of the United States, Canada and Mexico should aid architects in working across North American borders. The agreement, announced Dec. 2, was made by the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB), in conjunction with the Canadian Architectural Licensing Authorities (CALA) and the Federación de Colegios de Arquitectos de la República Mexicana (FCARM). “The agreement, in the spirit of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), makes cross-border recognition of an architect’s credentials a reality,” said NCARB CEO Michael Armstrong. “This opens the door to embracing more globally connected practices, while ensuring the protection of the public.” A qualified architect must satisfy the requirements of the agreement to be granted a credential to practice in a host country. Eligibility requirements include:
• Completion of an architecture degree from a program accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB), the Canadian Architectural Certification Board (CACB/CCCA), Acreditadora Nacional de Programas de Arquitectura y Disciplinas del Espacio Habitable (ANPADEH) or a recognized equivalent. • A minimum of 10 years of post-licensure experience in the architect’s home jurisdiction. • Proof of “good standing” in the home jurisdiction, as verified by the home regulatory authority. • Knowledge of the codes, laws and applicable architecture practices in the host country. • Submission of a dossier of work to satisfy specific competencies outlined in the agreement. • Completion of an interview before a review panel in the host country, conducted in the language of the host country. For more information: www.ncarb.org
Tech firm aims to eliminate blueprints Comerica Bank and the Dallas Entrepreneur Center (DEC) in November announced Rollout Inc. as the winner of their inaugural $50,000 North Texas Business Pitch Contest. Four local judges helped decide the grand prize winner from the field of four finalists, which also included local companies Glass Media of Dallas, LiveWire of Fort Worth and and XOcur of Irving. Rollout Inc., the $50,000 winner, is a Dallas-based technology start-up whose patent-pending, cloud-based digital drawing management product aims to eliminate the need for architecture, engineering and construction firms to print paper blueprints. In addition to the $50,000 prize, Rollout will also receive in-kind support including six months of free co-working arrangements at the DEC, travel assistance, and technology and cloud computing services. For more information: thedec.co