Last Wednesday we welcomed in the Summer with a rockin' party at Meteek! We celebrated the great projects that COGGS is accomplishing to support cycling in Duluth, and the enjoyment we all experience in Duluth's great outdoors!

The "We Bike Duluth" community photo show was hanging in the gallery, with a vision to expand it's offerings by having folks continue to send in a photo and caption of how they enjoy cycling in Duluth - more on that in a future post.

Thanks to John Morrison for setting up a great obstacle course, with an outstanding pond feature made possible by Eric Nisswandt's flagpoles. Many wet and a few dry runs were accomplished!

James Larson rocked the tunes, great food was shared, plans and feats discussed, and great Thirsty Pagan beer was enjoyed, thanks again to John Morrison. And thanks to Doran Nurmi for sending in some of the photos below!

Technology of Participation Facilitation Methods Training
May 13-14, 2015 - THIS TRAINING HAS BEEN RESCHEDULED FOR OCTOBER 20-21, 2015
hosted by Meteek & Co.

In May we will host our third ToP Facilitation Methods training at Meteek. These methods are flexible and can be used in virtually any setting -- Randy, Andy and Cynthia have all gone through the training, and we use it daily in the office, with clients and in managing projects.

From the flyer: Technology of Participation® Facilitation Methods are a proven set of methods that create a climate of involvement in the workplace. ToP® cultivates the collective ideas that result in breakthrough changes, and generates the spirit of commitment that undergirds follow-through. Activating a participatory culture takes new attitudes, tools and methods – the kind ToP® provides.

Call Cynthia at 218-343-2593 if you have further questions. More info on the flyer below:

Wednesday May 20, 2015                            Hansi and friends enjoying 2014's vibe
5:00 - 9:00 pm
Pot Luck Barbecue - bring something to grill
"We Bike Duluth" community photo show opening in the gallery

It's time for our third-annual "Psyched for Summer Cycling" event at Meteek & Co. with COGGS! The past two years have been a blast, so we are back at it for more fun.

Bring something to grill, we provide condiments, salad and drinks. Kids are welcome, live DJ James Larson will be jamming the vibe, and remember to submit a photo of why you like to bike Duluth -- see below for more details on that.

Contact John Morrison for a pre-event ride: morjo@me.com

See you there!!!

Intro to WUFI: Moisture Modeling for Construction
Thursday April 30, 2015
5:00 - 7:30 pm
Cost: $15, includes meal
4218 Enterprise Circle, Duluth, MN 55811

Our partner business Meteek Supply is hosting an Intro to WUFI with presenter Dave Bryan. Dave is a registered architect specializing in energy conservation, with 30 years of design experience. He now specializes in building construction consulting and has been using WUFI for ten years.

Dave will talk about designing highly-insulated moisture-resilient wall assemblies to control moisture risk, using WUFI to understand options and outcomes. There will be presentation sessions before and after we eat, with plenty of time for questions and discussion.

Building science is becoming more important to our industry--come join the conversation!

RSVP to Randy at 218-343-7332 -- see you there!

Sunday October 12, 2014
5:30 - 8:00 pm
Presentation 6-7 pm, reception to follow

Flyer-Sydney Opera House

Ever wonder what inspired the beautiful shapes of the Sydney Opera House? How the concrete vaults were engineered? Or the publicly owned project was paid for?

On Sunday October 12 Bob Bruce will answer these questions and more in a spirited presentation on the competition, design issues, engineering marvels and political struggles that shaped the process of building the Sydney Opera House.

In 1969 Bob Bruce traveled to Sydney to research the Opera House, then in it's 10th year of construction. Bob's investigation included reading through competition entries at the Sydney Public LIbrary and visiting the construction site, where he made photographs of the vaults showing details not visible in the finished structure.

Bob's photographs will be featured in the Gallery and sprinkled through his presentation, along with Jørn Utzon's architectural sketches, historical site photos, and diagrams explaining the elements of the structure.

The Gallery will open at 5:30, with the presentation running from 6-7 pm, followed by a reception with live DJ Elysium Alps.

Come by and ask questions, discuss architecture and make merry!

Flyer-Sydney Opera House

Last week we hosted students from the Design Duluth studio at the UMN. This is the third year of the combined Landscape Architecture and Architecture graduate design studio. The studio is part of a larger focus on solutions and future visioning for the complex infrastructures -- physical, economic and social -- in Duluth.

This years' 39 students gathered with community members to meet, exchange information, and to view some of the work from last years' studio in the gallery. It was a great event, and a great opportunity for the students and Duluth!