DBIA names best design-build projects

Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA) has named the winners for the 2016 Design-Build Project/Team Awards. The program, now in its 21^st year, was established to recognize exemplary collaboration and integration in design-build projects.

Award-winners were evaluated and picked by a panel of expert judges in 10 categories.

Aviation
Los Angeles International Airport central utility plant replacement project, a Clark/McCarthy joint venture, provided one of the world’s busiest airports with a modern, state-of-the-art, computer-managed utility plant. The design-build effort greatly improved the reliability and efficiency of the airport’s utility service and helped the owner provide an enhanced passenger experience.

Civic/Assembly
The Public Building Commission of Chicago selected Wight & Company, in collaboration with Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, to provide design-build services for the Chinatown Branch of the Chicago Public Library—a new civic, educational, and social hub for the neighborhood. It features high-performance glass curtain walls, maximizing visibility and, allowing the exterior to present the image of a glowing lantern at night. The building features numerous sustainable elements and was designed and constructed to achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold status.

Another civic/assembly project was the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center Expansion.The $325-million work comprised an addition of 67,400 m² (726,000 sf), including exhibit halls, a multi-purpose hall, meeting rooms, a ballroom, loading docks, a kitchen expansion, new administrative offices, and support space. The primary goals of the project were to create contiguous space, gain the ability to host multiple shows simultaneously, and replace the antiquated west building to allow for expansion of Hemisfair Park—all while maintaining continuous operations.

The third winner in this was category was the Royal Gorge Bridge and Park Visitor Center. The original building had been devastated by a fire in 2013. Faced with a compressed timeline and a project without a known budget, the owner selected the Beck Group (involved in architecture, construction, and real-estate development) to rebuild the park’s facilities through a fully integrated design-build delivery model.

Commercial Buildings/Office Buildings
The Gateway Plaza was developed by Construction Racing Group (CRG), designed by Forum Studio, and built by Clayco; it represents a custom design solution to become the headquarters for law firms. Located in Richmond, Virginia, it sets a new standard for office construction, accommodating multiple tenancies, with retail space and parking on lower levels. The 50,000-m² (538,000-sf), 18-story Class A Office building includes floor-to-ceiling glass and was certified to  LEED Gold.

The second winner in the commercial buildings/office buildings category was the Texas Christian University Frog Alley Parking Garage. The Beck Group served as the designer and builder for the 31,900-m² (343,400-sf) parking garage at Texas Christian University (TCU). The design aligns with the Fort Worth Deco aesthetic of the nearby athletic venues. It was completed on time within nine months, during North Texas’ wettest year on record, and under budget.

The third winner was the Zev Yaroslavsky Family Support Center. On a 3-ha (7-acres) campus, this new LEED Gold 20,000-m² (216,000-sf), five-story support center and six-level parking structure in the San Fernando Valley consolidated seven L.A. County family services departments into one location which serves the most vulnerable and disadvantaged residents of the Valley. The project created a community-friendly, park-like campus while providing a safe, welcoming, and sustainable environment for the facility’s clients. The project also promotes interdepartmental collaboration among 1000 employees calling the building home.

Educational Facilities
Cornish College of the Arts: Cornish Commons is a small, private, liberal arts school located in the heart of Seattle’s South Lake Union neighborhood. In 2013, Cornish’s current housing stock was under-served and officials were going to lose the lease on the existing housing facilities. Faced with an urgent problem, the design-build team was able to deliver a state-of-the-art, live/learn facility for students, faculty, and staff on an accelerated schedule.

The Los Angeles Valley College Monarch Center project was the second winner in the category. It required a unique building design facilitating a bookstore, cafeteria, health services center, café and meeting area, and recreational spot for students and faculty. McCarthy Building Companies was brought on as a design-build partner to create a functional and contemporary structure without disrupting the campus environment throughout the construction process.

The Virginia Tech Indoor Athletic Training Facility project was the third winner. This indoor training center is an instrumental asset expanding Virginia Tech’s core brand while supporting the university’s mission, spirit, and philosophy. The 8454-m² (91,000-sf) center offers ample room for full-contact scrimmages with practice space for football, baseball, softball, and lacrosse teams. The building features roll-up doors for protection against inclement weather, two observation decks, and full stadium lighting. This signature building reflects the spirit of Virginia Tech’s traditions and campus architecture.