The Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA) announced the 2015 Project of the Year and National Award of Excellence winners Tuesday night at the Design-Build Conference & Expo Awards Dinner in Denver. The Benjamin P. Grogan & Jerry L. Dove Federal Building won DBIA's highest honor, Design-Build Project of the Year, and the St. Jude Medical Center Northwest Tower and North Carolina's I-485 Outer Loop projects were also recognized for excellence in the critical areas of design and teaming.
Recognized for exemplary collaboration and integration in design-build project delivery, the award-winning projects were evaluated by a panel of industry experts. This year, 26 projects in 10 categories were awarded National Awards of Merit. One project in each of the 10 categories was then considered for best-in-category as a National Award of Excellence winner along with Excellence in Design (Architecture), Excellence in Design (Engineering), Excellence in Process and Excellence in Teaming awards and Project of the Year. The 2015 selected projects showcase design-build best practices, in addition to achieving budget and schedule goals and exceeding owner expectations.
DBIA 2015 Project of the Year – Benjamin P. Grogan and Jerry L. Dove Federal Building, Miramar, Fla.
DBIA's Project of the Year, the Benjamin P. Grogan and Jerry L. Dove Federal Building, is a testament to the viability of design-build as a delivery method for complex projects and the winner of five National Design-Build Project/Team Awards in total. The Federal Building earned Excellence in Category and the Excellence in Process and Excellence in Design (Architecture) Awards. The building, which operates as a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) campus, totaled 383,000 sf and was delivered on time and on budget, providing the owner with a structure capable of withstanding security threats while respecting the natural Florida landscape. Delivering the project through design-build allowed the team to utilize innovative strategies for delivering the most challenging aspects of the project.
The Project of the Year team includes: Owner: General Services Administration (GSA); Design-Builder, General Contractor: Hensel Phelps; Architects: Gensler and Krueck + Sexton; Specialty Contractors: M.C. Dean, Inc. (Electrical Subcontractor), John J. Kirlin, Inc. and Enclos Corp.; and Specialty Consultants: Gordon H. Smith Corporation and Hinman Consulting Engineers, Inc.
DBIA 2015 Excellence in Design (Engineering) – North Carolina's I-485/I-85 Interchange, Charlotte, N.C.
The improvement of the Charlotte, N.C,. I-485 Outer Loop was an upgrade for the city's overwhelmed transportation network. As one of the fastest growing cities in the country, Charlotte underwent extensive improvements to its transportation system; the last vital link of which was the upgrade of the I-485/I-85 Interchange. Two adjacent projects, the widening of I-85 to the northeast and the new alignment construction of I-485 to the northwest, were under design-build development concurrently, necessitating extensive coordination to make the precise geometric connections between the three projects.
By developing an Alternative Technical Concept (ATC) during the pre-award phase, the design-build team of Lane Construction Corporation and STV/Ralph Whitehead Associates added value to both their bid and the project design. They worked remarkably fast to develop an entire year's worth of engineering in just two months. Instead of a four-level stack, the team proposed a two-level turbine interchange, eliminating the flyovers and the necessity for over 200,000 truckloads of dirt to be hauled in for the construction of embankments. The resultant cost savings for this ATC was estimated at $30 million.
DBIA 2015 Excellence in Teaming – St. Jude Medical Center Northwest, Fullerton, Calif.
Through exemplary collaboration, the St. Jude Medical Center team was able to find solutions to challenges. McCarthy chose team members using a best-value approach, assembling them at the start of the conceptual design phase. The team leaders worked with Petra and St. Jude to establish a design charter that captured and prioritized contributions and set criteria that would meet the needs of all end users, including medical personnel and patients.
The project finished five months before the scheduled completion and came in well under budget – even with the expansion of the scope of work and all the necessary changes. In addition to the early completion, the project came in almost $30 million under the contracted amount; the savings were shared among the team periodically and when the final Guaranteed Maximum Price was accepted.
DBIA 2015 National Award of Excellence by Category winners are:
- Aviation – No Award of Excellence
- Civic/Assembly – County of San Diego Waterfront Park & Parking Structure
- Commercial/Office – Mission Hall: Global Health & Clinical Sciences Building
- Education – University of Washington Tacoma - YMCA Student Center
- Federal, County, State, Municipal – Benjamin P. Grogan and Jerry L. Dove Federal Building
- Healthcare – St. Jude Medical Center Northwest Tower
- Industrial/Process/Research – United States Cold Storage Distribution Center
- Rehabilitation/Renovation/Restoration – Old Main Renovation
- Transportation – I-485/I-85 Turbine Interchange
- Water/Wastewater – Lawton Valley and Station No. 1 Water Treatment
Related Stories
| May 24, 2018
Accelerate Live! talk: The rise of multi-user virtual reality
In this 15-minute talk at BD+C’s Accelerate Live! conference (May 10, 2018, Chicago), two of CannonDesign's tech leaders present their early findings from pilot testing multi-user VR technology for AEC project coordination.
| May 24, 2018
Accelerate Live! talk: The next frontier of post-occupancy evaluations
In this 15-minute talk at BD+C’s Accelerate Live! conference (May 10, 2018, Chicago), ZGF Architects’ Chris Chatto outlines methods for conducting meaningful, holistic evaluations from design to occupancy.
| May 24, 2018
Accelerate Live! talk: Security and the built environment: Insights from an embassy designer
In this 15-minute talk at BD+C’s Accelerate Live! conference (May 10, 2018, Chicago), embassy designer Tom Jacobs explores ways that provide the needed protection while keeping intact the representational and inspirational qualities of a design.
Architects | May 3, 2018
Designing innovative solutions for chronic homelessness
What’s stopping us from creating more Permanent Supportive Housing?
Architects | Apr 27, 2018
4 reasons to pursue speaking engagements
We found speaking engagements were among the top ten marketing techniques that AEC firms employ.
Architects | Apr 5, 2018
AIA grants $100,000 to four Upjohn Research Initiative projects
The purpose of the grant is to provide base funds for applied research projects that will advance the design profession’s knowledge and practice.
Architects | Apr 4, 2018
8 things to consider before using digital media to communicate with employees
The Marlin Company, a visual communications and digital signage provider, published a guide that outlines eight basic questions, along with some advice, about workplace digital signage.
Education Facilities | Mar 30, 2018
How can we design safer schools in the age of active shooters?
How can we balance the need for additional security with design principles that foster a more nurturing next-generation learning environment for students?
Architects | Mar 26, 2018
Designing for homeless facilities: Critical spaces to consider
The City of San Diego is home to the fourth largest homeless population in the U.S.
Education Facilities | Mar 23, 2018
An introvert's oasis: How to create learning environments for all student types
In order to understand why a school day can be so grueling for an introverted student, it’s important to know what it means to be introverted, writes NAC Architecture’s Emily Spiller.
