Southeast Construction presents its ninth annual Best Of awards, in honor of the “best” construction and design efforts in the four-state region completed between Sept. 1, 2008, and Sept. 1, 2009.
This year’s competition was the biggest we’ve had to date, with more entries than ever before. Our two panels of judges reviewed a record-shattering total of approximately 200 entries this year, resulting in 61 awards.
That increase in the number of entries may have been the result of the competition’s transition to an all-digital platform. Instead of the large binders of printed information and photos that have been required in the past, this year all companies submitted their entries–including photos–through our online system.
That wasn’t the only change this year. Last year, for the first time, winners of Southeast Construction’s Best Of program went on to compete in a national competition, operated in conjunction with McGraw-Hill Construction’s other Regional Construction Publications, as well as Engineering News-Record. As a result of that, this year’s categories were aligned to be in sync with all of the regional competitions, which caused some change in the categories here in the Southeast.
Categories for this year’s program were: Civil/Public Works; Cultural; Government/Public Buildings; Green Buildings; Health Care; Higher Education/Research; Industrial; Interior Design/Tenant Improvement; K-12; Multifamily Residential/Hospitality; Offices; Renovation/Restoration; Retail; Small Projects; Specialty Contracting; Sports/Recreation; Transportation; and Worship.
In addition, because our online system made it easy to compare and rank projects via specific criteria, we also generated other awards, for Best Architecture, Best Engineering and Best Project Management.
Considerable thanks goes out to this year’s judges, who provided many hours of their time and all of their industry expertise in service of this program. This year’s judges included: Tim Ackert, Venues project director with the City of Orlando; Maria Ehrlich, US Group communications manager-Southeast for AECOM, Orlando; Bruce Kershner, executive director of the Underground Utility Contractors of Florida in Longwood, Fla.; Cheryl Maze, associated and marketing representative with TLC Engineering for Architecture in Orlando; Susan Pendergrass, director of business development with RLF Architecture Engineering Interiors, Winter Park, Fla.; and Matt Stevens, of Stevens Construction Institute, Winter Park.
The panelists also decided the top project overall for the Judges Award. To determine this winner, the judges first nominated six entries for consideration. These finalists included: the North Carolina Museum of Art; Pine Jog Elementary School and FAU/Pine Jog Environmental Education Center; Dames Point Terminal; Reconstruction of U.S. 1/S.R. 5 and the Jewfish Creek Bridge; the Inspiration Networks City of Light Corporate Campus; and the National Infantry Museum and Soldier Center at Patriot Park.
After reviewing each of the entries a second time, the judges then voted again. The result was the selection of the Pine Jog Elementary School and FAU/Pine Jog Environmental Education Center, submitted by Pirtle Construction Co. of Davie, Fla., as this year’s Judges Award winner.
We invite you to read on for more information about all of this year’s winners, and we look forward to receiving your entries next year.
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