For 15 years now, ENR Southeast's annual Best Projects contest has been recognizing construction and design excellence performed on projects from across the Southeast. Over that time, some truly outstanding projects have taken home the competition's top honor, the Project of the Year award. In fact, one of last year's winners of this top award, the Florida Polytechnic University Innovation, Science and Technology building, recently earned Project of the Year recognition via ENR's Global Best Projects contest.
 
The selection of each Best Projects award—all of which are determined by an independent panel of judges—is based upon each entry's ability to meet the following criteria: the project team's ability to overcome challenges; safety; innovation and contribution to the community or industry; construction quality and craftsmanship; and function and aesthetic quality of design. Each year, our judges keep the bar high for winning any level of award, so that all "winners" should feel a real sense of pride for earning this recognition.
 
Additionally, it takes a special level of project excellence to be considered for the Project of the Year award. And all of this year's nominees definitely earned high marks in each of the above-mentioned criteria.
 
As a preview for both ENR Southeast's Nov. 9 print edition, as well as the Nov. 10 Best Projects Awards luncheon in Orlando, here's a look at this year's Project of the Year candidates, listed in alphabetical order