A vibrant concert hall, a wind farm perched high above a Hawaii town and a sustainable winery education facility: This year's ENR California top projects certainly are a diverse group.
But all of the projects that impressed the panel of judges also share certain traits. Collaboration was deeply ingrained among the teams, with owners, design firms and contractors taking advantage of new technology and old-fashioned know-how to design and build more efficiently. Many teams also espoused a deep commitment to sustainability, with three winning projects targeting net-zero energy use and more aiming for LEED certification.