Photo by Fitlow

The team logged 1.5 million worker hours without a lost-time accident.

Gilbane Building Co. renovated more than one million sq ft of El Paso Corp.'s state-of-the-art, LEED Gold high-rise, completing work on the 32-story, 45-year-old headquarters in downtown Houston in September 2011.

No exterior hoists were used on this project, resulting in $1.5 million in cost savings. Freight elevators moved all materials and crews.

Asbestos abatement was conducted while the building was occupied, with no exposure problems. The team logged 1.5 million worker-hours without a lost-time accident.

Judges call the project a "superb example of teaming and coordination" and "an industry example of efficient re-use and stellar interior architecture."

Project Team

Owner El Paso Corp., Houston

Architect Gensler, Houston

General Contractor Gilbane Building Co., Houston

Structural Engineer Ingenium Inc., Houston

MEP Engineer I.A. Naman + Associates, Houston