WestBuildingsBest Projects2016

Communities Benefit from California Best Projects

Collaborative green workspaces and drought-busting facilities are among the projects honored by industry judges

Lead QA inspector Rebecca Fusee checks the interior of the steel pipe final liner on the New Irvington Tunnel prior to cement mortar lining installation.

*PHOTO BY ROBIN SCHESWOHL, COURTESY OF SFPUC*

A jury of local architects, engineers, contractors and owners cited achievement in building and infrastructure projects that provided essential services to the California and Hawaii region. The judging team also homed in on those that featured innovative construction methods and creative design solutions.

Submitters provided more than 90 entries for consideration. Judging criteria included collaboration and teamwork, ability to overcome challenges, safety performance and use of innovative design or construction solutions. The panel also considered the contribution to the construction industry and/or community, design quality and construction craftsmanship. Entries were not accepted for projects that had a construction-related death.

If a judge worked for a firm directly involved in a submitted project, that panelist was assigned to a different category and did not participate in the scoring of any competing firms’ entries.

This year’s judges included Benjamin Caffey, associate and architecture and design leader with Harley Ellis Devereaux; Joe Collins, a partner at ZGF Architects LLP; Aaron Fenton, project manager of development at Boston Properties; Clark Fernon, unit manager-SoCal/Nevada for TY Lin International; Rick Fochtman; senior vice president of Bernards; Chris Forster, vice president of operations at Largo Concrete; Rory Madden, senior project manager at DPR Construction; David Mori, engineering manager, design services for the ity of Anaheim; and Suzanne Napier, studio leader at SmithGroupJJR.

Two safety specialists reviewed several dozen entries for the Excellence in Safety Award, considering factors such as the project’s lost-time accident rate, total worker hours and the quality of the contractor’s safety program. The panelists were: Pat Callahan, senior vice president and corporate officer for safety at Hathaway Dinwiddie Construction Co., and returning judge Rand Magee, group director of safety at Kiewit Infrastructure Group.

Winning project teams will be recognized at two awards banquets—one in Los Angeles on Oct. 4 and one in San Francisco on Oct. 6. For more details, visit enrbestprojectsawards.com.

KEYWORDS: Best Projects infrastructure

Blair leads day-to-day operations of the ENR editorial team to ensure brand quality and further best practices. He spearheads ENR's various competitions, including Best Projects and the Award of Excellence, and organizes editorial content at events including the Top Young Professionals conference. A Jesse H. Neal, Construction Media Alliance and AZBEES-award-winning writer and videographer, Blair frequently contributes to ENR’s burgeoning video channel with project tour videos and interviews with industry leaders. He is also a frequent speaker and moderator on topics such as diversity and inclusion, design and jobsite technology, construction means and methods and marketing.