The California and Hawaii Best Projects competition showcases a wide range of work that demonstrates design and construction innovation while respecting both the built environment and the natural world. Judges selected 46 projects as winners in 19 categories. Two projects that the jury considered to reflect the pinnacle of achievement were designated Projects of the Year.

This year our panel of industry judges reviewed and discussed nearly 100 projects. Work was evaluated on the ability of the project team to overcome challenges, contribution to the industry and community, safety and construction and design quality. Entries were not accepted for projects that had a construction-related fatality.

This year’s judges included Lee Abramson, executive vice president at Mott MacDonald; Curtis Cady, vice president of ACCO Engineered Systems; Benjamin Caffey, associate/architecture and design leader at HED; Matthew Grubb, vice president with R.D. Olson Construction; Suzanne Napier, vice president and science and technology studio leader at SmithGroupJJR; Paula Pritchard, vice president/construction manager with Plant Construction Co. LP; Mark Schull, project manager at Balfour Beatty Construction; Brian Thomas, senior vice president–operations at Skanska USA Building Inc.; and Pamela Touschner, global leader of architecture/senior principal with DLR Group.

Judges with a prior connection to any project under consideration recused themselves from evaluating that submission.

Two safety specialists reviewed several dozen entries for the Excellence in Safety award. Those judges were Chad Hoople, Benicia district safety manager at Flatiron, and Justin Michael Wheaton, safety engineer with Tutor Perini Corp.

Winning project teams will be honored at two awards banquets—one in Los Angeles on Oct. 11 and one in San Francisco on Oct. 13. Visit enrbestprojectsawards.com for more information.