ENR Southwest's 2020 Best Projects
Annual Awards Honor a Diverse Array of Projects
The east entrance to the New Mexico School for the Arts features a contemporary interpretation of its original lumber yard doors.
PHOTO BY PETER MOLICK
ENR Southwest’s 2020 Best Projects competition drew 74 entries from across Arizona, Nevada and New Mexico. An independent panel of judges selected 18 category winners and 15 awards of merit.
The panel of jurors, representing a broad range of specialties within the AEC community, spent weeks reviewing entries using criteria that included project challenges and solutions, safety programs, innovative design and construction solutions, contribution to the construction industry and the community as well as design quality and craftsmanship. The competition excluded any projects with a construction-related death.
The region’s 18 Best Projects will now advance to the national level, competing with winners from nine other regions to be considered for ENR’s Best of the Best awards. Judging for the national contest will begin later this year.
Special thanks to this year’s distinguished panel of judges: Chad Constance, project executive, Rosendin; Jitka Dekojova, associate, landscape architect, Dekker/Perich/Sabatini; Kyle Fischer, principal, Ikthus Design; Jeff Frank, vice president of preconstruction, Tutor Perini Building Corp.; Nick Gushue, director of preconstruction, Martin-Harris Construction; Kai Kaoni, assistant professor of practice, Dept. of Civil Engineering, Construction Management and Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering, Informatics and Applied Sciences, Northern Arizona University; and Alison F. Rainey, principal, Shepley Bulfinch.
The competition includes the Excellence in Safety program. This year’s independent panel of safety experts included Pat Salandi, a construction safety professional based in Salt Lake City, and Jon Wickizer, founder of Acknowlogy in Cedar City, Utah. They reviewed more than 30 entries, considering factors such as a project’s overall safety program, OSHA recordable incident rate and lost-time accident rate as well as total worker hours on the job. Three projects were honored for their safety achievements: Caesars Forum in Las Vegas, the I-10 Ina Road traffic interchange in Tucson and the Wynn South Convention Expansion in Las Vegas.
In addition, Project of the Year finalists included one representative from each of the region’s three states: the Casa Grande Community Recreation Center in Casa Grande, Ariz. (Best Project in the government/public building category), the Lake Mead Intake No. 3 Low Lake Level Pumping Station Project in Boulder City, Nev. (water/environment winner) and the New Mexico School for the Arts in Santa Fe (K-12 education winner).
Project teams will be honored during a virtual Southwest Best Projects awards ceremony on Nov. 9.
- New Lake Mead Pump Station Provides for Better Defense Against Drought
- Project of the Year Finalist, Best Government/Public Building: Casa Grande Community Recreation Center
- Project of the Year Finalist, Best K-12 Education: New Mexico School for the Arts
- Best Airport/Transit: Gilbert Road Light Rail Extension
- Airport/Transit, Award of Merit: Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport Terminal 3 Modernization North Concourse
- Best Cultural/Worship: Sierra Linda High School Performing Arts Center
- Best Energy/Industrial: Kayenta II Solar
- Energy/Industrial, Award of Merit: Raytheon North Airport Expansion
- Excellence in Safety, Award of Merit: Wynn South Convention Expansion
- Government/Public Building, Award of Merit: Symphony Park Parking Garages
- Best Green Project: UNM Physics and Astronomy Interdisciplinary Science Building
- Best Health Care: Banner - University Medical Center Tucson
- Health Care, Award of Merit: Heidi's Village
- Best Higher Education/Research: University of Arizona Health Sciences Innovation Building (HSIB)
- Higher Education/Research, Award of Merit: New Mexico State University Devasthali Hall and University Art Museum
- Best Highway/Bridge, Excellence in Safety, Award of Merit; I-10, Ina Road Traffic Interchange
- Highway/Bridge, Award of Merit: SR 28 Lake Tahoe East Shore Trail
- Best Interior/Tenant Improvement: Transwestern Arizona Headquarters
- Interior/Tenant Improvement, Award of Merit: International Polymer Engineering
- Interior/Tenant Improvement, Award of Merit: UNLV Gateway TI
- K-12 Education, Award of Merit: Dove Mountain K-8 CSTEM
- Best Landscape/Urban Development: Gilbert Regional Park Phase 1
- Landscape/Urban Development, Award of Merit: Country Club Plaza
- Manufacturing, Award of Merit: Ferrero Ferrara (PV | 303 First Park West 1)
- Best Office/Retail/Mixed-Use Excellence in Safety Award: CAESARS FORUM
- Office/Retail/Mixed-Use, Award of Merit: I.D.E.A. Tempe
- Best Renovation/Restoration: 225 Madison
- Renovation/Restoration, Award of Merit: Confidential Client, Hospital - D & E Pod Renovations
- Best Residential/Hospitality: The Astor at Osborn
- Best Small Project (under $10 million): North Mountain Tower Road
- Small Project (under $10 million), Award of Merit: Special Olympics Arizona Headquarters and Processing Center
- Best Specialty Construction: Fremont Street LED Canopy
- Best Sports/Entertainment: Desert Diamond West Valley Casino
- Sports/Entertainment, Award of Merit: Anderson Auto Group Field House
