The criteria used to evaluate projects and their teams included overcoming challenges, contribution to the industry and community, safety and construction and design quality. 

Judges could select any combination of Best Project category winners and award of merit winners. Projects had to have been completed between May 1, 2020, and May 31, 2021. Judges could not vote in categories that included projects in which they or their firms were involved. This year, ENR New England included a sustainability category for the first time. That category’s judge—Josh Rollins, senior manager, marketing and pursuit management at Suffolk—scored projects based on overall sustainability strategy, choice of materials and energy savings. Major green designations such as LEED and WELL were taken into consideration but were not absolutely critical. This year’s Excellence in Sustainability Award went to Finch Cambridge. 

This year’s safety judge—Kurt Dunmire, regional safety director at Clark Construction Group LLC—selected Pfizer Plasmid DNA - Suites GH for the Excellence in Safety Award. Clippership Wharf in East Boston was chosen as the region’s overall Project of the Year. Please read on to learn more about the noteworthy regional projects completed in the last year.