2025 Texas & Southeast Best Projects
Award of Merit, Higher Ed/Research: University of Georgia (UGA) Holmes-Hunter Academic Building Renovations
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University of Georgia (UGA) Holmes-Hunter Academic Building Renovations
Ga.
Award of Merit
Submitted by Ajax Building Co.
Owner University of Georgia
Lead Design Firm Perkins + Will/Fitzgerald Collaborative JV
General Contractor Ajax Building Co.
Structural Engineer Sykes Consulting Inc.
MEP Engineer Hammond & Associates Consulting Engineers
Subcontractors Lucent Glass; Merick Building Construction Consultants; Metro Waterproofing; Morley Environmental; Mulkey Enterprises; NetPlanner Systems; Robinson Iron; Steel Tech Industries; TK Elevator Corp.; Venable Flooring
With some portions of the 51,000-sq-ft building dating back to the 1830s, the renovation project faced multiple structural and scheduling challenges. Termite-damaged framing, an unstable stacked stone foundation and a mismatched attic structure required extensive changes to the original plan, as did the owner’s decision to replace the entire interior structure, which would trigger a potential 180-day delay.
By coordinating with subcontractors to execute work during extended hours and maximizing offsite prefabrication of MEP systems, the team recovered two-thirds of the delay while also implementing more than 60 owner-directed changes, including historical restoration work and mechanical reconfigurations.
Historic cast iron capitals and window headers were mold-replicated to match the original 1906 courtyard architecture, while a rediscovered wall mural from the same period was stabilized and restored by art conservators.
The building is named after Hamilton Holmes and Charlayne Hunter-Gault, the first Black students admitted to the University of Georgia. Ajax honored that legacy by maximizing diversity in project delivery, conducting four MWDBE outreach workshops during preconstruction and partnering with Artesian Contracting, a certified MBE, as part of the construction management team. In total, the project team achieved approximately 20% MWDBE participation, totaling more than $5 million.


