2025 East Best Projects
Award of Merit, Higher Education/Research: St. John's University St. Vincent Health Sciences Center
St. John’s University St. Vincent Health Sciences Center
Queens, N.Y.
Award of Merit
Submitted by Shawmut Design and Construction
Owner/Developer: St. John’s University
Lead Designer: CannonDesign
Construction Manager: Shawmut Design and Construction
Timely completion of the 70,000-sq-ft academic facility was critical to launching a new nursing education program, addressing an urgent regional health care workforce need.
With ongoing global supply chain disruptions and escalating materials costs putting intense pressure on the project budget, the team implemented lean planning methodologies and rigorous cost management strategies, leveraging up-to-the-minute market data and proactive procurement.
Photo by Scott Frances, courtesy of Shawmut Design and Construction
Through multiple rounds of value engineering and design refinements, critical program elements and sustainability targets were preserved while controlling costs. Early buyouts of key trade packages helped lock in pricing and reduce exposure to market volatility.
Site conditions introduced another layer of complexity as the team installed a system of more than 60 geothermal wells on a steep, confined site. The work was completed without disrupting adjacent academic buildings and pedestrian traffic.
A just-in-time logistics and work phasing plan was executed to carefully coordinate excavation, grading transitions, utility connections and ADA-compliant access routes—all while the university remained fully operational.
