Photo Courtesy Clark Construction

Best Office Project: United States Institute of Peace

United States Institute of Peace

Washington, D.C.  Region ENR New York

Project Team

Owner United States Institute of Peace, Washington, D.C.

Lead Design Safdie Architects, Boston

General Contractor Clark Construction Group, Bethesda, Md.

Construction Manager United States Institute of Peace

Owner's Representative Stranix Associates, Vienna, Va.

The United States Institute of Peace, an independent conflict-management center, has its first permanent home in 27 years with construction of this $112-million headquarters and offices for the Global Peacebuilding Center on Washington, D.C.'s National Mall. The 150,000-sq-ft structure includes three stories of office space, a 230-seat theater, seven conference rooms and a 2,000-sq-ft outdoor terrace.

A complex job in a high-profile, public location, this project was praised by one of the judges for the contractor's handling of challenges including budget, logistics and scheduling. "The craftsmanship shown with the completed structure is extremely impressive," the judge said.