ENR Mountain States magazine previously announced its 2015 Best Projects award winners (see my editor’s blog on this website). Now, after tabulating final results, we are ready to name the finalists for Best Overall Project of the Year in both the Intermountain and Colorado & the Plains areas.

The voting for Best Overall Project of the Year was close, as always, but a handful of projects have emerged as front-runners. To be considered for the honor, a project had to be a first-place winner in its individual category and near the top in overall points from our panel of judges.

The winners of this award will be announced at the breakfast award ceremonies in Salt Lake City (Oct. 27) and Denver (Oct. 29). Here are the finalists, in alphabetical order.

Colorado/Wyoming Area Best Overall Finalists

• Denver Botanic Gardens Science Pyramid, Denver
(also chosen as Best Cultural/Worship Project)

The 5,200-sq-ft Science Pyramid at Denver Botanic Gardens has 16 sides and is covered enirely in honeycomb-shaped plates. Its windows lighten and darken in response to sunlight.

Entry submitted by GH Phipps Construction Cos.

Key Players
Owner: Denver Botanic Gardens
Architect: BURKETT Design
Civil Engineer: Carrroll & Lange-Manhard Ltd.
Structural Engineer: Studio NYL
MEP Engineer: BCER Group Engineering
General Contractor: GH Phipps Construction Cos.

• Colorado State Capitol Dome Restoration, Denver
(also chosen as Best Renovation/Restoration Project)

After more than a century of wear and tear, the dome was in desperae need of repairs. A team was assembled to clean, repair and repaint the cast iron dome. The roof under the gilded dome was also replaced and asbestos was removed.

Entry submitted by GH Phipps Construction Cos.

Key Players
Owner: State of Colorado
Architect: Quinn Evans Architects
Structural Engineer: Martin/Martin Inc.
Preservation Specialist: Cobra Consulting LLC
General Contractor: GH Phipps Construction Cos.
Cast Iron Speialist: Historical Arts & Casting Inc.
Commercial Roofing: Douglass Colony Group

• The New Saint Joseph Hospital, Denver
(also chosen as Best Health Care Project)

Mortenson applied innovative construction practices such as prefabriation to build the 831,000-sq-ft, 365-room hospital in a tight urban location in just 30 months. The new hospital is a model for future health care, with an increased outpatient focus and new efficiencies to help lower operating costs.

Entry submitted by Mortenson

Key Players
Owner: SCL Health Systems; Saint Joseph Hospital
Architects: Davis Partnership, H+L Architecture, ZGF
Interiors: H+L Architecture
Civil and Structural Engineer: Martin/Martin Inc.
MEP Engineer: Cator, Ruma & Associates
General Contractor: Mortenson

Intermountain Area Best Overall Finalists

• Jabs Hall College of Business at Montana State University, Bozeman, Mont. (also chosen as Best Higher Education/Research Project)

MSU’s new four-story, 55,000-sq-ft academic building features a central forum designed as a campus gathering place for students and faculty to interact.

Entry submitted by Dick Anderson Construction

Key Players
Owner: State of Montana, A/E Division
Architect: Comma Q Architecture
Civil & Structural Engineer: Morrison Maierle
MEP Engineer: Erik Renna
General Contractor: Dick Anderson Construction


• Mountain Point Medical Center, Lehi, Utah
(also chosen as Best Health Care Project)

Mountain Point Medical Center is a state-of-the-art, full-service regional hospital located on a 28-acre campus along I-15 in Lehi, Utah. The facility is built to serve seven surrounding cities and was designed with future expansion in mind.

Entry submitted by Layton Construction Co.

Key Players
Owner: IASIS Healthcare
Architect: Earl Swensson Associates
Civil Engineer: Great Basin Engineers
Structural Engineer: Structural Design Group
MEP Engineer: I.C. Thomasson
General Contractor: Layton Construction Co.

• Nampa Library Square, Nampa, Idaho
(also chosen as Best Government/Public Building Project)

The Nampa Library is the focal point of Nampa Library Square, a  redevelopment of an entire city block in downtown Nampa. The three-story, 62,000-sq-ft library serves as the main anchor for the block and is accompanied by a new parking structure and two office and retail buildings.

Entry submitted by Engineered Structures Inc.

Key Players
Owner: Nampa Development Corp.
Architect: Babcock Design Group
Civil Engineer: Horrocks Engineers
Structural Engineer: KPFF Consulting Engineers
MEP Engineer: PVE Engineering
General Contractor: Engineered Structures Inc.

The Best Overall Project of the Year winners will be announced at their respective Regional Best Projects Awards events in Salt Lake City (Oct. 27) and Denver (Oct. 29). Please plan to join us for the celebrations.
Information and registration for the Best Projects events is available at: http://www.enrbestprojectsawards.com/.