2021

Kinder Building Brings Artistry to the Forefront

Fri, 17 Dec 2021 01:00:00 -0500

Technology and modeling solutions help bring striking design elements to life at the Nancy and Rich Kinder Building, which was named the Texas & Louisiana Project of the Year.

Regional Projects Rise to the Top

Fri, 17 Dec 2021 01:00:00 -0500

ENR Texas & Louisiana’s annual Best Projects competition honors achievements in construction across the five-state region, with special honors in safety and sustainability complementing the contest’s 18 main categories.

Sports/Entertainment, Award of Merit: MAPS 3 Oklahoma City Convention Center

Wed, 15 Dec 2021 20:49:00 -0500

This $181-million, 500,000-sq-ft convention center is the largest public building project in Oklahoma City’s history and the centerpiece of the MAPS 3 capital improvements program.

Best Airport/Transit: Dallas Fort Worth International Airport Integrated Operations Center DFW Airport, Texas

Wed, 15 Dec 2021 13:40:00 -0500

In constructing its new integrated operations center (IOC), Dallas Fort Worth International Airport needed a facility that would provide 360-degree oversight of all its airport operations.

Water/Environment, Award of Merit: City of Huntsville AJ Brown Wastewater Treatment Plant Improvement Project

Wed, 15 Dec 2021 10:19:00 -0500

This $20.8-million upgrade to an aging water treatment plant included a new secondary treatment process and a mechanical dewatering system.

Water/Environment, Award of Merit: Buffalo Bayou Park Slope Stabilization & Bench Sediment Removal

Wed, 15 Dec 2021 10:00:00 -0500

To help protect the “Central Park of Houston” from future flooding while maintaining its character, a seven-phase project identified 16 repair sites along two miles of the bayou.

Best Water/Environment: Vista Ridge Regional Water Supply Project Design-Build

Wed, 15 Dec 2021 09:18:00 -0500

To help diversify water sources, provide water security and meet the needs of the rapidly growing south central Texas community, the Vista Ridge Regional Water Supply Project utilizes a public-private partnership to supply 20% of San Antonio’s needed water.

Sports/Entertainment, Award of Merit: Q2 Stadium

Wed, 15 Dec 2021 08:55:00 -0500

Austin’s newest entertainment and sports venue is home to the city’s Major League Soccer team. On 26 acres, the LEED Silver 410,000-sq-ft stadium has permanent seating for 20,000 as well as club seats, lounges and luxury suites.

Sports/Entertainment, Award of Merit: Beast Urban Park, Phase 1

Wed, 15 Dec 2021 08:42:00 -0500

Phase 1 of this $39.6-million project includes a natatorium, aquatics park and multipurpose facility, providing a 26-acre recreational/cultural hub for a previously underserved community.

Renovation/Restoration, Award of Merit: The Ion

Tue, 14 Dec 2021 23:56:00 -0500

Completed in April 2021, The Ion redeveloped 190,000 sq ft of the 1939 Sears, Roebuck and Co. Building into retail, office, event and classroom space.

Project of the Year Finalist Best Sports/Entertainment: The Buddy Holly Hall of Performing Arts and Sciences

Tue, 14 Dec 2021 15:00:00 -0500

Honoring the city’s native son rock-and-roller, this $127.6-million performing arts campus is West Texas’ largest dedicated performance venue.

Best Specialty Construction: Collin College Technical Campus

Tue, 14 Dec 2021 14:41:00 -0500

Numerous electrical installations were required on this $13.3-million, 340,000-sq-ft four-building technical college, including distribution, interior and exterior lighting, lighting controls and an emergency backup generator.

Small Project (under $10 million), Award of Merit: Shepard State Park Marshwalk Pier

Tue, 14 Dec 2021 14:25:00 -0500

This $394,498 project connects two hiking trails in the park with a pier over the marsh so that visitors can see and interact with the many species living there.

Small Project (under $10 million), Award of Merit: The Epic PlayGrand Adventures

Tue, 14 Dec 2021 14:20:00 -0500

Located on eight acres, this colorful playground offers areas for climbing, swinging and spinning as well as spaces for more tranquil endeavors.

Best Small Project (under $10 million): Cristo Rey College Preparatory Innovation Center

Tue, 14 Dec 2021 13:55:00 -0500

The 40,435-sq-ft Innovation Center, which sits 30 ft from an existing academic building, primarily serves the Dallas area’s low-income youth.

Residential/Hospitality, Award of Merit: Marriott Uptown

Tue, 14 Dec 2021 13:05:00 -0500

Delivered in March 2021, the 14-story Marriott Uptown contains 255 guest rooms and 22,000 sq ft of meeting and ballroom space.

Residential/Hospitality, Award of Merit: HALL Arts Hotel and Residences

Tue, 14 Dec 2021 13:00:00 -0500

HALL Arts is a 467,455-sq-ft project featuring a 28-story residential tower and 10-story boutique hotel. The project is pursuing LEED Gold and is the first residential development in the state to register for the WELL Building Standard.

Best Residential/Hospitality: Kalahari Resort & Convention Center

Tue, 14 Dec 2021 12:51:00 -0500

This destination resort on 152 acres comprises 1.5 million sq ft of space, including a waterpark that totals 223,000 sq ft, an 11-story hotel, a family-entertainment center and—under separate contract—a 200,000-sq-ft convention center with a 41,000-sq-ft ballroom.

Renovation/Restoration, Award of Merit: The National

Tue, 14 Dec 2021 12:00:00 -0500

The National was built in 1965 as the First National Bank Tower, then the tallest building west of the Mississippi River. After an extended vacancy, the mixed-use project added 324 high-end apartments and 218 luxury suites as part of the Thompson Hotel.

Renovation/Restoration, Award of Merit: The Hall of State at Fair Park Restoration

Tue, 14 Dec 2021 09:00:00 -0500

This landmark was built in 1936 for the centennial of the Republic of Texas. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places and as a State Antiquities Landmark, the hall is one of three defining examples of Texas architecture, along with the Alamo and the Capitol.

Best Renovation/Restoration: CPS Energy Headquarters

Mon, 13 Dec 2021 16:36:00 -0500

The new corporate headquarters for the country’s largest municipally owned electric and gas utility encompasses two former AT&T buildings built in 1979 that underwent an energy-efficient renovation.

Office/Retail/Mixed-Use, Award of Merit: Village Towers Phase I

Mon, 13 Dec 2021 15:55:00 -0500

This first phase of the Village Towers mixed-use development included a six-story, Class-A office building with 120,000 sq ft of rentable space and a 420,000-sq-ft seven-story open parking garage with 20,000 sq ft for future development.

Best Office/Retail/Mixed-Use: Beacon Recreation Center

Mon, 13 Dec 2021 15:40:00 -0500

Located on 12.8 acres in Webb Community Park, the $22.3-million Beacon Recreation Center features a LED-lighted two-story atrium, a gymnasium, a fitness stair, a cardio and weights area, and an aerobics and yoga studio.

Manufacturing, Award of Merit: Speculative 9/IG Design Group Building

Mon, 13 Dec 2021 15:30:00 -0500

Crews placed the slab and tilt wall panels for this 554,000-sq-ft distribution warehouse in late 2019 and early 2020 at a 1,500-acre industrial park crossing the Mississippi and Tennessee state lines.

Manufacturing, Award of Merit: Park 249

Mon, 13 Dec 2021 15:20:00 -0500

Completed in June 2020, this 816,920-sq-ft spec industrial development on Houston’s northwest side consists of four e-commerce-primed industrial facilities in a 64-acre corporate park.

Landscape/Urban Development, Award of Merit: Mayor Vera Calvin Plaza in Old Town Burleson

Mon, 13 Dec 2021 14:30:00 -0500

The $6.7-million renovation of Mayor Vera Calvin Plaza revitalized Old Town Burleson’s public plaza with an outdoor concert stage, covered seating and streetscape improvements.

Best Landscape/Urban Development Girl Scouts Western Oklahoma Camp Trivera

Mon, 13 Dec 2021 14:20:00 -0500

As a nonprofit organization, Girl Scouts Western Oklahoma needed to make every penny count in constructing its $10-million urban camp and STEM center, Camp Trivera.

K-12 Education, Award of Merit: Norman-Sims Elementary

Mon, 13 Dec 2021 13:30:00 -0500

Combining three older school buildings into a single, modern learning space was the goal of the $19.6-million Norman-Sims Elementary project in Austin.

Best K-12 Education New Brusly High School

Mon, 13 Dec 2021 13:20:00 -0500

Squeezed into a narrow tract of land 1,000 ft from the Mississippi River, the team building the $39-million New Brusly High School faced four hurricanes, 10 months of historically high river levels and a tornado that destroyed their structural steel fabricator’s shop.

Interior/Tenant Improvement, Award of Merit Indeed Gateway

Mon, 13 Dec 2021 13:05:00 -0500

Building Indeed’s Austin office involved renovating a five-story, 183,911-sq-ft space into a collaborative work area with a café, game room, gym, library and break rooms.