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Commercial Builders Honored for Success, Design, Solutions
NAHB’s National Commercial Builders Council (NCBC) has honored 13 commercial building projects for excellence in design, market appeal, energy efficiency, solutions to challenges faced during building and success in meeting project goals.
The winners include:
Project of the Year
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AES Corporation headquarters and the "social stair"
Photo by Hoachlander Davis Photo | AES Corporation Headquarters, Arlington, Va.
Simple lines and polished colors are paired with high-end finishes for sleek public spaces while maintaining the controlled access necessary for secure office space near Washington, D.C.
The offices, with full-height, floor-to-ceiling windows, boast glass partition walls, extensive hardwoods throughout and a reception area featuring Italian marble and a white maple wood reception desk that seems to float above the floor.
The focal point of the project is the “social stair” that encourages open communication and traffic flow between floors. A 40-foot, full-height wood feature wall rises against the stair and draws the eye upward. The social stairs were built after AES moved into its space and required a crane to bring the stringers in through an exterior window panel — and the flexibility to work around the boardroom meeting schedule.
General Contractor: Dietze Construction
Architect: SOM Architects
Developer: Monument Realty
Structural and Civil Engineer: GHT
Grand ― Division II, Commercial
Bar Harbor Supper Club, Lake Shore, Minn.
Bar Harbor was originally built in 1937. For years, it was a landmark of Minnesota’s Gull Lake area and popular for its summer nightlife and gambling. In 1963, a second facility, Little Bar Harbor, was purchased nearby to accommodate patrons year round. Following a fire that leveled Big Bar Harbor five years later, Little Bar Harbor was expanded to fill the void.
As Little Bar Harbor’s 40th anniversary approached, its owners decided to build a new, larger, 7,500-square-foot facility that would capture the essence of both clubs and exceed state energy requirements.
Because the infrastructure serving Little Bar Harbor was located within the footprint of the new building, temporary gas lines, power lines, telephone, cable and septic had to be installed and designed so that switching services between the two buildings could be made within a 36-hour time span.
Also, given the harsh Minnesota winters, schedules had to be readjusted to factor in weather issues while keeping to the schedule for opening in time for the 2004 spring/summer tourism season. Concrete phases required the use of blankets, ground heating equipment, winter heat and tenting — all of which added to the cost of the project.
General Contractor: Kuepers, Inc.
Architect: Kuepers, Inc.
Engineer: Structural Design Associates
Landscape Firm: Kuepers, Inc.
Grand — Division II, Entertainment
Finz Waterfront Grille, Stuart, Fla.
Finz Waterfront Grille is a two-story, upscale waterfront restaurant built on the site of a former boatyard in a transitional community that served as a hub of southeastern Florida’s commercial fishing industry for decades until a ban on net fishing put area fishermen out of business.
Finz features a wall system of sliding glass panels that surrounds the entire downstairs bar and dining area. The project required Epicore as well as extensive decking, and both flat and pitched roofs.
The project faced budgetary challenges, with the cost increasing from $800,000 to $1.2 million, largely because of numerous changes made in the field and a record-setting hurricane season. In fact, two hurricanes hit the community three weeks apart.
General Contractor: Bayview Construction Corp.
Architect: Joseph P. McCarty
Engineer: V.J. Gerley & Associates
Landscape Architect: William A. Flint, III
Grand ― Division III, Recreational
Ridge at Back Brook, Ringoes, N.J.
The Ridge at Back Brook is a 19,704-square-foot, Adirondack-theme clubhouse featuring staff offices, a full kitchen with grill facilities, a pro shop, men’s and women’s locker rooms with lounges and bars, and a screened porch with a fireplace.
The walls are constructed with structural steel with steel stud infill. The interior is primarily finished with alder wood vertical and horizontal paneling or cultured stone veneer. The ceiling in the main hall and dining room is tongue-and-groove beaded alder.
The rear wall of the dining area is a glass gable 30 feet tall and custom-fitted between vertical logs. The glass walls facing the south and west allow for passive solar heating and provide natural light. Energy efficient fluorescent recessed lights are utilized throughout the building.
General Contractor: Kay Construction
Architect: Tunnell-Spangler Assoc.
Structural Engineer: Michael A. Beach Associates
Interior Architect: Tom Hoch Designs
Grand —Division IV, Commercial
Bozzuto Group Corporate Headquarters, Greenbelt, Md.
The Bozzuto Group, a prominent home builder in the Washington, D.C. area, consolidated operations and built a four-story, 89,000-square-foot headquarters.
The building features flexible, multi-use space and a “town square,” which has been configured so that it can easily accommodate small group training sessions or large meetings. A fourth floor conference room features state-of-the-art technology, including a three-layered media wall that alternates easily between teleconference video screens, electronic white-board transactions and live display options. The second floor training center features computer data ports at each seat.
The designer had five months to program, space plan, design, specify all furniture, fixtures, finishes and equipment, document, obtain approvals, bid and oversee construction. As an added requirement, Bozzuto planned to occupy and operate in 80% of the building during construction.
General Contractor: E.E. Reed Construction, L.P.
Interior Architect: Portnoy Levine Design Associates
Developer: Atlantic Realty Companies T/A Patriot Business Park, LLC
Engineer: Wedgco Engineering
Grand ― Division VI, Institutional
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University of Akron student union
Photo by Denmarsh Photography |
University of Akron New Student Union, Akron, Ohio
The new 200,000-square-foot student center is a model of efficient energy applications achieved through a blend of active and passive energy systems. High-efficiency gas-fired boilers provide a dependable heating source for the facility. Chilled water for cooling is provided at low cost via the university’s campus-wide chilled water system. Low-E tinted glazing used throughout helped reduce the size of the center’s HVAC systems.
The center was built on the site of two existing buildings — the existing student center and the school’s old central campus heating plant. The challenge was to maintain the critical services of both facilities throughout construction. The solution was to construct the new facility in two phases. To facilitate the two-step occupancy, each phase was constructed with its own mechanical/electrical/telecommunications core.
Construction Manager: Ruhun Co./Kenmore Construction
Architect: WTW Architects
Landscape Architect: Behnke & Associates
MEP Engineering Firm: Scheeser Buckley Mayfield
Grand ― Division VI, Recreational
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Bear Creek Resort and Lodge
Photo by Michael Dersin Photography | Bear Creek Resort and Lodge, Macungie, Pa.
The $20 million Bear Creek Resort and Lodge atop Bear Creek Mountain near Allentown, Pa. was built in less than 10 months and offers ski slopes, a ski school, children’s learning center and day care, a picnicking area, a restaurant, indoor and outdoor hot tubs and fireplaces, an exercise room and an indoor pool.
The hotel and lodge were designed to use exclusively local finishes and materials to cut costs and construction time. In addition, light-colored materials were selected for low-emission roofing.
The construction of Bear Creek had one singularly outstanding constraint — time. The developers mandated that construction be completed before the beginning of ski season. This requirement meant that plans continued to evolve throughout the construction, which had to begin before the drawings and budget were finalized.
General Contractor: Ondra-Huyett
Architect: Peter Fillat Architects
Landscape Architect: Peter Fillat Architects
Developer: Southern Management Corporation
Engineer: Century Engineering
Merit — Division II, Commercial
North Shore Community Bank and Trust, Winnetka, Ill.
General Contractor: F.J. Lawdensky Construction, Co.
Architect: Myefski Cook Architects, Inc.
Developer: Wintrust Financial Corp.
Structural Engineer: Fisher & Partners
MEP Engineer: Khatib & Associates
Civil Engineer: Seton Engineering
Merit ― Division II, Entertainment
RJ Gator’s Hometown Grill and Bar, Stuart, Fla.
General Contractor: Bayview Construction Corp.
Architect: The Scott Partnership
Engineer: Friscia Engineering
Landscape Architect: William A. Flint, III
Merit — Division III, Commercial
North Shore Community Bank and Trust, Sauganash, Ill.
General Contractor: Valenti Construction
Architect: Myefski Cook Architects, Inc.
Developer: Wintrust Financial Corp.
Structural Engineer: Larson Engineering
MEP Engineer: Khatib & Associates
Civil Engineer: Seton Engineering
Merit ― Division IV, Mixed-Use
Temecula Creek Retail, Newport Beach, Calif.
General Contractor: Near-Cal Corp.
Architect: RNM Architecture Planning
Landscape Architect: RNM Architecture Planning
Developer: A&S Properties West
Merit — Division IV, Retail
Centennial Pavilion, Louisville, Colo.
General Contractor: Pedersen Development Co.
Architect: RNM Architecture Planning
Landscape Architect: RNM Architecture Planning
Developer: Pedersen Development Co.
Honorable Mention ―Division I, Commercial
Daikin Living Showroom, San Antonio, Texas
Builder: Custom Homes, Ltd.
Interior Design and Decorator: Custom Homes, Ltd.
Architect: Stephen Kramer, AIA
Project Envelope Construction: Kajima Industries
Project Manager: Brett Ratliff, Pritchard and Associates
The award winning projects will be on display at the NCBC headquarters during the 2006 International Builders’ Show in Orlando, Fla.
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