Balfour Beatty Construction received industry recognition from the Design Build Institute of America – Western Pacific Region (DBIA-WPR) and from the Construction Management Association of America (CMAA) Southern California Chapter for three projects in California.

The DBIA-WPR awarded the J. Paul Leonard and Sutro Library at San Francisco State University the “Project of the Year” Award, and the Wounded Warrior Headquarters and Hope and Care Center at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton was selected for a “Merit Award.” These awards recognize projects that exemplify the principles of teamwork, innovation and problems solving that characterize the design-build delivery method.

The CMAA Southern California Chapter awarded the School of Medical Research Building at the University of California, Riverside a “Project Achievement Award” in the Building/New Construction/Higher Education /$11-50 Million category. This award recognizes excellence in the management of the construction process.

Project backgrounder:

J. Paul Leonard and Sutro Library, SFSU: DBIA-WPR “Project of the Year Award”

The new $103.8 million J. Paul Leonard and Sutro Library* renovation and expansion project at San Francisco State University addressed the need to accommodate a growing student population and restored structural inadequacies while concurrently updating the building’s electrical and telecommunication systems. Originally constructed in three phases (1953, 1959 and 1971), this two-phase design-build project included the construction of a 60,000-SF “West Addition” that houses book stacks and the installation of an automated library book retrieval system at ground level; the construction of a 20,000 SF “North Addition;” the renovation of the 282,500 SF existing library and seismic reinforcement of the existing library for a total project size of 362,500 SF.

In total, the project adds 34% more space, 50% more seating, 50% more group study areas, 50% more collection capacity, both in open stacks and a high-density automated retrieval system, and 100% more computers; all while providing a flexible and congenial learning environment in the heart of campus.

The architect on the design-build project was HMC Architects. The Balfour Beatty Construction team working on the project includes Richard Bruce, senior vice president; Wayne Kibbe, superintendent; Phil Sager, superintendent; Molly Engelbert, field engineer; and Cherie Kibbe, project accountant.

*The Sutro Library is incorporated into the fifth and sixth floors of the Leonard Library and contains a world-class archive collection of rare books, original documents and artifacts donated by former San Francisco mayor and mining magnate, Adolph Sutro.

Wounded Warrior Headquarters and Hope and Care Center at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton: DBIA-WPR “Merit Award”

The $31 million Wounded Warrior Headquarters and Hope and Care Center serves as the West Coast headquarters for the Marine’s Wounded Warrior program. The Hope and Care Center is 30,995 SF and includes a resource and recovery center, weight training center, outdoor amphitheater, therapeutic gardens, indoor therapy pool, outdoor lap pool, climbing wall and an 1/8 mile covered track. It also includes space for counseling, employment support, financial management, community orientation, training, and outreach programs.

The headquarters administration and multi-purpose facility is 9,354 SF of space for administration and operations as well as multi-purpose space for a visitor waiting area and conference rooms. Both facilities are 100% ADA-compliant and received a LEED® Platinum Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI). The project’s sustainable design solutions are expected to reduce water usage by more than 84,000 gallons per year, and provide over $52,000 (combined for both buildings) in annual energy savings.

The Wounded Warrior facilities were designed by architect Cass, Sowatsky, Chapman & Associates of San Diego. Balfour Beatty Construction staff working on the project included Sean Hulen, vice president LEED® AP BD+C; Dave Christensen, general superintendent; Sean Phillips, superintendent; and Charles McArthur, senior project manager.

School of Medical Research Building at the University of California Riverside: CMAA “Project Achievement Award”

The $29.6 million, 59,785 SF School of Medical Research Building incorporates laboratory environments for biomedical research, including a biosafety level-three suite, and flexible support spaces for imaging and instructional facilities. The three-story structure is the first building for the new UCR School of Medicine, and is the first public medical school in California in more than 40 years. The facility is projected to enroll its first incoming class in August 2013.

The project recently received a LEED® Gold Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and is the first building on the UCR campus to be certified by the USGBC. Numerous energy reduction and sustainable design features were integrated into the design and construction to assist in obtaining the LEED Gold rating, including the installation of automatic solar shades that measure the amount of light coming into a room and deploy as necessary. The building’s annual energy consumption is expected to save approximately $500,000 per year in operational savings.

The architect on the project was SRG Partnership of Portland, Oregon. The Balfour Beatty Construction team working on the project includes Sumeet Gadi, senior vice president, LEED AP; Layne Arthur, vice president, LEED AP BD+C; Tony Spagnolo, superintendent; Eric Sierra, senior project engineer, LEED AP BD+C; Dan Butts, general superintendent; and Kimberly McDonnell, project accountant.

About Balfour Beatty Construction

A leader in the U.S. commercial construction industry, Balfour Beatty Construction provides general contracting, at-risk construction management, and design-build services through more than 2,400 professionals nationwide. The company has been cited as a Top 10 Green Builder by Engineering-News Record for the past two years, and as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For® by FORTUNE magazine for three years in a row. The company is part of London-based Balfour Beatty plc, a global leader in professional services, construction services, support services, and infrastructure investment, with more than $18 billion in annual revenues. To learn more about the company and its subsidiary—Howard S. Wright—visit balfourbeattyus.com.