2021 Craftsmanship Awards Winners

A next to the project name indicates that the project was nominated for the special Star Award.

Cast-in-Place Concrete

Fredy Flores, Mike Hamm, Dustin Horn, William Rivas, Cody Scott, Joe Wiley - Baker DC, LLC

Project: District Wharf Phase 2 - Horizontal & Parcels 6 & 7,  Washington, DC
Architects:  Perkins Eastman  / SHoP Architects
Engineers:  SK&A/Thornton Tomasetti Joint Venture, LLC
General Contractor:  Balfour Beatty Construction
Baker DC’s scope consisted of three cast-in-place below-grade parking levels totaling 615,000 SF supporting five multi-story above-grade residential and office building parcels directly adjacent to the Washington Channel and partially above the WMATA green line. Baker DC was awarded the contracts for both below-grade garages and all five above grade parcels being managed by three different general contractors. Baker DC’s BIM capabilities were showcased on the project managed by multiple GC’s by streamlining the communication and coordination processes between the garage and the above grade parcel contractors, reducing redundancy, and providing considerable “value-added” intangibles to the project.
Star Award Nominee

Jose Somoza-Galdamez, Salvador Hernandez, Oscar Martinez, Dimas Morales, Conroy Smith, Michael Vargas - Miller & Long Co., Inc.

Project: American University Hall of Science,  Washington, DC
Architect/Engineer:  Ballinger
General Contractor:  The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company
American University Hall of Science is situated in the center of the AU campus. The state-of-the-art, glass-clad building will serve as a single, centralized location for their biology, environmental sciences, chemistry and neuroscience departments. The building features five levels of classrooms, offices, laboratories and a lecture hall. Structurally, the building’s basement features 25,000 SF slab on grade on spread footings in the with an 8,000 SF mat foundation at the building’s core. Elevated slabs were reinforced with mild steel, 22K-25K SF for a total concrete volume of just over 10,000 cubic yards. Similar attention was paid to flatwork, where approximately 72,000 SF of the elevated slabs would receive a polished concrete finish.

Yair Estrada, Oscar Flores Joya, Edwing Lozano, Mario Portillo, Carlos Rivera, Chris Schuster - Schuster Concrete Construction

Project: City Ridge,  Washington, DC
Architect:  Shalom Baranes Associates
Engineer:  Tadjer Cohen Edelson Associates, Inc.
General Contractor:  The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company
The City Ridge project is a $450 Million mixed-use development which features +/- 1,900,000 GSF of new construction on a 10-acre site. The scope of work that Schuster Concrete is responsible for includes the entire structural concrete package, which is comprised of the new foundations for Building A, the three story parking garage/podium and all of the towers (Building D, G, B1, B2, C, E1, E2 & F), as well as some site concrete work which includes the concrete topping slabs for the roadways on the podium and the large retaining walls for the misc. bio ponds off structure.

Alfredo Flores, Willie Urquilla, Jose Zelaya Clark Concrete and Oscar E. Guevara, Robert Marty Lyons, Morgan Yates McNeill - Miller & Long Co., Inc.

Project: Reston Gateway,  Reston, VA
Architect:  Duda Paine Architects
Engineer:  Thornton Tomasetti
General Contractor:  Clark Construction Group, LLC
Reston Gateway is an integrated mix of office, retail, restaurant, hotel, and residential spaces on eleven acres of land located in the Reston Town Center immediately north of the new WMATA Metro Station. The project consists of two buildings which include 1,423,000 SF of office space, 300,000 SF of above-grade parking, and 14,000 SF of retail space. The two buildings sit atop a shared five-level, below-grade parking garage. Miller & Long's scope of work was the 28-story, cast-in-place, 800,000 SF Tower A. Clark Concrete's scope was placing the 20-story, cast-in-place, 623,000 SF Tower B.

Precast Concrete

Ramon Carranza, Luis Garcia, Samuel Gutierrez, Ray Hess, Mark Stephens, Jeff Taylor - American Stone Virginia

Project: UMD Engineering Building - The IDEA Factory,  College Park, MD
Architect:  EYP
Engineer:  Hope Furrer and Associates
General Contractor:  Clark Construction Group, LLC
American Stone developed an unconventional exterior design to mimic the ingenuity that will live within the completed IDEA Factory. American Stone's scope of work included the design and installation of the exterior precast façade, which is made up of 104 unique panels of varying reveal patterns. The precast panels are eight inches thick and the fabrication molds include numerous two- and four-inch reveals, which American Stone coordinated, fabricated, and flawlessly installed.

Armindo Benitez, Jorge Diaz, Jorge Medero, Mike Randall, Juan Reyes, Nery Velasquez - Arban & Carosi

Project: CROSSING,  Washington, DC
Architect:  Handel Architects
Engineer:  Tadjer Cohen Edelson Associates, Inc.
General Contractor:  Clark Construction Group, LLC
CROSSING is a two-phased, 14-story, one-million-square-foot mixed-use apartment building. Achieving the architect’s vision was no easy feat due to the unique shape and coloring. To achieve the desired shape, Arban & Carosi hand sculpted molds of the typical panel features and built customizable modular framing to optimize production of 5 main panel types and 114 slightly varying sub-types. To achieve the color for the panels, the team poured two concrete mixtures simultaneously, achieving a proper bond without the colors bleeding into each other.

Special Feature

Mario Alvarez, Juan Mariscal, Khalil Rouhana, David Smith, Jared Smith, Willie Spikes - Glass Projects Resource, Inc.

Project: 1901 L Street, NW Office Building Renovation,  Washington, DC
Architect:  FOX Architects
General Contractor:  Grunley Construction Company
GPR, Inc. worked closely with The Meridian Group DC, FOX Architects, and Grunley Construction to provide the design-assist and construction of a mullion-less curtainwall system across the façade of the 12-story, 234,000 SF trophy-class office building. GPR, Inc. met the challenge to create this custom curtainwall assembly through oversight of the research & development through laboratory testing to full installation in the field. The new curtainwall system is a major innovation in the world of facades, introducing the first fully tested and labeled curtain wall system with no vertical supports in the North American market.

Lighting Systems

Ian Boyd, John Carlin, Jr., John Johnson, James Kilpatrick, Rich Ladow, Rodney Miles - C3M Power Systems, LLC

Project: Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial,  Washington, DC
Architect:  Gehry Partners
Engineer:  AECOM
General Contractor:  Clark Construction Group, LLC
The Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial is situated on a four-acre site located on Independence Avenue south of the National Mall. C3M Power Systems’ expansive scope of work included the installation of power distribution systems, custom-designed and fabricated lighting fixtures and controls, and communications systems for the memorial and visitor’s center. One of the more complicated lighting scopes was illuminating the memorial’s tapestry artwork backdrop. At 447’ long and 60’ tall, this stainless steel tapestry presented an installation challenge on the grandest of scales. Enclosed in a specially designed trough 20’ above the ground, each of the 174 custom light fixtures had to be installed and aimed separately to ensure proper lighting coverage of the tapestry.

Rick Jackson, Rich McCann, Chris Osti, Ray Sabado, Jason Sanders, Desmond Waring - Heller Electric Company

Project: Martin Luther King Jr. Library Modernization, Washington, DC
Architect:  OTJ Architects
Engineer:  CEG (Collaborative Engineering Group)
General Contractor:  Smoot/ Gilbane III MLK, A Joint Venture
Heller Electric installed over 10,000 individual lights and an additional 6000 feet of custom linear lighting throughout all of MLK Library. All areas of installation required significant coordination among multiple trades to ensure the look and feel of the design was achieved in accordance with the plans, specifications and historical society requirements. Satisfying the Architect, Engineer, Owner, GC, and Historical Society all at the same time while trying to meet an aggressive schedule proved to be quite challenging with each of their different competing needs.

Candido Gutierrez, Robin Kaufman, Rob Martin, Tim Quillen, Nick Sames, John Witsman - VarcoMac LLC

Project: Leidos Headquarters,  Reston, VA
Architect:  Gensler
Engineer:  WSP
General Contractor:  HITT Contracting
VarcoMac successfully completed an exceptionally complex lighting design that required lengthy coordination to ultimately deliver a design that resembled a kaleidoscope to pay homage to the Leidos namesake. This intention becomes immediately apparent when stepping in the Leidos first floor with multiple instances of angular custom light fixtures within the drywall meeting at a single point and beautifully lining up with drywall and millwork panel seams. This craftsmanship is seen on each and every floor of this 17 story building which was completed in a nine month time period and included more than 1,100 custom light fixtures.

Robert Baldwin, Ryan Burton, Mark Dotson, Luis Esperanza, Vinh Vo - Power Solutions LLC

Project: Paul Hastings DC,  Washington, DC
Architect:  LSM
Engineer:  Dewberry
General Contractor:  HITT Contracting
Every light fixture on this project had to be coordinated and modified to line up with and integrate into the various architectural finishes. Install of the lights and lighting controls required working with the mill work, and ceiling contractors to install them as the finishes went in.

Jonathan Dorsch, Justin Lee, Jason Murvin, Chuck Rhoads, Thomas St. John - Mona Electric Group, Inc.

Project: North Wing Cannon House Office Building Phase 2 Renovation,  Washington, DC
Architect:  Shalom Baranes Associates
Engineer:  James Posey Associates Inc.
General Contractor:  Clark Construction Group, LLC
Phase 2 of the Cannon House Office Building Remodel was extremely challenging. Features of the system include: Over 1,000 individually addressable control devices 6 digital processor panels 3 dozen networked, remote, digitally addressable panels 7 points of fire alarm and phase loss monitoring over 4 miles of control cable modern daylight harvesting in all office spaces over 500 wireless control devices multiple points of HVAC integration via BACNet over 5000 digitally addressable historically retrofitted light fixtures remote web server integration IPAD, IPhone, IPod system control capability modern floor plan system software remote monitoring and system optimization capabilities.

Frank Buxton, Robert Hayden, Tim Niehenke, Brad Pribble, Jose Torres - Rosendin

Project: Confidential Client,  Reston, VA
Architect:  Perkins + Will
Engineer:  BALA Consulting Engineers
General Contractor:  The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company
The lighting package on this project was both high end and extensive with over 55 types and 1600 light fixtures installed, across approx. 46,000 SF. This fixture package included the following: recessed can light fixtures; surface mounted light fixtures; track fixtures including an 88' continuous run, as well as, a 96' continuous run suspended between a metal ceiling detail; cove light fixtures installed within drywall cove, metal detail and millwork slot pocket; LED tape lights in millwork; recessed linear light fixtures; pendant mounted interconnected linear fixtures that follow a specific designed pattern; surface mount up light in Planters and fully integrated Acuity nLight Lighting Control System.

Daniel Breece, Tracy Frazee, Yor Garcia, DJ Littleford, Robert Otim, David Thompson - JE Richards

Project: NECA,  Washington, DC
Architect:  FORM Architects
Engineer:  KTA Group Inc.
General Contractor:  Bognet Construction
The NECA project was a 26K SF build out that had to be completed in a 4-month time span. We installed a brand-new lighting system, Acuity Brands Lighting System with smart drivers and hubs. Every office had to have a certain A light in it with a unique smart driver so each light could be individually controlled from a phone or tablet. The system had a time clock feature without having a time clock. The space also had switched emergency lights, so every light was able to be controlled. To achieve this type of programing we had to pull over 7000’ of Cat 6 wire and make up 300+ Cat 6 connections. A big challenge that was faced was having to pull large amounts of cable, since 75% of the ceilings in this space were exposed and everything had to be run in conduit.

Power Generation, Distribution and Switchgear

Allan Harrison, John Legan, Tyler McVay, Travis Repass, Joey Richards, Dylan Rupard - VarcoMac LLC

Project: MedStar Southern Maryland Hospital Center ED Expansion, Phase 2,  Clinton, MD
The MedStar Southern Maryland Hospital Center ED Expansion consisted of providing a new 48,000 square-foot Emergency Department addition with a generator and mechanical room to upgrading the entire electrical infrastructure of an active hospital. The electrical upgrade included transferring the existing hospital's (2) 3000A services to (2) new 4000A service with (3) 600kW paralleling back-up generators. The new (2) 4000A services reside in the location of the hospital's existing (2) 400kW generators. To accomplish the task, the hospital's emergency electrical system was placed on (2) 500kW trailer-mounted generators. The existing incoming utility duct banks, while remaining in-use, were extended to the locations of the new switchboards. The new emergency generators were brought online with (7) new Automatic Transfer Switches and individual outages were then scheduled with the hospital to transfer their facility to the new electrical system.

Dylan Callaway, Matt Eade, Temple Hypes, Dave Kaplan - VarcoMac LLC

Project: IFMC OR Renovations,  Falls Church, VA
Architect:  Wilmot Sanz
Engineer:  Leach Wallace Associates
General Contractor:  HITT Contracting
Phase 2 of a four year, multi-phase renovation of 30 Operating Rooms and surgical support spaces. Included 8 total ORs- the new Hybrid CVOR (#29) and Robotics OR (#28). Both of these are very high-tech rooms with lots of electrical work and visual appeal. This project required temporary relocation and construction of two new electrical rooms as well as four switchboard replacements while maintaining power in an occupied healthcare facility. Maximum difficulty factor. Ph-2 Scope also included 2 of 4 switchboard and 3 of 5 ATS replacements. High difficultly replacing complete electrical service in an operating healthcare facility while simultaneously renovating the middle section of their operating suite.

Christina Dandy, Chris Grimes, Mike Gunzelman, Greg Nawrot, Al Swann - Cynergy Electric Company, Inc.

Project: Architect of the Capitol - Rayburn Building Emergency Power,  Washington, DC
Architect:  Architect of the Capitol
Engineer:  Cynergy Electric Company, Inc.
General Contractor:  Consigli Construction Co., Inc.
The 5,000 SF renovation to the Emergency Power System at the Rayburn House Office Building included structural improvements and renovations to an existing carpentry space; construction of a new mechanical room, new electrical room, and two exhaust shafts; demolition of an existing emergency power system; and installation of mechanical and electrical infrastructure to support these systems. The new mechanical equipment installations, temporary utilities shutdowns and safe asbestos abatement were all managed within an occupied building.

Reid Bowen, Patrick Gardiner, George Herndon, Sean Lasalle, Ryan Potts, Daniel Stamp - Mona Electric Group, Inc.

Project: Capital One - Block C Podium,  McLean, VA
Architect:  Gensler
Engineer:  WSP
General Contractor:  The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company
Multi-Service Project featuring power distribution infrastructure to Performing Arts & Retail Spaces, Hotel, Wegmans Grocery Store, and (2) additional future towers. Utility services feed (1) 4000A Switchboards, (3) 5000A switchboards. (65) Distribution & Branch Panelboards. Multiple busway runs to feed Hotel and Wegmans Electrical Room distributed from the basement Level B1 up to Hotel Level 24. Emergency Power distribution includes: 6000A Switchboard, (3) 1250kW & (1) 1000kW Generators, (9) Automatic Transfer Switches.

Channing Crawford, Robert Crawford IV, Steven Cross, Gary Downing, Danny Follin, Tim Pierce, Jr. - Power Solutions LLC

Project: QTS Project Acadia PH2A,  Manassas, VA
Architect:  Corgan
Engineer:  KW Mission Critical Engineering
General Contractor:  DPR Construction
Power Solutions completed the installation and integration of (2) electrical rooms, and the buildout of 22,506 SF of data hall with a 4-week BIM coordination. This was accomplished within an 11-week construction build schedule. This aggressive schedule required the careful coordination of feeder conduit layout and installation. The areas of work were congested with multiple trades who were competing for the same space. The owner furnished equipment was not set within the Electrical Rooms until 90% of the conduit was in place.

Mitch Andrews, Robert Hasychak, John E. Jenkins III, Paul Paige, Jeremy Rodkey, Robert Walker - Power Solutions LLC

Project: Raging Wire NTT VA5,  Ashburn, VA
Architect:  Corgan
Engineer:  KW Mission Critical Engineering
General Contractor:  Holder Construction
Power Solutions completed the installation and integration of (5) modular critical electrical rooms, (15) future modular electrical rooms roughed-in (3) house electrical rooms and (8) data rooms, which consisted of a 2-story building with a gross floor area of 244,634 SF. This also included 8.759 acres of site infrastructure, all within a 9-month construction schedule. This aggressive schedule required the careful coordination of feeder conduit layout and installation. The areas of work were congested with multiple trades who were competing for the same space.

Matt Grady, Jason Murvin, Jeff Pawlak, Jason Sciukas, Thomas St. John, Solomon Thomas - Mona Electric Group, Inc.

Project: NIST Building 245 Modernization,  Gaithersburg, MD
Architect:  ZGF Engineering
Engineer:  RMF Engineering
General Contractor:  Hensel Phelps
This project has many complexities including design build intricacies, installation within a semi-occupied facility, without disturbing tenants or interrupting ongoing scientific experiments, project consisted of manhole work, outages, and off-hours work, multiple voltages contained within one gear room (this included 13,200v, 480v, and 208v) and galvanized rigid conduit utilized in this installation. Multiple pipe bends were pre-fabricated offsite, in order to facilitate a faster installation.

Randy Beasley, Tim DuLaney, James Lawrence, Adrian Smith, Charlie Sutton - Singleton Electric Company, Inc.

Project: Government Publishing Office — New Electrical Substation,  Washington, DC
Architect/Engineer:  CallisonRTKL
General Contractor:  John C. Grimberg Company
The United States Government Publishing Office is an agency of the legislative branch of the United States federal government. Though the facility has undergone numerous power infrastructure upgrades since its construction in 1903, it has primarily operated on a 208V distribution system located in the basement of the 9- story building. To reduce power consumption, increase printing efficiency and cut costs on future building service upgrades, the GPO’s engineers designed a centrally located 15 kV/480V distribution system. To accommodate the new equipment, two new switchgear rooms were constructed in an existing light well located between the 2nd and 5th floors. An additional challenge to the project was routing sizable conduit racks across multiple floors and down congested utility shafts. The installation ran through multiple secure spaces and over operating equipment that required protection to prevent damage.

Chip Cates, Ralph Hepperle, Mark Neidhart, Ed Phelps - Singleton Electric Company, Inc.

Project: Little Patuxent Water Reclamation Plant 8th Addition- Biosolids Processing Facilities- Phase I & II,  Savage, MD
Architect:  HDR
Engineer:  Shah & Associates
General Contractor:  Clark Construction Group, LLC
The Biosolids Processing Facilities project consisted of two phases. Phase One was the construction of a new Digester Facility. This included (2) 15 kV switches, (2) 2000 kVA to 480V transformers and a 2000A motor control center located in an outdoor enclosure. Singleton installed over 130,000 feet of conduit on this phase and pulled over 600,000 feet of wire. The project also included Class 1 Division 1 hazardous areas. Phase Two was the construction of a new Dryer Building. This included (2) 15 kV vacuum breakers, (2) 2500 kVA transformers, (1) 4000A 480V switchgear, and (2) NEMA 12 motor control centers. Singleton installed over 80,000 feet of conduit on this phase and pulled over 600,000 feet of wire.

Jon Armstrong, Bill Brandenburg, Edwing Mendez, German Pena, Raffi Sanchez, Tim Wyman - JE Richards

Project: VZ Colesville Gear Replacement,  Silver Spring, MD
Architect:  Sorrell Design
Engineer:  Design Tech Inc. Engineering Services
General Contractor:  Harris
Verizon Colesville CO is a fully operational collocation office that supports interconnection to voice grade, digital and optical transmission networks, including local 911 dispatch. This critical facility must remain active to support Verizon’s network at all times. The existing switchboard was failing, the existing generator was undersized and no longer supporting the load of the building. The project involved the replacement of the 3000A switchboard with new, replacement and up-size of the generator to 800kW, new Pepco transformer/duct banks, new roll up generator tap box and the installation/replacement of several branch distribution panels.

Ceramic Tile and Terrazo

Kevin Diaz, Roberto Diaz, Alex Gavarrete, Wilson Hernandez, Walter Lopez, Tony Martinez - Aris Tile & Flooring

Project: CROSSING,  Washington, DC
Architect:  Handel Architects
Engineer:  Tadjer Cohen Edelson Associates, Inc.
General Contractor:  Clark Construction Group, LLC
Aris Tile & Flooring’s scope included tile work throughout the amenity spaces and residential units. In the amenity spaces, elegant tiles were selected for the walls and floors of bathrooms and locker rooms, while tiled mosaics were a focal point of the design in the main lobby and spa areas. In the below-grade spa area, nearly every surface – including the ceiling – is covered in tile. Aris installed intricate mosaic tile designs on the walls, including custom-designed pattern for a feature wall. A mosaic pattern was also installed on the ceiling above the pool, which required the Aris team to complete their work from scaffolds on a platform covering the pool opening. Throughout the pool room, Aris Tile also installed eight-foot-tall panel tiles, which, due to their massive size, required special handling to prevent damage during the installation around the pool well.

Edgard Carreto-Ramos, Jairo Castellaneos, Hector E. Lopez-Perez, Francisco Pineda-Calix - Boatman and Magnani

Project: Brookfield Headquarters,  Washington, DC
Architect:  LSM
Engineer:  GHT Limited
General Contractor:  DAVIS Construction
Interior build-out of new office space on 8th floor of 655 New York Avenue, NW office building. Project includes open office spaces, conference rooms with demountable office fronts, media rooms, cafe / pantries and restrooms and included polished concrete floors, terrazzo flooring, open ceilings, demountable partition scope included glass fronts as well as custom millwork partitions by Unifor, café with wood flooring, upholstered booth seating, and terrazzo countertops, leather wrapped fin reception desk with terrazzo countertop, floating credenzas, and Captive-Hook Ombre mirrored glass at the elevator lobby.

Michael Flores, Miguel Flores, Lisandro Guevara, Kevin Hernandez, Jose Rivas, Alcides Romulo - Roman Mosaic & Tile Company

Project: Martin Luther King Jr. Library Modernization,   Washington, DC
Architect:  OTJ Architects
General Contractor:  Smoot/ Gilbane III MLK, A Joint Venture
Not only does the renovated MLK Library include over 40,000 SF of terrazzo flooring, this building encompassing not one, but two impressive helical monumental staircases. In pouring epoxy terrazzo flooring, the team followed the rigid Miesian grid, aligning divider strips with the exterior mullions on the first floor. Throughout the six-stories, the stair tread and riser lengths range from 6’ to 12’ and as joints were not acceptable these treads were made in one piece. Weighing between 150 lbs and 300 lbs, these stair treads were extremely difficult to maneuver, stage in place on the floors and install. The stair treads, towards the top and bottom portions of each run, have both angled and radius end sides requiring close coordination of field measurements with fabrication to allow them to fit precisely in place.

Elvin Amaya, Juan Lara, Tomas Matamoros, Juan Blanco Pacheco, Jose Rivas, Alexander Goycochea Vargas - Roman Mosaic & Tile Company

Project: Franklin School Planet Word,  Washington, DC
Architect:  Beyer Blinder Belle Architects
General Contractor:  The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company
Roman Mosaic & Tile was tasked with installing a custom terrazzo design for the Planet Word museum's reception lobby. This custom design included 1,072 unique zinc characters that were embedded in the epoxy matrix to show the evolution of language over time. These characters ranged from archaic cave art drawings to modern day alphabet letters in numerous different language families. Many of these ancient characters are very complex and involved, so the design team asked Roman Mosaic to assist in the design process by performing a constructability review. After linguistic scholars, architects, and the client chose the characters for the design, Roman Mosaic performed their review. They discussed each character with their metals fabricator and talked through potential issues.

Mike Ganassa, Ronald Ganassa - R. Ganassa Tile Co., Inc.

Project: Southern Regional Technology and Recreation Complex Aquatic Facility,  Ft. Washington, MD
Architect:  DLR Group
General Contractor:  Forrester Construction
This subcontractor's scope of work included four different tile finishes; a custom tiled wall, column titles, and two tones of Daltile Natural Hues tiles. The main attraction in this facility is the pool area, which features a beautiful balance of tile work. Column tile runs from the floor finish up fourteen 8' columns in a stack bond pattern. Several walls containing 12x12 Daltile Natural Hues tiles in pearl white match the all-white painted steel and drywall features in the natatorium. The most expansive and striking feature in R. Ganassa Tile Company's scope of work was a vast feature wall. The highest point of this 150’ long wall stands at about 34' tall sloping down on a radius to about 14'. The entirety of this wall is covered with a custom mural of fall foliage.

Drywall

Bernard Bourque, Osman I. Enamorado, Domingo Avila Gonzalez, Luis Alberto Velasquez - Commercial Interiors, Inc.

Project: Morgan State University's New Student Services Center,  Baltimore, MD
Architect:  GWWO Architects, Inc.
General Contractor:  Barton Malow Company
Commercial Interiors recently completed the construction of Calvin and Tina Tyler Hall, a state-of-the-art support services facility, and the latest addition to Morgan State University’s 152-year-old campus. This beautiful and visually appealing structure incorporates architectural elements from—stone, metal panel, and glazing designed to maximize natural light and visual transparency. Our scope of work included drywall, acoustical and thermal insulation, acoustical wall panels, acoustical ceilings, specialty wood ceilings, light gauge and drywall framing, carpentry. The technical challenges were extensive including the coordination with all of the other trades. There were several intersecting angles and radiuses required to ensure that the atrium was achieved as designed.
Star Award Nominee

Salomon Horta Garcia, Jason T. Hurley, Sr., Jose Francisco Portillo, Thomas Thornton - Commercial Interiors, Inc.

Project: West Half Street Residential,  Washington, DC
Architect:  Eric Colbert & Associates
General Contractor:  HITT Contracting
West Half is new construction of a trophy-class, 11-story residential tower containing 465 Class A residential apartment and condominium units. Commercial Interiors had to ensure the walls and the finishes were of the utmost quality due to exterior walls being floor-to-ceiling glass which bathed the walls in natural light -- casting shadows and highlighting any wall surface and joints that weren’t smooth and flat. Our talented team of finishers spent extra time skim coating the wall surfaces to minimize the imperfections that would show through because of the varying amounts of naturally infused light.

Jose Augusto Garcia, Jose Luis Hinojosa, Francisco Ponce, Pedro Rosales, Francisco Velaquez - Capitol Drywall, Inc.

Project: Axinn,  Washington, DC
Architect:  OTJ Architects
Engineer:  KTA Group, Inc.
General Contractor:  Harvey-Cleary Builders
We would like to highlight the frameless acoustic ceiling panels that were installed in the conference rooms of the Axinn law office in Washington, DC. Each paneled area is surround by drywall ceiling, and the panels themselves are hung below an open ceiling. Each panel is suspended by four adjustable wires connected to the slab above. Setting each wire to the correct length so that the panels are level is a task in itself, and these men were able to perfectly position the panels with the correct spacing as well. The panels take the place of a smooth, uniform ceiling, giving the ceiling depth and making the room feel more responsive. Capitol Drywall's craftsmen were also able to coordinate with our electricians so that linear lights were able to be installed between each panel, allowing for a more congruent finish.

Flooring

Elmer Gonzalez, Antonio Pineda Hernandez, Oscar Pineda Hernandez, Sang I. Ra, Sang K. Ra - CB Flooring

Project: CROSSING,  Washington, DC
Architect:  Handel Architects
Engineer:  Tadjer Cohen Edelson Associates, Inc.
General Contractor:  Clark Construction Group, LLC
CB Flooring’s scope on the project included the luxury vinyl tile in all 818 apartment units, 6-inch thick rubber acoustic flooring in the gym area, and carpeting in residential corridors. The highlight of CB Flooring’s work is the amenity wood flooring on the first, second, and penthouse levels of the building. The penthouse clubhouse flooring is a stunning hand-set, small-block end grain wood finished in a beautiful golden nutmeg color. The 2,800 SF of custom flooring accentuates the upscale feel of the penthouse gaming and bar area. The wood flooring on the first and second levels was locally fabricated and color-matched to several of the other wood accents throughout the building. CB Flooring demonstrated exceptional craftsmanship and coordination in installing their materials throughout the Level Two lounge, overcoming difficult transitions at the feature wall, precast terrazzo benches, and a bleacher staircase.

Jerry Cornett, Ray Douaire, Francisco Graciano, Shin Yong - CB Flooring

Project: Martin Luther King Jr. Library Modernization, Washington, DC
Architect:  OTJ Architects
General Contractor:  Smoot/ Gilbane III MLK, A Joint Venture
One of the first things we do is walk the perimeter of the project to look for any obstacles that could come into play. There was one that jumped out to us right away; making deliveries to this jobsite was going to be extremely difficult. Most deliveries for projects are cut and dry, but this project did not have a loading dock and instead an outside hoist. Our trucks would need to come in from the side in order to off-load the 400 lbs rolls of Forbo and place on the hoist. Once we were inside the building and got a look at the substrates, we knew that with all of the outside light that came across the finished floors, we would need to pay extra attention when prepping the substrates to assure a high quality installation. Another obstacle we had to address was the straight base that was called for over the sheet goods. 99.99% of the time resilient flooring is finished off with cove base

Orlando Callejas, Elenilson Lopez, South Brooks Lynn, Sprigg Lynn, Steven Pollehn - Universal Floors, Inc.

Project: Thorsen Construction,  Washington, DC
Architects:  1727 Design Studio LLC/MC Creative Room
General Contractor:  Thorsen Construction
Universal Floors Inc. sourced, supplied and installed a FSC live sawn white oak herringbone with a custom 3 band round border. First the herringbone pattern was installed. The next step was to map out the border around the perimeter. One of the hallmarks of a truly high-end wood floor craftsman is the art of bending wood. The border was hand made by Universal Floors from raw lumber to a finished custom curved border. We make curved borders the old fashioned way. Once we made a curved plywood form the process began. Each wide board was cut up into small flexible strips. Every strip was numbered, labeled, and kept in order. This is very important to keep the grain intact for the final finished look. All the strips were glued to each other. The thin strips of wood were placed in our handmade plywood form. The wood was slowly torqued to conform to the rounded shape. .

Patrick Joy, Vasyl Kikalo, Russell Sterner - MasterCare Flooring

Project: Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library Renovation,  Washington, DC
Architect:  OTJ Architects
General Contractor:  Smoot/ Gilbane III MLK, A Joint Venture
The auditorium seating and stage area were the highlights of the scope of work. This space required a very low tolerance for substrate flatness. The first step in achieving the best possible outcome was leveling the substrate to a 1/16" tolerance. This feat was accomplished due to the high expertise of the team as well as the many man hours put in for this task. In addition to the low tolerance floor, it was necessary for this space to not only be visually appealing but to have the capacity to withstand the high traffic and weight expected. Solid oak strip flooring was used as a base for the landings and stage. Oak veneer risers were then used for the seating to give the whole area a uniformed, appealing appearance. Each step had an added metal feature strip, a more challenging task due to the obsolete margin for error.

South Brooks Lynn, Sprigg Lynn, Steven Pollehn - Universal Floors, Inc.

Project: Josiah Henson Museum Historic Restoration,  North Bethesda, MD
Architect:  Zigersnead Architects
General Contractor:  Fitzgerald's Heavy Timber Construction
The challenge we were presented was to restore this historic wood floor without sanding and repair and install salvaged antique material where missing. Each salvaged antique heart pine plank from the early 1800s had to be cleaned, pieced together, repaired, re-grooved, and saved. The backs of the boards had to be planned to fit each adjoining board. A custom shim system was made for the sub-floor so that the flooring would meet with existing, following the undulating from time past. Every shim was individually made. The broken corners, sides and moving edges had to be carefully and meticulously filled, colored with organic dyes and stained emulating the existing color, texture and sheen. The cracks and fractures were adhered with a special restoration adhesive. Our filling process is mostly organic. Cork, binder, organic dyes, and natural oils are used. This process does not harm the existing antique floor and can be removed if necessary. The method does not alter the original historic fabric. I created and perfected this method over the years.

Painting & Wallcovering

Graham Armstrong, Felix Cespedes, Matt Lawler - Sparkle Painting Company

Project: CROSSING,  Washington, DC
Architect:  Handel Architects
Engineer:  Tadjer Cohen Edelson Associates, Inc.
General Contractor:  Clark Construction Group, LLC
Sparkle Painting furnished and installed 11 different wallcoverings, including three custom graphic wallcoverings and two custom color-matched plasters for this project. In addition to these one-of-a-kind wallcoverings, Sparkle completed all of the painting work, including the interiors of 818 apartment units. Much of the final painting was performed after the installation of metal panels and stone benches – features that required an extra level of protection during painting to ensure the delicate finishes were not damaged. Various hallways throughout the first floor are finished with a graphic wallcovering that includes shiny pops of gold to brighten the space. The first floor amenity area also includes unique wallcoverings, including custom felt wall panels arranged in a puzzle-piece pattern.

Plaster

Nelson (Rodrigo) Berrios, Cirilo Tapia Fuentes, Maximilliano Soto Ledezma, Pablo Condori Perlas, Meliton Soto Quiroz, Elmer Ferrufino Zurita - ATS Studios, LLC

Project: Martin Luther King Jr. Library Modernization, Washington, DC
Architect:  OTJ Architects
General Contractor:  Smoot/ Gilbane III MLK, A Joint Venture
ATS Studios scope of work included 19,000 SF of StarSilent acoustical seamless plaster on every level of the library including the 2 Monumental Stairs that adorn the main entrance to the left and right of the entrance to the building. 8,000 SF of the StarSilent run from the lower level to the 5th floor of these massive staircases into ceiling where 3 skylight tubes shine light down thru the center of the stairs. The highly complex curvature design of the ceilings in the stairs, made it nearly impossible to trowel the StarSilent smooth. Due to the nature of the acoustic plaster, it can only be smoothed out about 3 times, then you must stop, or you will compact the product too much. This is highly technical on a smooth ceiling now you add in an uneven walking surface along with the complex curvatures of the ceiling and try and smooth it in 3 strokes.

Ezequiel Oscosiri Claros, Cirilo Tapia Fuentes, Yuce Soto Montano, Vidal Soto Quiros, Anna Torre-Smith, Elmer Ferrufino Zurita - ATS Studios, LLC

Project: National Park Service Stabilization and Restoration of Monocacy Battlefield Historic Plaster,  Frederick, MD
General Contractor:  PWC Companies
The Best House, Best House Second Dwelling, and Worthington House are located in Monocacy National Battlefield Park in Frederick, MD and are culturally significant because of their history associated with the Civil War. The three structures all exhibited conditions that were related to the age, past use, and history of the buildings. These conditions include hairline, stress, and possibly structural cracks in the plaster, paint crazing and cracking on the walls, ceilings and wooden doors, frames and windows; larger areas where plaster has detached from the wood lath and/or substrate on the walls or ceilings. This project preserved the original, historic plaster surfaces in all three structures. The preservation project will be executed in six phases, under one construction contract.
Star Award Winner for Excellence in the Face of Adversity

Julian Davis, Jose Gomez, Ian Jenkins, Wills Mayo, Marlon Salmeron, Ricardo Santos - Hayles and Howe, Inc.

Project: Eliot Hine Middle School Renovation,  Washington, DC
Architect:  Perkins Eastman
General Contractor:  Turner Construction
Hayles and Howe, Inc. was tasked with recreating an original 5,000 SF decorative ceiling with the ability to accommodate new mechanical and electrical systems, as well as acoustic plaster in this historic Washington, DC school. The effort to upgrade the old systems from the 1960’s, however, presented many obstacles to preserving and restoring the decorative plaster. Firstly, a vast support system required to enclose the ceiling severely damaged the decorative plaster in place. Additionally, old insulation made of asbestos made it nearly impossible for us to easily access the decorative elements in order to take field measurements and to create molds. In the end, using partial original drawings from the 1930's and close direction to an abatement company to pinpoint the must-have items from the ceiling, creating a key for labeling and packaging, we were able to slowly bring the original 90 year old ceiling to life again.

Exterior Stone

Gilmer Alman, Mayber Hernandez, William Orellana, Alfredo Ornelas, Tommy Palovich - R. Bratti Associates

Project: Capital One Block C Performing Arts Center,  McLean, VA
Architect:  HGA
General Contractor:  The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company
The Capital One Block Performing Arts Center Facade entailed complicated geometry, tight tolerances and multiple disciplines. The saw tooth shaped facade which was completed in the summer of 2020, is made up from vertical triangular structural steel trusses, exterior sheathing, windows, a combination of metal wall panels and finally the nominated portion of White Carrera Marble from Italy. We are asking consideration for this entry based on the complexity of the construction, the tight schedule, the hurdles required to construct during the pandemic and the stunning final product. The geometry of the facade required the team to construct 96 separate triangular shaped sections 70 feet tall. Each section required detailed coordination between all the trades so the differing industry standard tolerances could be accounted for in the final product.

Jose Ramon Casal Campos, Antonio Chirino, Ernesto Machado, Mauro Narciso, Leonardo Bravo Reyes, Fredy Rios - Lorton Stone, LLC

Project: National Native American Veterans Memorial,  Washington, DC
Architect:  Quinn Evans Architects
General Contractor:  HSU Builders
The Veterans Memorial at the National Museum of the American Indian was created as a tribute to all American Indians who have served in our nation's armed forces. Lorton's role on this project included (but was not limited to) cladding the sacred circle & memorial wall with radial & conical pieces, installation of a flowing paving pattern with 100s of unique pieces, and removal & re-installation of existing benches along the museum plaza wall. This project was being submitted for this work due to the intricacy of the paving pattern installed, requiring hours of design work by our drafter. Applying the pattern to existing on-site conditions required detailed layout by our masons, as well as careful and methodical installation. In order to meet with project schedules, our team went above and beyond to coordinate multiple areas of work, melding them together into a cohesive whole.
Star Award Nominee

Candido Abundez Abundez, William Angel Arevalo, Manuel Omar Hernandez, Mauro Narciso, Ivan Lopez Sieiro, Antonio Jorge Dias Silva - Lorton Stone, LLC

Project: Arlington Memorial Bridge Disassembly, Protection, Preservation, and Restoration,  Washington, DC
Architect:  Federal Highway Administration
Engineer:  AECOM
General Contractor:  Kiewit Building Group
Keeping the bridge open to traffic limited the working area for all trades and required a precise coordination to carry out all work without interference within trades. Lorton Stone was the Subcontractor responsible for the restoration of the stone masonry of the bridge. With coordination and craftsmanship, the 2,162 foot long bridge was documented, disassembled, repaired, cleaned, and re-assembled back to its original historic place within schedule and with no interference with other trades work. The project was completed ahead of schedule. The bridge now has a new structure while keeping its historic appearance.

Sterling Gaston, Eric Holdway, Carlos Marinho, Juan Romero, Augustin Vaca, Hugo Vaca - Lorton Stone, LLC

Project: Corpus Christi Catholic Church,  Aldie, VA
Architect:  McCrery Architects
General Contractor:  Forrester Construction
Corpus Christi Catholic Church is designed in a traditional Gothic-style, featuring many ornate elements that required careful attention to detail and precise craftsmanship throughout construction. Lorton Stone demonstrated extensive technical knowledge and highly skilled craftsmanship of the West façade of the church. The main entrance façade is oriented West per Christian tradition dating back to the second century and is constructed of Indiana limestone. Careful consideration was taken to coordinate the limestone elements so that every block would convey the intentionality of the design. Using exclusively limestone, the west façade tells the story of the entire building and reflects many of the design elements featured throughout the interior and exterior of the church.

Interior Stone & Marble

Reynaldo Andrade, Ludwing Portillo, Crispin Urquizu, Denis Villca - R. Bratti Associates

Project: The Wilson and The Elm,  Bethesda, MD
Architect:  Shalom Baranes Associates
General Contractor:  Clark Construction Group, LLC
R. Bratti’s scope of work included extensive stonework in both the office lobby and penthouse, including the featured stone walls comprised of an assortment of two-, three-, and five-inch pieces of honed Pietra Cardoso with lengths varying from 8” to 48”. With wall heights reaching up to 30’, stonework placement was an intricate operation. R. Bratti coordinated with Clark Construction and the owner’s design team to arrive at the final, approved aesthetic through extensive upfront planning and mockups. This process began long before installation with the review of blocks and stone slabs at the quarry in Italy. Numerous discussions and iterations led to the selected proportions and the designation of specific sides of the slabs to ensure consistency of the natural stone veining throughout the lobby walls. In order to achieve greater lengths of corner returns and avoid shipping size and transport issues, R. Bratti fabricated the mitered corners locally at their shop.

Erick Blanco, Carlos Blanco-Romero, David Kirby, Francisco J. Mijango, Ronald Wondoloski - Boatman and Magnani

Project: Paul Hastings DC,  Washington, DC
Architect:  LSM
General Contractor:  HITT Contracting
The interior stone for the Paul Hastings project consists of several different species including Lasa Dior di Melo, Lasa Classico, and Bella Rosa, all coming from Italy. The Bella Rosa was selected by LSM to tie into the base building finishes of the main lobby up to Paul Hastings 11th Floor reception area. The stone was installed at the perimeter window line and mirrors the feature curved windows of the base building. The stone was installed to match the window joints while also aligning with the adjacent stone joints. The Bella Rosa then transitions to Lasa Fior di Melo as the main paving stone throughout the Paul Hastings reception and conference center. The Lasa Fior di Melo was produced in 2cm and 1cm thickness in order to achieve a larger format stone in the elevator lobby and main reception area.

Carlos Blanco-Romero, David Fitchett, David Kirby, Ronald Wondoloski - Boatman and Magnani

Project: 250 M Street - DDOT Headquarters,  Washington, DC
Architect:  Hickok Cole
General Contractor:  HITT Contracting
The stone needed to be imported from Italy during the COVID-19 shutdowns, causing potential delays and a massive undertaking on the project management side for Boatman. Approvals for the project had to be completed through reviews of pictures only due to COVID. The team handled the selection process seamlessly and with great communication to the general contractor. The result is seen through vein matching, consistent color range, perfectly blended elevation variances, and excellent desk quirk miter installations. Boatman allocated a six-man crew to install large five-cm panels weighing up to 800 pounds each. They also included blind mid span liners and anchors for flexural stability. During installation, one interior panel broke but Boatman's team responded quickly, repairing and installing a replacement so well-chosen that the break is unnoticeable.

Jose Garay, Victor Hernandez, Filipe Madureira, Ruben Moya, Zenon Moya, Wilver Zavala - Rugo Stone, LLC

Project: Metropolitan Square Atrium Renovation,  Washington, DC
Architect:  Gensler
General Contractor:  DAVIS Construction
This project represents a current trend to remove marble and millwork finishes from the 1980s and replace these finishes in a new, more modern context. Our company was enlisted early on with the project architect, to research and identify a cool light grey marble for the 23,000 SF of flooring, and a unique, white marble quarried in Colorado that would cover over 10,000 SF of the atrium walls. One of this project’s challenges was logistics. The building had to remain fully occupied with tenants. Additionally, the installation needed to be scheduled in phases, which meant multiple mobilizations and working around the Owner’s schedule, as well as keeping the work areas contained. Our team made this process smooth and efficient.

Unit Masonry

Joe Kapral - United Masonry Inc. of VA

Project: Sunrise Senior Living Old Town,  Alexandria, VA
Architect:  Rust Orling Architecture
General Contractor:  The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company
The masonry façade is very detailed and complex with various coursing changes, shapes and over 21 facade types using 5 different brick types and 4 different mortar color combinations. Logistics for install of the brick was also very challenging due to the tight jobsite being in an urban environment. The jobsite was surrounded by adjacent properties on all 4 sides which did not allow United Masonry to drive a fork lift around to feed the scaffolds, especially inside the courtyard area. Storage and lay-down space was very minimal so deliveries had to be made on a weekly basis. Masonry facade work had to be coordinated with 4 other Subs who had facade work which included metal paneling, siding, cornice/framing, and roofing.

Tom Hercek, Douglas Joya, Aaron Lempin, Blake Pappas, Michael Pappas, Tranquilino Villegas - Telligent Masonry, LLC

Project: 150 I Street,  Washington, DC
Architect:  SK + I Architectural Design Group
Engineer:  SK&A Structural Engineers
General Contractor:  WCS Construction, LLC
A mix of Fraco, heavy weight multipoint swings, and traditional tube scaffolding was used to access the multiple facades. Since the courtyard is enclosed with no access from the building perimeter, Telligent personnel had to use swings in the courtyard as there was no way to set Fraco on these elevations. This proved logistical difficulty because moving the manual heavyweight swings is a slow and tedious process compared to Fraco. The swings must be physically pumped to move up the building; furthermore, these multipoint swings had to be used instead of electric due to the weight requirements for masonry construction. In addition, since masonry was ongoing during the concrete, the steel beams for these swings had to be jumped up to one to two times as new concrete floors became available. Moreover, overhead planks and walk boards had to be moved in and out to accommodate for the projecting balconies, causing a simple idea like moving the scaffolding to the next floor to be a long labor-intensive task. Because of the large balconies, tube scaffolding had to be built in some cases high up on the façade spanning from balcony to balcony, a difficult and tedious task.

HVAC-Piping

Daniel Cabrera, Carl Hetzel, Chris Lacasse, Cesar Oliva, James Patton - Shapiro & Duncan, Inc.

Project: 1770 Crystal Drive,  Arlington, VA
Architect:  Gensler
Engineer:  GHT Limited
General Contractor:  Clark Construction Group, LLC
The project kicked off with the demolition and installation of plumbing and mechanical systems throughout the facility. Two large air handling units were installed on the building’s penthouse, brought up by crane and assembled on-site for precise fitting into the allocated areas. Shapiro & Duncan’s VDC coordination process was an essential element in ensuring the extreme levels of accuracy in this part of the project, as getting it right the first time was critical. Once ductwork is in place, the units are not able to be moved. These air handling units then fed into 6 fan-powered induction units to circulate and re-cool the air on all floors throughout the building. In addition to the lifting and installation of these units, this project also involved the installation of several other pieces of equipment and fixture packages.

Jordan Burch, Patrick Hedger, Daunte Marchand, Jeff Powers, Bryce Remley, Ryan Thompson - W.E. Bowers

Project: Confidential Client - Ashburn Data Center,  Ashburn, VA
Architect:  HKS
Engineer:  Power Cool Engineers
General Contractor:  HITT Contracting
This project delivered 42-MW of critical infrastructure and data halls to the client in a six month period with phased deliveries of which the first 12-MW were delivered in three months. WE Bowers played a pivotal role in the successful completion of this project. These craftsmen worked countless hours to ensure an on-time delivery of this project, while maintaining great attention to detail. The 42-MW were delivered in three different phases all within six months. The amount of infrastructure in the existing corridors and ceilings of data halls posed a challenge for the installation of the infrastructure as designed. This was an extremely technical project that required lots of coordination between trades, operations, and design teams. WE Bowers performed this work with professionalism and class while maintaining the aggressive schedule. We feel they deserve the recognition for their role in the delivery of this project.

Metal Panels

Rick Dickens, Alex Flattery, Dimas Garcia, Darry Miller, Dave Watson - Tecta America East LLC Architectural Metals

Project: 7900 Wisconsin Avenue,  Bethesda, MD
Architect:  FXFowle Architects
General Contractor:  Plaza Construction
Design and installation of mirrored stainless steel “fractured” soffit including support system. The soffit conceals large 10’ x 10’ girder beams support the structure above. Embed were installed in the concrete forms to provide attachment of the support system. The framing consisted of custom shaped gusset plates spanning the entire soffit at 16” on center. These gussets conformed to the fractured look of the final design. The layout of the gussets was the most important process, this was achieved with laying out specific points on the ground based on a control point literally across the street. These points where then transferred to the soffit where we could then begin the placement of the gussets. String lines where then used to lay out the panel joint locations as a check before pane installation

Bruce Chapman, James Evans Sr., John Johnson, Skutch Montgomery, Yoel Urena Vasquez, Mike Zareski - Alliance Exterior Construction, Inc.

Project: Long Bridge Park Aquatics & Fitness Center,  Arlington, VA
Architect:  Page Architects
General Contractor:  Coakley & Williams Construction
Alliance Exterior Construction was selected to complete over 94,000 SF in Imetco S300 standing seam roof and wall panel for this project. With the average length of 140 lineal feet and longest length of 220 lineal feet, roofing panels were carefully field-rolled and loaded to the roof with a 40 man crew. The long length of the panels eliminated the ability to use a spreader bar to load the panels to the roof, so Alliance used a series of four graduating scissor lifts to provide a “ramp” to get the panels to the roof. This method was a first for the manufacturer and guaranteed that the panel was never set down from the moment it exited the rolling machine until its finish installation.

Ornamental Metal

Fatima Campbell, Sean Doll, Shawn Dwyer, Candice Landolina, Aaron Weissner, The Entire Team at Synergi - Synergi

Project: CROSSING,  Washington, DC
Architect:  Handel Architects
Engineer:  Tadjer Cohen Edelson Associates, Inc.
General Contractor:  Clark Construction Group, LLC
Synergi’s scope of work included all ornamental metals spread throughout four floors of amenity space, along with glass railings that wrap the gardens on level one and terraces on level 14 and the rooftop. The sheer quantity of ornamental metals and the variety in finish, shape, and size of each piece creates a unique and sophisticated feel throughout the space. Coupled with the complex coordination required, highest quality standards, and challenges of integration with other finishes, the custom metalwork sets a new standard for creativity and craftwork. The first-floor elevator lobbies are clad in floor-to-ceiling Corten steel and clad-concealed doors. At each elevator door, there is a brass portal that was painted to match the project’s typical dark bronze finish. Above the door is a perforated metal panel that delineates the cab number. Beyond the elevator lobbies, Synergi was responsible for column wraps throughout the amenity space and four custom fireplace surrounds.

Josh Carlson, Dave Lloyd, Adam Mena, John Millsap, Zac Rutkoskie, Jeremy Welch - Landscape Forms

Project: CROSSING,  Washington, DC
Architect:  Handel Architects
Engineer:  Tadjer Cohen Edelson Associates, Inc.
General Contractor:  Clark Construction Group, LLC
Successful coordination was critical to ensure that the 3000-linear-foot maze of planters fit together on site. Due to its weight and structural function, each planter is anchored to a concrete curb. To ensure the proper placement of each curb, Landscape Forms closely coordinated with the project's concrete subcontractor in advance of installation as field modifications were not feasible. With extensive 3D modeling and 3D scanning of the most complicated built conditions, thousands of curbs were poured while planters were in fabrication, allowing the overall project schedule and planter fabrication schedule to progress simultaneously. Since the planters run continuously, any error would have been compounded with each subsequent planter.

Nick Hilbert, Travis Housh, Jake Mumbauer, Logan Root, Justin Truxell, Jeremy Wilson - Shickel Corporation

Project: Federal Realty Investment Trust (FRIT) Headquarters,  North Bethesda, MD
Architect:  Wingate Hughes Architects, PLLC
General Contractor:  DAVIS Construction
The Shickel team prioritized constructability of the feature design items at the f2nd floor reception area including new stairs connecting the 2nd and 3rd floors (included handrails and balcony rails at 3rd floor stair opening), Occulus bench (connected to two existing columns in a metal framed box with operable doors), slatterfall that extended from 2nd floor to 3rd floor ceiling above). They also installed metal panels at all door sidelites (in HM frames furnished and installed by others), elevator lobbies (full ceiling height panels), 3rd floor genius IT and 2nd open floor huddle area walls (below clerestory glass), reception ceiling panels extending from the Occulus bench to the building core walls and curved panels at tops of custom.

Eric Franklin, Alex Grace, Jess Hamrick, Tyler Spooner, Robert Taylor, Andrew Walker - Gutierrez Studios

Project: 1550 Crystal Drive Phase 2B: Main Lobby, Elevators and Terrace,  Arlington, VA
Architect:  Gensler
Engineer:  McMullan & Associates
General Contractor:  The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company
In the 30 years of our company history, there have been few projects which have tapped all aspects of our capabilities in the way this one did in order to achieve its inherent build tolerances. The engineering required to execute the mono-stringer stair construction within the existing building envelope forced our design team to explore new types of connection methodologies. The wood specification, with all materials coming from the Netherlands, triggered the need for a highly symbiotic relationship with the vendor as well as requiring staged mock-ups to analyze exactly how the materials would seasonally adjust so that their long-term durability would be ensured. The vertical bronze screen mounting details had to account both for vertical movement in the upper floor decking as well as for potential torsional movement of the stair without transferring any of these forces or stressing the materials. The hot and cold rolled steel guardrail had to be assiduously finished so as to elevate the degree of finish of this material to a level on par with the other finishes.

Adam Brin, Stefan Brin, Maya Brumfield - B&M International Steel Company

Project: 965 Florida Avenue (The Wren),  Washington, DC
Architect:  Hord Coplan Macht
Engineer:  SK&A Structural Engineers
General Contractor:  John Moriarty & Associates of VA
Hoisted almost 100’ in the air, the Rooftop Bridge spans over the 13,000 SF residential courtyard and connects the two sides of the rooftop amenity space. The tower portion of the building is constructed in a “U” shape which surrounds the courtyard below. The bridge is used to connect the two ends of the rooftop. At 110’ long, the Rooftop Bridge is one of the longest pedestrian-only bridges in Washington DC. The Rooftop Bridge is the centerpiece of the amazing rooftop amenity space for residents, as it is complete with a wooden seated area, multiple gas grills, granite kitchen countertop space, glass railings and has an amazing overview of Washington DC. However, the steel structure which supports all of these elements is what is most impressive about this assembly. The extent of the bridge components, stringent tolerances, site logistics, and comprehensive erection process made this structure a complicated puzzle for the team to solve.

Landscaping

Ed Mauser, Brett Melton, Kevin Spicer - Brightview Landscape Developmentand David Jessurun, Kevin Knight, Pedro Martinez - Knight Solutions

Project: Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial,  Washington, DC
Architect:  Gehry Partners / AECOM
General Contractor:  Clark Construction Group, LLC
There were two types of soil required for the Eisenhower Memorial: a structural soil to support the hardscape and a planting soil appropriate for horticulture. Both soil blends required the Knight Solutions/Brightview team to source four different raw materials that met several specifications, then mix them together in customized ratios to meet the intended design. The silt loam topsoil component needed to be kiln dried. To achieve this, the contracting team located a factory in Virginia that was able to build a custom production line kiln to bake the soil. The material underwent rigorous testing and sampling to produce the specific silt loam. The landscape soil was blended carefully to achieve both ideal water retention and water infiltration rates for supporting the site trees, plantings, and sod. The hardscape soil was combined with larger aggregates to achieve a compressive strength for supporting the concrete and stone paving.

Evan Diamond, Dave Kane, Dave Pisculli - W.H. Boyer, Inc.

Project: Georgetown Day School New Lower Middle School,  Washington, DC
Architect:  Gensler
General Contractor:  DAVIS Construction
The work by WH Boyer is extremely impressive due to the high difficulty of execution. The entire play area undercut 3-5’ to import suitable organics, multiple concrete retaining walls, and structure foundations, which created a linear, tight installation method with just one way into and out of the site. Even with this complication, WH Boyer paid great attention to detail executing the work, ensuring the final product met the required high-grade visual appeal for natural landscape. Custom woodwork within the play areas include wood decking, scribed decking around precast benches, boulders, and other natural elements. To maintain safety, sharp and dangerous edges were removed from the custom boulder placement without sacrificing natural look and feel.

Underpinning, Foundations and Excavations

Hugh Campbell, Mark Dunn, Timothy George, Fidel Guevara, Melvin Maldonado, David Reich - Clark Foundations, LLC

Project: Armature Works,  Washington, DC
Architect:  Shalom Baranes Associates
Engineer:  Clark Foundations, LLC
General Contractor:  Clark Construction Group, LLC
Clark Foundations leveraged efficiencies and workflows to overcome early issues. There were early setbacks involving owner’s agreements with Amtrak which didn’t allow work near the tracks to start according to the schedule. Clark Foundations re-sequenced the work to maintain the crew’s efficiency and allow dirt hauling activities to proceed. Instead of starting on the west side of the project (Amtrak side), tiebacks started on the east side. Workers started on a second rig when the other side of the project became available. Starting work on the east side also impacted site logistics, making for a very tight project site. The team had to carefully plan everything from material storage and equipment staging and set-up in order to maximize the use of space without disrupting workflow. The project foreman met with the excavator foreman daily to determine the availability of benches and work areas as well as strategize for the next day.

Todd Baisden, Dwight Davis, Jaime Joya, Oscar Mejia, Jacob Shay, Alberto Urrutia - Berkel & Company Contractors, Inc.

Project: Milken Institute Center for Advancing the American Dream, Phase 2,  Washington, DC
Architect:  Shalom Baranes Associates
Engineer:  Berkel & Company Contractors, Inc.
General Contractor:  Grunley Construction Company
The Milken Center for Advancing the American Dream, when complete, will encompass four structures: the three existing buildings and one new structure. The new Atrium will connect the three existing buildings. Berkel was able to drill 330 piles to the depth of 85’ into bedrock in 10 months. After delays caused by protests and the COVID-19 pandemic, Berkel successfully adjusted the sequence of the drill operations to help deliver the project on time. Additionally, Berkel designed an elaborate shoring system to support the underside of the 1st floor framing of 1501/1503 which allowed the excavation to proceed on schedule.

Paul Antonucci, Carlos Cortes, Bobby Jordan, Brandon McMillion, Randy Najarro, Scott Orr - Keller North America

Project: The Wharf - Phase 2 - Horizontal,  Washington, DC
Architect:  Perkins Eastman
Engineer:  Mueser Rutledge Consulting Engineers / GEI Consultants
General Contractor:  Balfour Beatty
The Wharf – Phase 2 Horizontal project consists of two below grade parking structures covering an approximately 7-acre construction footprint with excavation depths of up to 30’. The project site is located in Southwest D.C. and has numerous technical challenges due to the surrounding conditions. The site is bounded by Maine Avenue to the north, the Washington Channel to the south, and active streets to the east and west. The WMATA Green Line sweeps through the northern third of the jobsite and the garages are built over top and within 10’ of the side of the southern WMATA tunnel. There is also an active 108” diameter DC Water outfall pipe running north/south through the center of the jobsite between the two garages.

Christopher Devine, Earl Grant, James Johnson, Ramon Arevalo Maldonado, Herbert Robles, Ben Welch - Steele Foundation LLC

Project: Collection 14,  Washington, DC
Architect:  Perkins Eastman DC
Engineer:  Ehlert/Bryan
General Contractor:  McCullough Construction
Steele Foundation, LLC provided solutions to deep foundation challenges for the transformation of the 14th and W Streets, NW city block that housed the former headquarters of Martha’s Table in Washington, DC, as well as several contiguous timeworn 1800s-era buildings, and an aging masonry parking structure. This was a massive landmark design-build redevelopment project in the District. The intent of the developer was to retain historic street-facing building façades (to the extent possible) to preserve the character of the neighborhood. Five structures on the subject property were in varying degrees of dilapidation and required extensive specialized pre-construction foundation work by Steele Foundation, LLC for construction preparation, structural stabilization, and the creation of below-grade structures.

Nate Barksdale, Tony Franklin, Ryan Noell, Chris Pashkevich, Kevin Randall, Peter Shirley - Clark Foundations, LLC

Project: Storey Park,  Washington, DC
Architect:  HKS, Inc.
Engineer:  SK&A Structural Engineers
General Contractor:  John Moriarty & Associates of VA
The Support of Excavation Work on this project is remarkable for several reasons, the first of which is related to the existing WMATA retaining wall. The excavation is directly adjacent to several rail lines located east of the project. The rail lines are located about 15’ above the site grade (55’ above subgrade) and are supported by an existing retaining wall belonging to WMATA which was renovated and added to several times prior to the start of work on the project. The WMATA retaining wall is supported by underpinning with micro-piles & brackets located between the support of excavation system (secant piles) and the WMATA retaining wall. The project was not only technically challenging but had significant scale as well. The work included the installation of 425 tons of piles. If the 421 tiebacks were laid end to end they would have reached from the project site up to Silver Spring, MD. The support of excavation system allowed for excavation of over 100,000 cubic yards of dirt from the hole.

Utilities

Walter Funez, Lee Himes, Buck Naill, Jose Sanchez, Carl (Joe) Stottlemyer, David Thorton III - Deneau Construction, Inc.

Project: KP Rockville Regional Lab,  Rockville, MD
Architect:  Array Architects
Engineer:  VIKA Maryland, LLC
General Contractor:  DAVIS Construction
Deneau’s work on this project was extremely complicated, and there was a high level of coordination and planning to install new work, as they as had to work around many existing underground utilities. In fact, there only one narrow shared drive access where utility work had to take place. As the existing lab and modular lab were to remain operational during construction of Building B, many different phases They went above and beyond to help work through design issues with the stormwater management system installed between the two buildings, and even while working with those issues, they always had very clean and safe tie-ins to existing utilities—all connections were seamless and no safety incidents occurred.

Elevators, Escalators and other Conveying Systems

Peter Boyle III, Tim Edel, Darius Humphries, Daniel Mitchell, Thomas (Gene) Thompson, Matthew Wagner - KONE Inc.

Project: Martin Luther King Jr. Library Modernization, Washington, DC
Architect:  OTJ Architects
General Contractor:  Smoot/ Gilbane III MLK, A Joint Venture
KONE Inc. was responsible for the installation of seven new elevators inside existing hoist ways. The existing hoist ways and masonry wall entrances created an extra level of coordination and carefulness to the installation of the elevators. The existing hoist ways were larger than the elevators installed, which required additional steel for attachment. Prior to KONE starting the installation of the elevator’s, coordination was required on the location and support of the elevator rail brackets. In order for the new elevators to be placed in the correct location, atypical to our standard installation, our team hung piano wire for the steel subcontractor to install support so that the existing elevator entrance will align with the new elevator entrance.

Historic Preservation

Jose Mejia Aguilar, Francisco Castro, Victor Castro, Jose Antonio Escamilla, Manuel Rial Perez, Nelson Portillo - Lorton Stone, LLC

Project: US Capitol South,  Washington, DC
Architect:  Architect of the Capitol
General Contractor:  Kiewit Building Group Inc.
The scope of the project included (but was not limited to) general and specialty cleaning of marble and granite to remove heavy soiling, biological growth, rust stains and copper stains; complete joint preparation, repointing and installation of sealant; crack repairs, pinning repairs, mortar patches and Dutchman repairs; installation of Lead Ts, preformed silicone seal, cramp anchors; installation of new intricately carved elements where the existing stone was highly deteriorated; removal and reinstallation of large cornice pieces that had moved during the earthquake; repairs at the intricate pediment sculpture. All of the materials used for repairs were approved by the client before use. Stone for Dutchman repairs (except at the pediment) came from the attic stock of the AOC.

Process Mechanical

Crystal Beltran, Victor Cojocari, Angel Fortner, Austin Hahn, Tommy Rice, Roscoe Waller - Clark Water

Project: Little Patuxent Water Reclamation Plant Biosolids Upgrade, Addition No. 8,  Savage, MD
Engineer:  HDR
General Contractor:  Clark Construction Group, LLC
Clark Water's installation of a new biosolids belt drying system was only the third one of these belt drying systems built in the United States, and the first of its configuration in the world. The belt drying system includes one wet cake bin, four progressive cavity pumps, high pressure ductile piping, two belt dryers (dryer boxes, duct, fans, condenser, belts, dosing/pressing units), eight tubular drag conveyors, four discharge/backmix screws, two steel platform and grating structures, two biosolids storage silos, two rotoclones with dust piping, 160 instruments, and dozens of valves, diverters, and other accessories. Clark Water was also responsible for the installation of supporting systems for cooling water, cake conveyance, and biofilters for odorous air removal.

Roofing

Chris Brown, Luis Flores, David Inwold, Vern Quesenberry - Ruff Roofers

Project: Corpus Christi Catholic Church,  Aldie, VA
Architect:  McCrery Architects
General Contractor:  Forrester Construction
At a daunting 18/12 slope, this roof is constructed of metal decking, insulation, a cool vent panel system, tar paper, and asphalt shingles. The roofing crew began installation of the roof in mid-July, employing several boom lifts, scaffolding, pick boards, and mountain climbing gear in order to work off the side of the roof while safely tied off to anchor points. The physically relentless work required a large daily crew for over 14 weeks and was completed with high attention to detail and superb craftsmanship. In addition to the main roof of the structure, a 57 foot-tall flèche sits atop the roof at the crossing. The flèche was constructed on a reinforced concrete pad, with a steel structure, framing, sheathing, and clad in Freedom Gray, a zinc-tin coated copper product with a 100-year material lifespan.
Star Award Nominee

Scaffolding and Rigging

Christian Contreras, Joe Curry, David Haeussler, Randy Hennessy, John McErlean, Levy Rivera - BrandSafway Services, LLC

Project: National Gallery of Art Work Area 9.3 Improvements,  Washington, DC
Architect:  Hartman-Cox Architects
General Contractor:  Grunley Construction Company
The project involves the replacement of the 16,000 SF main atrium skylight, a geometrically complex assembly including 25 tetrahedrons laid out in a single isosceles triangle, mimicking the geometry found throughout the Gallery. The skylight’s replacement was to be completed in such a manner that would allow the Gallery to remain fully operational, while maintaining strict adherence to security measures, environmental controls, noise and vibration limits, temporary waterproofing measures, as well as ensuring the irreplaceable works of art below the skylight remained protected. BrandSafway developed and installed a scaffolding and rigging assembly that would provide the means to replace the skylight and meet these requirements.
Star Award Winner for Technical Excellence

Benji Coffey, Aric Guttry, Paul Richardson, Raul Ruiz, Thomas Webb, Dennis Wilson - Scaffold Resource, LLC

Project: Renewal of the Great Flight Bird Aviary at the National Zoo,  Washington, DC
Architect:  Smithsonian Institution Office of Contracting
Engineer:  Patuxent Engineering Group, LLC
General Contractor:  Grunley Construction Company
Scaffold Resource was chosen for the shoring of the Bird House for selective demolition and the restoration of the Great Aviary Flight Exhibit. Systems Scaffold was built at the perimeter and center mast, and the use of swing stages to run on cables to access the horizontal netting. The scaffold accessed all of the superstructure for blasting and repainting. The cable system from the Spire to the exterior support ring provided connections for the swings so workers could remove and replace the roof netting. As the project progressed, Scaffold Resource designed a custom engineered system to temporarily brace the Spire for repairs and installed a cable shoring system which attached to a fabricated ring on the Spire and eventually terminated to concrete loads bases for support on transferred loads. A rigging system was also designed and installed to remove the cone from the Spire to safe transfer.

Sinkhole

Hector Castro, Luis Geurro, Marco Guerro, Octavio Hernandez, Oscar Morales, Jose Saravia - Anchor Construction Corp.

Project: 1810 Irving St NW-DC Water Sinkhole,  Washington, DC
General Contractor:  DC Water
There was a massive shoring project that took place mainly by hand due to the unstable street conditions so heavy equipment wasn’t feasible on the roadway- the excavation finally was completed and shored with it being 20’ long by 20’ wide by 24’ deep- wood shoring was installed- and the cable vault was removed from the sinkhole, along with exposing the sewer main- In which there was a missing bricks of this old structure, so bricks had to be replaced with it done through a manhole along with a point repair from old to existing of what had been damaged.

Stone Carving

Nicholas Benson, Andrew Del Gallo, Sebastian Martorana, Paul Russo - The John Stevens Shop

Project: Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial,  Washington, DC
Architect:  Gehry Partners
General Contractor:  Clark Construction Group, LLC
Considered to be the finest hand-inscription stone carvers in the country, Nick Benson and his team at The John Stevens Shop have carved elements at the World War II Memorial, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, as well as the National Gallery of Art. The John Stevens Shop was selected by Gehry Partners to consult very early in the creative process of shaping the design and aesthetic vision of the Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial. They played a key role in the approval process with the Commission of Fine Arts by presenting on the aesthetic intent of the various memorial elements. They were subsequently named as a sole-source artist for the project. All 4,486 characters were meticulously hand-traced from templates, transferred to the stone, and then painstakingly hand-carved and stained in place on Ambar limestone cladding sourced from Alicante, Spain.
Star Award Winner for Visual Excellence

Structural Steel

Kurt Decatur, Burt Fox, Mike Mason, Ralph Pridgen - Berlin Steel Construction Company

Project: Reston Gateway,  Reston, VA
Architect:  Duda Paine Architects
Engineer:  Thornton Tomasetti
General Contractor:  Clark Construction Group, LLC
Berlin Steel’s scope of work on Reston Gateway Towers A and B included structural steel support of the loading dock on the below-grade second level (G2) and the connector on above-grade levels 7-8, which spans Towers A and B. Both scopes were delegated designs requiring Berlin Steel's close coordination with the engineer of record to ensure that work put in place aligned with the design's structural intent and vision. The loading dock, located two floors below grade, is a double-height area wherein the concrete roof slab is supported by structural steel. The steel structure consists of wide flange beams and plate girders that sit on top of concrete columns. The connector sits roughly 70’ above the plaza slab and is a king post truss steel structure made of wide flange beams, hollow structural section posts, and tension rods.
Star Award Nominee

Thermal and Moisture Protection

Misael Argueta, Nilson Argueta, Roberto Bonilla, John Maviglia, Saul Pereria, Amol Tatiya - HRGM Corporation

Project: Martin Luther King Jr. Library Modernization, Washington, DC
Architect:  OTJ Architects
General Contractor:  Smoot/ Gilbane III MLK, A Joint Venture
One of the most amazing features of this roof project is that every inch of the roof membrane is covered. The membrane has 12,500 SF of large 2'x3'x2.5" concrete pavers, 34,000 SF of sedum mat green roofing, 4,800 SF of 30” deep radius planter boxes with integral benches and lighting, and 28,000 SF of decorative ballast. It is remarkable that not an inch of membrane is visible! While the pavers, planter boxes, and green roof create an aesthetically pleasing roof, they also create an ideal space for entertaining, reading a book, or appreciating the vast horticulture display. With full wet bar stations, built in IPE bench seating on the planters, chargers for laptops and phones, and accent pathway and landscape lighting, this roof is an entertainer's dream! While the aesthetics are beautiful, the difficulty in craftsmanship was immense.

Elmer Amaya, Maria Arevalo, Fernando Duran, Kerin Duran, Valente Gonzalez, Julio Hernandez - Prospect Waterproofing Company

Project: US Chamber of Commerce Building Envelope Rehabilitation,  Washington, DC
Architect:  Hartman-Cox Architects
Engineer:  Simpson Gumpertz & Heger
General Contractor:  Grunley Construction Company
The craftsmanship of the sheet metal work had to be very precise in order to fit the complicated angles and curves of the various building elements. At the roof balustrade, the through-wall flashing needed to be perfectly dimensioned to ensure that the solder joints remained tight after the large, heavy limestone balustrade pieces were reinstalled. Per the design, each stainless steel anchor (to strengthen the limestone balustrade pieces) required a separate self-adhered waterproofing membrane with an individual copper boot soldered to the through-wall flashing. At the new, internal gutter pan flashing, the dimensions of the bottom and sides of the gutter were complicated trapezoidal pieces that were site-measured, factory-made, and then soldered in situ. Finally, there were many areas that required the installation of soldered flashing, including the second floor stylobate at the base of the limestone colonnade; the replacement of flat-seam and standing seam roofing; and the replacement of through-wall flashing at limestone walls and limestone water table courses.

Jaime Alvarez, Eddie Cruz, Juan Del Cid, Osmin Palacios, William Sessoms, Juan Zuniga - Prospect Waterproofing Company

Project: Riverfront Phase II,  Washington, DC
Architect:  SK+I Architecture
General Contractor:  Paradigm
The building site is adjacent to the Anacostia River, which required the water level to be controlled in order to install the under slab waterproofing system. Since the building’s basement is below the river level, the sequencing of waterproofing installation was dependent on the tide schedule. Due to the slab design and proximity to the river, deep well tie downs were required to anchor the building. As a result, a unique waterproofing detail including hydrophilic grout injection was installed by the waterproofing crew. Trade coordination for concrete pours was challenging as several pours took place in the early morning requiring Prospect’s crew to work overnight to install the waterproofing membrane ahead of the concrete pours.

Architectural Millwork

Nelson Delgadillo, Carlos Gomez, Brian Morrow, Rocio Perez, Steven Spurling, Hung Vo - Gaithersburg Architectural Millwork

Project: Harbor Chase of Fairfax,  Fairfax, VA
Architect:  Perkins Eastman
General Contractor:  John A Moriarty & Associates
As you walk through the ground floor you will come upon floor to ceiling applications of raised wood grain panels, wrapped columns, shelving units and ceiling beams 13’ off the floor. Some of the difficult tasks were coordinating the installation of custom routed out aluminum ceiling panels above one of the main lobby bars as they aligned with the tile backsplash and cabinets below. The hardest part in our execution was being able to plan/fabricate the large pieces of shelving units, columns, walls and ceiling panels with very little seams to allow us to move around the building with the large units. This one was truly challenging.

Joel Cabanban, Donald Demory, Archie Dodson, Mike Gaylada, Charles Hill, Roger Parker - Gaithersburg Architectural Millwork

Project: Trove Apartments,  Arlington, VA
Architect:  KGD Architecture
General Contractor:  Bozzutto
Enter the space to a faux riveted zinc oval Concierge desk with a faux live-edge elevated secondary hardwood top. Behind the desk is a one of a kind bank of 8’ +/- tall pantry like drawers faced with a combination of leather and steel. Continue into the space to a Coffee Bar/Lounge area with a very unique multi-level Coffee station with laminate material that creates a convincing concrete surface incorporating a hardwood plank platform that supports artwork provided by owner. Continue to the Penthouse where there is a Clubroom for the tenants. Here you will find a 56’ pergola of steel and wood beams supported by wire cable over the 56’ length and at each end by multiple columns housing the Gaming area. There is also a full industrial cooking/entertainment kitchen with hardwood veneer cabinetry in a challenging configuration.

Brian Cross, Justin Crouse, David Edwards, Frank Hockman, Jin Kim, Arunas Sopa - Gaithersburg Architectural Millwork

Project: Capital One,  McLean, VA
Architect:  Interior Architects, Inc.
General Contractor:  Clune Construction Company
Capital One 6th & 9th floors has many unique millwork elevations that took a great deal of design and planning to make it work. We collaborated with the Architect and Contractor in the very beginning stages of the job to make sure we could bring their ideas and designs to life. There are several elevations that stand out. We have two areas that we wrapped our millwork in 1/2" metal that was fabricated in our shop. The more extravagant is the island pantry on the 9th floor. This island is long and wrapped in stone and metal. We actually bent the stone (quartz) to wrap the substrate. This is the first job I have managed where we have bent stone. Our sub used a technique where they heat up the stone with water and then form it to a substrate. This took a lot of coordination on our end.

George Countouroudas, Greg Kasten, Sandro Sandra, Brad Stewart, Wendel Tercero - IBS Millwork

Project: 200 Stovall,  Alexandria, VA
Architect:  Cooper Carry
General Contractor:  Balfour Beatty
Throughout the project, IBS Millwork displayed a willingness to provide solutions to issues and regularly went above and beyond to make sure the work got done. An excellent example of this involved the coordination effort for the distressed copper panels. The distressed copper panels had a unique finish which was requested by the designer and were only available from a single vendor - a competitor to IBS Millwork. Rather than splitting the work between two contractors, IBS Millwork was willing to work with the other company and directly managed them under their contract. By doing this, IBS was able to ensure that the finish details between the copper panels and the adjacent materials maintained a clean look.

Christian Pardo Berrios, Nelson (Rodrigo) Berrios, Cirilo Tapia Fuentes, Hugo Pardo, Pablo Condori Perlas, Anna Torre-Smith - ATS Studios, LLC

Project: Riverfront Phase II,  Washington, DC
General Contractor:  Total Millwork
The Nest project consisted of several months of planning on how best to build a structure which consisted of 3 tons of 3/4" plywood. The ring and rib designs were laid out in a CAD file and cut before arriving at the site. Seems like this would have made it easy, but no not really the complexity of this project was just beginning. Each ring and rib was glued, clamped and constructed on site. The approx. 48 rings and 40 ribs varied in thickness and size. The footprint of the 2 Nest was 28' x 16' and 12' in height. Some of the rings were so big they did not fit from one side of the lobby to the other side. They definitely did not fit through the doors. So this required complete "On Site" construction.

Christian Pardo Berrios, Nelson (Rodrigo) Berrios, Yuce Soto Montano, Hugo Pardo, Pablo Condori Perlas, Elmer Ferrufino Zurita - ATS Studios, LLC

Project: Georgetown University Modernization of Copley Crypt & St. Williams Chapel,  Washington, DC
General Contractor:  Manhattan Construction
ATS Studios, LLC was given the task providing repair and/or replacement and cleaning and refurbishment to wood beams and corbels in the ceilings of the chapel. Approx. 50 SF of the ceiling had to be duplicated due to significant water damage beyond repair. All of the crown moldings had to be removed, labeled and archived to provide access to the mechanical and AV trades to run new equipment. The crown no longer fit back into the same elevation. So we built a new 5" standoff for re-installation of the crown overtop of the new mechanical. This same scope also had to be done for all of the historic wood wainscoting throughout the perimeters of the Chapel. All moldings were removed, labeled and archived. These moldings were taken back to our shop to be refurbished.

Josue Chicas, Roberto Chicas, Mike Grimes, Nelson Perez, Roger Perez, Jamie Valencia - ISEC Inc.

Project: JHU APL B201,  Laurel, MD
Architect:  Cannon Design
General Contractor:  Turner Construction Company
Each atrium panel was cut to fit and edge banded in the field. The edges of the panels were cleaned to ensure a good bond with the edge banding and after the edge banding was applied any rough edges were meticulously filed down achieve the best look even if the panels were going to be 40’ in the air and unable to be clearly seen. The atrium panel installation required both old and new techniques. The installers used multiple lasers to layout the reveal lines along the bridges and ensure the intersections would work when the main stair cut across the bridges while they also used simple string lines to set the depth of the underside panels to ensure an even plane that was flush with the bottom of the side panels.

Carlos Escobar, Joan (Manny) Freitez, Billy Harp, Miguel Sabillon - ISEC, Inc. and Robert Chandleur, Randell Kurtz - Premier Consultants International, Inc.

Project: Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library Modernization,  Washington, DC
Architect:  OTJ Architects
General Contractor:  Smoot/ Gilbane III MLK, A Joint Venture
Premier/ISEC’s scope on the MLK Jr. Library renovation project consisted of Architectural Woodwork including Linear Wood Slat Paneling, Stain Grade Stair Trim, Custom Millwork Surrounds, Wood & Plastic Laminate Casework, Exterior Teak Seating, and Interior Upholstered Seating. This project involved some key challenges within this scope, mainly in two separate scopes of work: White Oak Stair Balustrade Cap/Handrail and Slat Paneling. Premier/ISEC’s operations and field staff worked alongside one another to address constructability and design concerns, ensuring that the high-profile building’s finishes would pay off.

Peter Bogucki, Allen Cloud, Hanh Nguyen, Si Nguyen, Sing Rattana, Gary Stone - Jefferson Millwork & Design

Project: North Bethesda Center,  North Bethesda, MD
Architect:  Design Collective
General Contractor:  DAVIS Construction
Jefferson did a great job working the interior designer during the buyout, scope and submittal process. Samples and shop drawings were completed timely, with significant detail. Jefferson also participated in a full-scale mockup and allowed the team to visit their fabrication facility to review the product, prior to going into production. The main feature is a powder coated steel frame system with floating wood shelves, installed through the main amenity space. Jefferson provided the system turnkey, completing with lighting to ensure the wiring was concealed. The work was installed during a single mobilization and did not have any major punch items. In addition, Jefferson provide fabric banquettes, custom cabinetry and thru wall shelving.

Ben Graham-Putter, Nick Martin, Grant McAvan, David Miller, Mike Sheets, William Stackus - Gutierrez Studios

Project: The Wilson and The Elm,  Bethesda, MD
Architect:  Shalom Baranes Associates
General Contractor:  Clark Construction Group, LLC
Gutierrez Studios constructed a massive and painstakingly detailed feature wall for The Wilson. Their involvement in the project began more than three years before the installation date, allowing for ample opportunity to plan and work towards the owners’ desired vision. The primary obstacle was navigating the seasonal movement inherent in the solid wood materials that would be used to mimic the exact angle of the nearby traffic intersection at Wilson Street and Elm Street. Extensive calculation and planning for such movement drove the detailing and execution at every stage. This hurdle was exacerbated by the scale of the feature and the need for multiple wood species to be edge-glued and run in the short-grain direction.

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