ENR New England Best Projects 2021: Winning Teams Put 2020 in the Rear View

Judges cite 22 projects as ENR New England’s Best in 2021

The Finch Cambridge is ENR New England’s first winner of the Excellence in Sustainability Award.
Photo by Robert Umenhofer, courtesy of NEI General Contracting

The COVID-19 outbreak clearly challenged the construction industry worldwide. Nevertheless, many project teams working across New England managed to more than endure during a difficult 2020. In fact, 19 project teams managed to earn 22 ENR New England Best Projects awards. Recognized by the industry professionals serving as judges this year, the winning projects are located in the region that includes Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont.

Related link: ENR New England Best Projects 2021

ENR New England extends its appreciation to this year’s judges: Danielle Crafford, general superintendent at Gilbane Building Co.; Scott Bascom, architect at Sasaki; Kaija Peterson, project engineer at Layton Construction Co./Structure Tone; and Aidan Sullivan, project engineer at Engelberth Construction Inc.

The criteria used to evaluate projects and their teams included overcoming challenges, contribution to the industry and community, safety and construction and design quality.

Judges could select any combination of Best Project category winners and award of merit winners. Projects had to have been completed between May 1, 2020, and May 31, 2021. Judges could not vote in categories that included projects in which they or their firms were involved. This year, ENR New England included a sustainability category for the first time. That category’s judge—Josh Rollins, senior manager, marketing and pursuit management at Suffolk—scored projects based on overall sustainability strategy, choice of materials and energy savings. Major green designations such as LEED and WELL were taken into consideration but were not absolutely critical. This year’s Excellence in Sustainability Award went to Finch Cambridge.

This year’s safety judge—Kurt Dunmire, regional safety director at Clark Construction Group LLC—selected Pfizer Plasmid DNA - Suites GH for the Excellence in Safety Award. Clippership Wharf in East Boston was chosen as the region’s overall Project of the Year. Please read on to learn more about the noteworthy regional projects completed in the last year.