In early September, ENR Texas & Louisiana announced its 2023 Best Projects award winners, which numbered 28 in all. Now we're adding to that list with the announcement of projects that stood out it their approach safety and sustainability.

The Excellence in Safety has two winners, one Best Project and one Award of Merit. Excellent in Sustainability has one Best Project winner. The Excellent in Safety highlights projects with outstanding safety records but examines the team’s safety programs and lessons learned that might be copied by others in the industry. This year’s winner is U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs Corpus Christi Outpatient Clinic in Texas. Jacobsen Construction Co. was the general contractor and submitter.

The Merit Award in the safety category goes to the Encina Pilot Plant in San Antonio, Texas. The project was submitted by Chemex Global.

The Excellent in Sustainability award examines how well the project team executed its sustainability strategy. This includes implementing its choice of materials, reducing energy and water usage and lowering carbon output. Mikel Wilkins, senior associates/director of sustainability at TBG Partners served as judge.

Block 185 is the winner for Excellence in Sustainability award. The Austin, Texas project was submitted by DPR Construction. The Award of Merit went to Memorial Park Connector in Houston, submitted by Andurra Group, Inc. 

From the announced main category winners, judges spotlighted here also chose their top picks for consideration of Project of the Year. The Project of the Year winner will be announced at a luncheon on Dec. 13 in Houston, Texas, where all of this year's winners will also be recognized.

Project of the Year Finalists

· The Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts, Little Rock, Ark. — Submitted by Nabholz l Pepper / Doyne

· The Carrollton, New Orleans, La. — Submitted by Impetus

· New Bellaire High School, Bellaire, Texas — Submitted by Turner Construction Co.