It’s once again time for ENR Southwest to showcase the winners of its annual Best Projects competition. For more than 25 years, the publication has recognized the best in design and construction throughout the Southwest region of Arizona, Nevada and New Mexico, and we are once again proud to highlight the industry’s latest project achievements. This year’s judges had their work cut out for them, with ENR Southwest receiving nearly 100 entries in a variety of categories.

It’s never an easy task for our panels of industry judges to review all of the submissions from project teams to select the Best Projects winners, and this year was particularly difficult given the quality of work completed in the past year in the Southwest.

The Northwest Phase II Extension provides the Phoenix transit network’s first elevated light rail track and station.
Photo courtesy McCarthy Building Cos.

In all, this year’s panelists reviewed entries in a variety of categories, ranging from airport/transit to water/environment and evaluated factors such as safety, innovation, design execution, craft quality and community or industry benefit.

After each individual judge read and submitted their scores for each entry, the panel then met via a Zoom call to determine individual overall winners for each category. In each category, the judging panels would collectively decide upon an overall Best Project award for the market category, along with an award of merit if warranted.

Thank you to our judges, listed below in alphabetical order:

• Sergio Carrasco, project architect, Holly Street Studio
• Michael D’Andrea, vice president of development & construction, GCON Inc.
• Alicia Duffy, project manager, Mortenson
• Stephanie Handley, vice president, economic development, Clayco
• Kai Kaoni, associate professor of practice, Northern Arizona University School of Construction Management
• Ryan O’Donnell, operations director, Balfour Beatty
• Peter Rasmussen, principal, Shepley Bulfinch
• Cassie Saba Robertson, SW regional prefab leader, DPR Construction
• James Trahan, partner | principal, 180 Degrees Design + Build.

Criteria considered by the judges included innovation, teamwork, service to the community, safety and overall design and construction quality. Note that any judge with projects in the running was assigned to different categories.

Additionally, two judges selected this year’s safety award winners, with a special emphasis on safety programs, cultures and results. Our thanks to the following safety experts for serving as judges for this award.

• Ryan Burns, director of field operations, Kovach
• Matt Gilliland, safety director, CHASSE Building Team

Jacobs led design of the Northwest Phase II Extension project, with construction led by a joint venture of Kiewit and McCarthy Building Cos.
Photo courtesy McCarthy Building Cos.

In addition to selecting category winners, each panel of judges collectively chose finalists for consideration of ENR Southwest’s Project of the Year. After another round of voting from the entire group of judges, three finalists for the top honor were then determined and an overall winner chose.

Among the finalists was the Luhrs Moxy Hotel, located in Phoenix, and submitted by Okland Construction, which won a Best Project in renovation/restoration category. The Mayo Clinic AZ Bold Forward West Expansion, also located in Phoenix and submitted by DPR Construction, was winner of the Best Project in the health care category. It also was chosen as a finalist for the best overall project.

The Luhrs Moxy Hotel project, winner of a Best Project in the renovation/restoration category, was one of three finalists for this year’s top prize.
Photo by Michael Duerinckx

But receiving this year’s top honor as Project of the Year was the Northwest Phase II Extension Light Rail Transit project—once again located in Phoenix—that was submitted by the joint venture team of Kiewit-McCarthy. As ENR Editor-in-Chief Scott Blair writes in the story detailing this project, the roughly $274-million effort not only completed early, but also finished with $40 million in savings to the owner, and with a nearly spotless safety record.

Best Project-level winners will now advance to the national level, competing with winners from nine other regions to be considered for ENR’s Best of the Best awards. Judging for the national contest will begin later this year, with results to be announced in early 2025.

Meet the Winning Teams

All winning project teams—both for Best Project and award of merit winners—will be recognized in Phoenix at a luncheon on Nov. 7 at the Renaissance Phoenix Downtown Hotel.

At that event, ENR Southwest will also recognize several other award winners this year: Owner of the Year Intel Corp.; Design Firm of the Year WSP; Contractor of the Year Sundt Construction; and Specialty Contractor of the Year Suntec Concrete.