The $961,000 restoration of the Chinese Community Church, originally completed in 1854, required extensive research, a team of preservationists and a steady hand. Photo Courtesy of Rippeteau Architects, PC Related Links: Mid-Atlantic Construction�s Best of 2009 Awards The church lost much of its original character when its tower was taken down approximately 100 years ago. Additionally, the exterior ornamentation was lost in later years when the church was clad in cement-plaster faux stone, or form stone. Restoration work included peeling back layers of building material around the exterior walls, windows and woodwork put in place over the years. Researchers found

Building 131,000 sq ft of retail space atop reclaimed tidal swamp land and a brownfields site nearly pushed this project’s site and foundation costs out of reach for the owner. Photo Courtesy of Robert Little, L2 Architecture Related Links: Mid-Atlantic Construction�s Best of 2009 Awards To counteract these heavy up-front costs, BPGS Construction had to pay close attention to the materials, means and methods required to construct the building. That involved heavy design review and revision to bring the estimated costs of the project in line with the funding in place. Once the design was complete, crews worked closely with

A $112-million, design-build project adds two buildings at the Army Logistics University, which will enable the military to consolidate graduate-level logistics education at Fort Lee in Virginia as part of the Base Realignment and Closure program. Photo Courtesy of Skyshots Photography Related Links: Mid-Atlantic Construction�s Best of 2009 Awards Balfour Beatty Construction of Fairfax, Va., built a three-story, 48,876-sq-ft Simulation Building for sophisticated computer simulations and a four-story, 348,511-sq-ft Education Building with classrooms, a large multipurpose room and a library. Both buildings feature raised-access flooring to accommodate future technologies, secured and unsecured computer networks, a videoconferencing system and blast-resistant materials.

The exterior of the 113,500-sq-ft Dickinson School of Law at Penn State in University Park has eight different exterior glazing systems that form a swooping glass curved structure. Photo Courtesy Greg Kohl With Ac Photo Related Links: Mid-Atlantic Construction�s Best of 2009 Awards The interior of the $66 million project is impressive, too. There is a law library, moot courtroom, case study classrooms, faculty offices, café and a $2 million audio/visual package that makes the Dickinson School of Law the first accredited body to confer a law degree while operating on two campuses (University Park and Carlisle). Changes took place

The 17-story, 102,000 sq-ft Millennium Hall at Drexel University signifies the university’s commitment to design excellence and creating a vibrant campus. Related Links: Mid-Atlantic Construction�s Best of 2009 Awards The $35 million building is rotated around a central core. The outer perimeter of the student residence hall rotates 10 inches in opposite directions from floor to floor. The façade also slopes outwards and inwards on the same elevation on both sides of the building. To achieve this look and make the building structurally sound, INTECH of Philadelphia paid close attention to the erection procedures and connection details on each panel

In August 2007, Ford’s Theatre shut down for 18 months for a $12-million rehabilitation. Not only is the 144-year-old, 20,000 sq-ft building now ADA compliant, but the team also modernized facilities and infrastructure without compromising the building’s historical integrity. Kenneth M. Wyner Photography Related Links: Mid-Atlantic Construction�s Best of 2009 Awards The project was also completed on schedule and in time for Abraham Lincoln’s 200th birthday. The project added new theater seating; fire- and life-safety code upgrades; new audio/visual systems, lighting and automated rigging technology; rehabilitated mechanical, electrical, plumbing and HVAC systems; and new board room and renovation of the

The $5-million, 8,500-sq-ft Founding Farmers restaurant is the first restaurant in Washington, D.C., to be awarded LEED certification of any type and the first full-service, upscale-casual restaurant in the country to earn LEED gold. Photo Courtesy of Michael Moran Photography Related Links: Mid-Atlantic Construction�s Best of 2009 Awards Founding Farmers will also function as a green restaurant as sanctioned by the Green Restaurant Association. The restaurant was able to achieve LEED gold for commercial interiors despite its location atop a base building that was not built with sustainability in mind. The existing building has large, double-story glazing that allows excess

The $29-million, 125,000-sq-ft Helen F. Graham Cancer Center expansion at Christiana Care in Wilmington, Del., brings together under one roof an array of oncology diagnostic, treatment and rehabilitation services and the Center for Translational Cancer Research. The research center is a formal alliance between the cancer center, the University of Delaware in Newark, the Nemours/Alfred I. DuPont Hospital for Children in Wilmington and the Delaware Biotechnology Institute in Newark. Related Links: Mid-Atlantic Construction�s Best of 2009 Awards The layout allows doctors and scientists an opportunity to work together closely and quickly to better serve patients. The collaborative relationship between science

Vacant since 1999, the Historic DC Courthouse is one of the oldest public buildings in the District of Columbia. This year, it received a comprehensive, $99-million overhaul to restore it to its original 1820s grandeur and incorporate modern amenities. Related Links: Mid-Atlantic Construction�s Best of 2009 Awards Beyer Blinder Belle Architects & Planners of Washington designed the restoration and renovation program for the District of Columbia Court of Appeals. Hensel Phelps Construction Co. of Chantilly, Va., completed the project in June. The team constructed all new spaces below grade to preserve the landmark’s historical appearance. The project entailed a variety

The complete $6.5 million renovation of the 834-room Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill took place during the 2008 primary elections while the property was operating at near-100% occupancy and hosting high-profile guests. Maintaining guest egress and limiting exposure to construction noise and debris was critical during the fast-track, 19-week construction schedule. Photo Courtesy of Stirling Elmendorf Related Links: Mid-Atlantic Construction�s Best of 2009 Awards With the elections under way and Hillary Clinton speaking onsite, tens of thousands of guests required access to the hotel. Secret Service protocol involved unannounced interruptions to the work schedule. Construction would halt and the