Texas Construction presents its thirteenth annual Best Of awards issue, which honors projects completed in our region between Sept. 1, 2008, and Sept. 1, 2009.

The $15.89-million Solomon G. Brown Corps Center in Washington, D.C., provides the Salvation Army a place of worship and space in which to deliver community extension services, including day-care, workforce training and wellness programs. Related Links: Mid-Atlantic Construction�s Best of 2009 Awards WCS Construction of Washington broke ground on the 74,049-sq-ft, five-story building in January 2006. At certain times of the year, the ground water topped the ground slab in the building. To fight that condition, the team designed an innovative bentonite clay-lined foundation liner, effectively sealing the subgrade of the building and walls from the interior of the project.

The Takoma Park Library renovation team went to great lengths to restore the original architecture of this 1911, Carnegie-funded building while creating a modern library. Using the design-build delivery method, crews were able to deliver the $2 million restored library project one month ahead of schedule. Photo Courtesy of Kenneth M. Wyner Photography Related Links: Mid-Atlantic Construction�s Best of 2009 Awards Historic records were examined and a master woodcarver hired to create woodwork and furniture that matches the originals. Crews uncovered a skylight hidden by a painted ceiling. The entire library was restored, including the plaster, wood, window glass, exterior

The $175 million, 46-story The Residences at the Ritz-Carlton in Philadelphia combines legendary Ritz-Carlton amenities with carefree Center City living. Photo Courtesy of Al Fazzini Related Links: Mid-Atlantic Construction�s Best of 2009 Awards L.F. Driscoll Co., Bala Cynwyd, Pa., broke ground on the 628,000-sq-ft, 289-unit tower in May 2006. The lower structure was intertwined with 49 transfer girders, weighing 733 tons and traditional steel framing, with reinforced concrete beam and slab construction through the third floor. The company used a German automatic-climbing forming system for the concrete placement. It featured a perimeter protection barrier, enclosing the entire working deck, which

A demanding construction schedule and creative design solutions allowed the $50 million renovation and expansion of Tyser Tower at the University of Maryland’s Byrd Stadium to be completed a year early, in time for the fall 2009 football season. Photo Courtesy of Clark Construction Group, LLC Related Links: Mid-Atlantic Construction�s Best of 2009 Awards The scope of work called for a 66,000-sq-ft addition to the original 33,000-sq-ft football stadium pressbox and seating facility and the complete renovation of the existing space. The owner selected the construction manager, Clark Construction, early in the design process. Soon after joining the team, Clark

This two-story, 75,000-sq-ft build-out was designed to achieve a platinum rating under the new LEED-CI Version 3.0 system, which was not released until the end of construction. Photo Courtesy Eric Laignel Related Links: Mid-Atlantic Construction�s Best of 2009 Awards In order to be prepared for the new rating, James G. Davis Construction Corp. compiled the construction waste reports, documented all the indoor air-quality strategies with photographs throughout the project and verified that all material onsite complied with the new LEED standards and scorecard for the project. The general contractor was the first in the country to use the v3.0 templates

Being the first to accomplish a singular goal does more than simply get a project team’s name in the record books. It also sets a benchmark by which all subsequent endeavors are measured. Chris Cunningham Photography Chris Cunningham Photography Related Links: Mid-Atlantic Construction�s Best of 2009 Awards But teams that aspire to follow in the footsteps of the Walter L. Rice Education Center, Virginia’s first LEED platinum building and Mid-Atlantic Construction’s project of the year, had better be prepared to tackle some formidable challenges. The $2.8-million, 4,900-sq-ft building is the centerpiece of the Inger and Walter Rice Center for Environmental

Without any adjacent context, designers of this $40 million 1-million-sq-ft shopping center worked to create a neighborhood that looked as if it had developed over time. Related Links: Mid-Atlantic Construction�s Best of 2009 Awards Contractors used a mixture of building materials in complex and decorative ways to achieve a traditional architectural look and feel. The main facades were built with a mixture of masonry, clapboard and EIFS, all seamlessly integrated to give the appearance of older construction. The longer expanses of storefronts were broken up to create the image of many separate buildings built up over time. Key Players Owner:

KIPP DC’s $6.5 million Will Academy is a new, 15,000-sq-ft educational facility that will be jointly occupied by both Will Academy and Scott Montgomery public school. Related Links: Mid-Atlantic Construction�s Best of 2009 Awards The facility has been designed to LEED for schools silver specification. Construction includes a 7,000-sq-ft gymnasium, 3,000-sq-ft multipurpose room and 5,000 sq ft of classroom and administrative space. The project’s sustainability goals were aggressive. The addition’s heating and cooling system includes the use of a closed-loop geothermal system. Located in the courtyard adjacent to the building, the geothermal well field consists of 20 vertical wells at

The $44.9-million, 93,000-sq-ft, design-build New Beginnings Youth Development Center in Laurel, Md., provides room to house 60 youth in 10-bed housing units designed to encourage positive youth development in a therapeutic, safe and secure setting. Photo Courtesy of Dan Cunningham Related Links: Mid-Atlantic Construction�s Best of 2009 Awards Tompkins/Hardie Joint Venture, a partnership between Tompkins Builders and Hardie Industries, both of Washington, D.C., broke ground on the detention center in September 2007 and finished the five-building project for the District of Columbia Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services in March. AECOM Design of Arlington, Va., designed the 15-acre campus to provide