Contextualism was key to executing a new classroom building and addition for the University of Michigan's law school, whose facilities, like others on the Ann Arbor campus, are rooted in Collegiate Gothic architecture. Photo Courtesy of Fred Golden An atrium on the main floor of a new commons at the University of Michigan Law School in Ann Arbor pours sunlight over a seating area providing views of historic structures. Related Links: Click here to return to Introduction Click here to read about Best Projects 2011 Designers took their cues from the 80-year-old Hutchins Hall, a masonry-clad structure anchored by ornate

As a result of ongoing fundraising efforts and resulting revisions to the project, team members negotiated a steep learning curve while developing a new campus for the Westminster Christian Academy.

An addition to a concourse at Indiana's South Bend Regional Airport takes flight with a steel-framed, barrel-vaulted structure intended to mimic the forms of an aircraft wing.

Settlers Trail Wind Farm was constructed during extremely cold winter weather, with crews fighting freezing rain, snow and temperatures as low as -20˚F. Photo Courtesy of Jim Finch With both the weather and schedule churning, safety was paramount during construction of Settlers Trail Wind Farm in Watseka, Ill. Photo Courtesy of Jim Finch In all, the project logged 151,574 working hours while achieving OSHA and lost-time rates of zero. Related Links: Click here to return to Introduction Click here to read about Best Projects 2011 Building a wind farm is inherently dangerous due to, well, the wind. Despite the cold

This exhibit hall, an addition to the existing St. Louis Science Center, shines a spotlight on specialized lighting, air-quality and acoustical systems, as well as other features critical for contemporary exhibit space.

Funds for public portions of The Banks, Cincinnati's largest mixed-use project, allowed builders to raise the development out of the floodplain and construct a new neighborhood street grid, along with transit infrastructure, traffic control and a 45-acre park. Photo Courtesy of John Deatrick An intermodal transit center and accompanying 6,000-space "floodable" parking structure lift the Banks, Cincinnati's largest mixed-use development, out of the floodplain. Related Links: Click here to return to Introduction Click here to read about Best Projects 2011 An intermodal transit center and accompanying 6,000-space "floodable" parking structure serve as the base for buildings and streets above, elevating

Issues of preservation and modernization figured prominently in the renovation and 37,000-sq-ft expansion of the Cranbrook Art Museum and library, originally designed by father and son architects Eliel and Eero Saarinen. Photo Courtesy of Paul Haefner This project called for renovation and expansion of the Cranbrook Art Museum and Library, originally designed by father and son architects Eliel and Eero Saarinen. Photo Courtesy of Paul Haefner Materials incorporated into the addition recall those of the original structure. Related Links: Click here to return to Introduction Click here to read about Best Projects 2011 In addition to replacing mechanical and electrical

Despite a tight site and complex coordination issues, efforts to construct a co-generation plant adjacent to a fully operating paper mill in Rothschild, Wis., are proceeding under budget and ahead of schedule, an accomplishment its team attributes in part to the adoption of lean construction practices. Related Links: http://midwest.construction.com/midwest_construction_projects/2012/0924-collaboration-key-to-keeping-ahead-of-schedule-on-cleveland8217s-convention-center.asp http://midwest.construction.com/midwest_construction_projects/2012/0723-push-comes-to-shove-over-the-ohio-river.asp Among other tactics, Appleton, Wis.-based Boldt Construction Co., the project's construction manager and general contractor, developed a detailed plan identifying the locations for trailers, tool storage and temporary facilities prior to construction. "It's a matter of thinking through work flow and minimizing the steps required to get from one point

A homeland security center, a mausoleum, a public park and a harbor are among the developments that captured top honors in this year's ENR Midwest Best Projects competition, an annual program recognizing outstanding design and construction in a variety of categories.

Sited adjacent to an 1872 courthouse, the Livingston County Law & Justice Center provides Pontiac, Ill., with updated courtroom and judiciary space while meeting an objective to redevelop underutilized parts of its downtown.