ENR California is pleased to announce the winners of its 2024 Regional Best Projects competition!

After several weeks of hard work, an independent group of AEC experts reviewed 90 projects from across California and Hawaii and selected 30 Best Projects and 27 Awards of Merit. The California contest is split into two separate regions; North and South.

Projects were evaluated on the ability of the project team to overcome challenges, their contribution to the industry and community, safety and construction and design quality. 

The judges for the 2024 contest were:

  • Amer Bata, deputy department manager, AECOM
  • Doug Conrath, principal (retired), CRB
  • Steve Friar, regional director of planning, western US, Hensel Phelps
  • Red Gayita, regional executive/special projects, Bernards
  • Donald Kahn, project executive, Largo Concrete
  • Beatriz Kim, engineering team lead, Rosendin
  • Phil LeCocq, project management, division of engineering, California Dept. of Water Resources
  • Rory Madden, senior project manager, coDesign
  • Danica Mason, principal, Red Team Go!
  • David Mori, engineering manager, City of Anaheim Public Works 
  • Allison Otto, President and CEO, Otto Construction
  • Caleigh Raymer, construction manager, PCL

As always, to avoid conflicts of interest, our judges did not score any categories in which their firms submitted entries, and abstained from scoring projects on which they had any involvement.

Winners of the Excellence in Sustainability award and the Excellence in Safety award for the California regions will be announced in August.

All winning project teams — as well as the Owner of the Year, Design Firm of the Year, Contractor of the Year, Specialty Contractor of the Year and Legacy Award winners – will be recognized in a pair of awards events in October. 

In addition to selecting category winners, judges have also chosen three finalists each for Northern California and Southern California for consideration as ENR California’s 2024 Projects of the Year, which also will be announced at the Best Projects events.

  • Southern California awards will be presented on Oct. 15 in Los Angeles (click here for more information).
  • Northern California awards will be presented on Oct. 17 in San Francisco (click here for more information).

This year’s winning projects in the main categories—listed  below—will be profiled in depth in the October print issue of ENR California.

Congratulations to this year’s winners!

ENR California's 2024 Regional Best Projects Winners

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

Best Cultural/Worship
Greek Theatre Upper Bowl Improvements at the University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, Calif.
Submitted by Sherwood Design Engineers

Best Energy/Industrial
Moss Landing Phase III
Monterey, Calif.
Submitted by Burns & McDonnell

Award of Merit - Energy/Industrial
Google Moffett Park Thermal Plant
Sunnyvale, Calif.
Submitted by ZGF Architects

Best Government/Public Building
County of San Mateo, County Office Building 3 (COB3)
Redwood City, Calif.
Submitted by Truebeck Construction

Award of Merit - Government/Public Building
Placer County Health and Human Services Center
Auburn, Calif.
Submitted by Turner Construction Co.

Best Health Care
Behring Pavilion and UCSF – John Muir Health Jean and Ken Hofmann Cancer Center
Walnut Creek, Calif.
Submitted by Swinerton Builders

Best Higher Education/Research
Orchard Park
Davis, Calif.
Submitted by CBG Building Co.

Award of Merit - Higher Education/Research
Las Positas College Public Safety Complex
Livermore, Calif.
Submitted by C. Overaa & Co.

Best Highway/Bridge
CA State Route 70 Stormwater and Safety Improvement project
Plumas County, Calif.
Submitted by Q&D Construction

Award of Merit - Highway/Bridge
Veteran's Boulevard Interchange
Fresno, Calif.
Submitted by Teichert Construction

Best Interior/Tenant Improvement
Arc Institute
Palo Alto, Calif.
Submitted by Truebeck Construction

Award of Merit - Interior/Tenant Improvement
101 California Lobby and Plaza Renovation
San Francisco
Submitted by Turner Construction Co.

Best K-12 Education
Sonoma Academy Community Performing Arts Center
Santa Rosa, Calif.
Submitted by Quattrocchi Kwok Architects

Best Landscape/Urban Development
SOMA Street Tree Nursery Site Improvements
San Francisco
Submitted by Yerba Buena Engineering &  Construction, Inc.

Best Manufacturing
Kubota Western Distribution Center
Elk Grove, Calif.
Submitted by Alston Construction

Best Office/Retail/Mixed Use
200 Park
San Jose, Calif.
Submitted by Level 10 Construction

Award of Merit - Office/Retail/Mixed Use
YouTube Campus Expansion
San Bruno, Calif.
Submitted by McCarthy Building Cos.

Best Renovation/Restoration
St. Clare at Capitol Park
Sacramento
Submitted by Miyamoto International

Award of Merit - Renovation/Restoration
El Portal Place
San Pablo, Calif.
Submitted by C. Overaa & Co.

Award of Merit - Renovation/Restoration
Maclac Building D - Rebirth of a Historic Paint Factory
San Francisco
Submitted by Marcy Wong Donn Logan Architects with PLAD Peter Logan Architecture and Design

Best Residential/Hospitality
1629 Market Street
San Francisco
Submitted by Suffolk

Award of Merit - Residential Hospitality
805 Riverfront
West Sacramento, Calif.
Submitted by Mogavero Architects

Best Small Project
Veterans' Memorial Auditorium Seismic Retrofit
San Rafael, Calif.
Submitted by Plant Construction Company, L.P.

Award of Merit - Small Project
Air Canada SFO Maple Leaf Lounge
San Francisco
Submitted by Swinerton Builders

Best Water/Environment
Morro Bay Water Reclamation Facility Design-Build
Morro Bay, Calif.
Submitted by Black & Veatch

Award of Merit - Water/Environment
Hallwood Side Channel and Floodplain Restoration
Marysville, Calif.
Submitted by Teichert Construction

Award of Merit - Water/Environment
City of Foster City Levee Improvements Project
Foster City, Calif.
Submitted by Tanner Pacific, Inc.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

Best Airport/Transit
Delta Sky Way Program at LAX
Los Angeles
Submitted by Hensel Phelps

Award of Merit - Airport/Transit
LAX Terminal Cores and APM Interface
Los Angeles
Submitted by Austin Commercial, LP

Best Cultural/Worship
UCLA Nimoy Theater
Los Angeles
Submitted by Shawmut Design and Construction

Best Energy/Industrial
Stanton Battery Energy Storage System
Stanton, Calif.
Submitted by BEI Construction, Inc.

Best Government/Public Building
County of San Diego Southeastern Live Well Center
San Diego
Submitted by PCL Construction

Award of Merit - Government/Public Building
The Otay Mesa Land Port of Entry (LPOE) Modernization and Expansion Project
San Diego
Submitted by Hill International, Inc.

Best Health Care
Tarzana Reimagined
Tarzana, Calif.
Submitted by McCarthy Building Cos., Inc.

Award of Merit - Health Care
Kaiser Permanente Bellflower Radiation Oncology and Imaging Center
Bellflower, Calif.
Submitted by Turner Construction Co.

Award of Merit - Health Care
CSMC Marina Towers Breast Imaging
Marina Del Ray, Calif.
Submitted by TIS Construction Services, Inc.

Best Higher Education/Research
MiraCosta College Health and Wellness Hub
Oceanside, Calif.
Submitted by Balfour Beatty

Award of Merit - Higher Education/Research
California State University, Northridge (CSUN) Maple Hall
Northridge, Calif.
Submitted by Gilbane Building Co.

Award of Merit - Higher Education/Research
University of California, Riverside School of Medicine Education Building II
Riverside, Calif.
Submitted by Hensel Phelps

Best Highway/Bridge
I-405 Improvement Project
Orange County, Calif.
Submitted by Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA)

Award of Merit - Highway/Bridge
Route 210 Roadway Rehabilitation
Sylmar, Calif.
Submitted by Flatiron West, Inc.

Award of Merit - Highway/Bridge
City of San Marcos Creek District Infrastructure Project
San Marcos, Calif.
Submitted by SEMA Construction, Inc.

Best Interior/Tenant Improvement
Lincoln International
Los Angeles
Submitted by Clune Construction

Award of Merit - Interior/Tenant Improvement
Tenant Improvement at The Culver Studios (Buildings J&O)
Culver City, Calif.
Submitted by Swinerton Builders

Award of Merit - Landscape/Urban Development
Wilmington Waterfront Promenade and Building Demolition
Los Angeles
Submitted by Port of Los Angeles

Best Manufacturing
Goodman Logistics Center Fullerton
Fullerton, Calif.
Submitted by Oltmans Construction Co.

Best Office/Retail/Mixed-Use
4930 Directors Place
San Diego
Submitted by Swinerton Builders

Award of Merit - Office/Retail/Mixed-Use
843 N Spring Street
Los Angeles
Submitted by Shawmut Design and Construction

Best Renovation/Restoration
University of Southern CA United University Church
Los Angeles
Submitted by Perkins Eastman | Pfeiffer

Award of Merit - Renovation/Restoration
San Diego Humane Society Adoptions Center
San Diego
Submitted by COAR Design Group

Best Residential/Hospitality
AC + Moxy Hotels
Los Angeles
Submitted by Suffolk

Award of Merit - Residential/Hospitality
Alexan Noho West
North Hollywood, Calif.
Submitted by Build Group

Best Small Project
Hartbeat
West Hollywood, Calif.
Submitted by HITT Contracting

Award of Merit - Small Project
W Hotel Renovation
Los Angeles
Submitted by Build Group

Best Sports/Entertainment
Loma Verde Community Center and Aquatic Center
Chula Vista, Calif.
Submitted by COAR Design Group

Best Water/Environment
Hyperion Headworks Odor Control Upgrade
Los Angeles
Submitted by City of Los Angeles Bureau of Engineering

Award of Merit - Water/Environment
Sterling Natural Resource Center (SNRC)
San Bernardino, Calif.
Submitted by Balfour Beatty