Three top project contenders, located on both coasts and in the midwest, were chosen from more than 800 entries for design and construction innovation, safety  and community impact.

For several weeks this summer, nearly a dozen judges read scores of project nominations from across Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi and Oklahoma to decide the winners of ENR Texas & Louisiana’s annual Best Projects competition.

The 2023 ENR Northwest Best Projects competition featured a host of innovative projects that spanned the construction and design spectrum.

COVID, supply limitations and budget overruns forced Chemex Global’s team to be resilient and proactive to mitigate impacts during the construction of the Encina Pilot Plant.

This federal project recorded a rate of zero for both its OSHA recordable incident rate and lost-time accident rate. These pristine safety numbers come from a project of nearly 18,800 work hours with as many as 300 people on site at a given time.

Mindful of its carbon footprint, Austin Block 185 meets the LEED Platinum standard, has easy access to many of Austin’s bus routes and has a large bike parking facility, including racks and a repair station.

After years of rising odor complaints and operating costs, a $32.5-million facility provided a sustainable solution by replacing the existing belt filter presses and lime stabilization process with a centrifuge dewatering and drum drying process.

Trinity University’s 40,000-sq-ft Dicke Hall is the school’s latest addition. The mass timber structure houses one- and two-tier classrooms, an auditorium, a screening room and student space.

Project Cayenne is a new two-story catering facility near Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW).

This project is located in downtown Houston and is surrounded by medical facilities, stores, a university and green spaces.