ENR California is pleased to announce the winners of its 2022 Best Projects competition.

In addition to the main categories, each year, ENR's regional Best Projects competition includes two special awards, honoring those projects throughout the region that made significant achievements in the areas of safety and sustainability.

The Excellence in Sustainability award is in its second year as part of the contest. This year's winners were chosen from a field of nine candidates. Some of the factors our judges considered were how well project teams went above and beyond baseline industry requirements, a project's overall sustainability strategy, choice of materials, energy savings and its environmental impacts, not only within its own footprint but also on the community it serves.

The judges for the 2022 Excellence in Sustainability contest were Eric Huff, vice president/environmental manager at VRX and Angie Kung, associate, environmental at HDR.

This year's Excellence in Sustainability winners are:

Excellence in Sustainability Award – Northern CaliforniaSouthern Heights Blvd Bridge ReplacementSan Rafael, Calif.Submitted by Substrate

Excellence in Sustainability- Northern California, Award of Merit1 De HaroSan FranciscoSubmitted by DCI Engineers

Excellence in Sustainability Award – Southern CaliforniaDepartment of General Services California Air Resources Board – Mary D. Nichols CampusRiverside, Calif.Submitted by Hensel Phelps

ENR California's next special award is Excellence in Safety, which has now been a part of the competition for a decade. This year's winners were chosen from a field of ten candidates. Some of the factors our judges considered in their decisions include a project’s overall safety program, OSHA recordable incident rate, lost time accident rate as well as total man hours on the job.

The judges for the 2022 Excellence in Safety contest were Ted Boyce, director of safety quality and organizational development at Hathaway Dinwiddie and Alan Hayes, safety director, California at JTM Construction Group.

This year’s Excellence in Safety winners are:

Excellence in Safety Award – Northern CaliforniaBel Marin Levee ConstructionNovato, Calif.Submitted by Forgen

Excellence in Safety Award - Northern California, Award of MeritSouthern Heights Blvd Bridge ReplacementSan Rafael, Calif.Submitted by Substrate

Excellence in Safety Award - Southern CaliforniaRegional Connector Transit ProjectLos AngelesSubmitted by Skanska USA Civil

Excellence in Safety Award - Southern California, Award of MeritDepartment of General Services California Air Resources Board – Mary D. Nichols CampusRiverside, Calif.Submitted by Hensel Phelps

After a several weeks of hard work, an independent panel of experts from all corners of the AEC industry reviewed almost 100 projects from across California and Hawaii and selected 28 Best Projects and 27 Awards of Merit across 18 categories. As always, to avoid conflicts of interest, our judges did not score any categories in which their firms submitted entries, and if they had any involvement with a project, they abstained from scoring.

The judges for the 2022 California Best Projects contest were:

All winning project teams — as well as our Owner of the Year, Design Firm of the Year, Contractor of the Year, Specialty Contractor of the Year and Legacy Award winner – will be recognized in a pair of awards events in October. In addition to selecting category winners, our judges have also chosen three finalists apiece for Northern California and Southern California for consideration as ENR California’s 2022 Projects of the Year. Those winners winner will be announced at the October Best Projects events.

The Northern California awards will be presented on Oct. 18 in San Francisco at the Julia Morgan Ballroom in the Merchants Exchange Building (click here for more information).

The Southern California awards will be presented on Oct. 21 in Los Angeles at the Omni Los Angeles Hotel at California Plaza (click here for more information).

Congratulations to this year’s winners!

ENR California's 2021 Regional Best Project Winners

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

Best Airport/TransitSFO Terminal 1 BABSan FranciscoSubmitted by Austin Commercial

Award of Merit – Airport/Transit San Jose Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting FacilitySan JoseSubmitted by Overaa Construction

Best Government/Public Building New Natural Resources HeadquartersSacramentoSubmitted by Turner Construction

Award of Merit – Government/Public BuildingClifford L. Allenby BuildingSacramentoSubmitted by Rudolph and Sletten

Best Health CareSutter Santa Rosa Regional Hospital ExpansionSanta Rosa, Calif.Submitted by Herrero Builders

Award of Merit - Health CareGilead Sciences WellBeing CenterFoster City, Calif.Submitted by Gilead Sciences

Award of Merit - Health CareKaiser Permanente Riverside Medical Office BuildingRoseville, Calif.Submitted by Rudolph and Sletten

Best Higher Education/ResearchThe WELL Expansion and Renovation at Sacramento State UniversitySacramentoSubmitted by Swinerton Builders

Award of Merit - Higher Education/ResearchThe Green at West VillageDavis, Calif.Submitted by CBG Building Co.

Best Highway/Bridge ProjectSouthern Heights Blvd Bridge ReplacementSan Rafael, Calif.Submitted by Substrate

Best Interior/Tenant Improvement ProjectBART HeadquartersOakland, Calif.Submitted by Turner Construction

Award of Merit – Interior/Tenant ImprovementSmartLabs, North Tower Lab & Office TI at 2 Tower PlaceSan FranciscoSubmitted by Truebeck Construction

Award of Merit – Interior/Tenant ImprovementThe Tennis ChannelSanta MonicaSubmitted by Clune Construction

Best K-12 EducationSan Francisco Day SchoolSan FranciscoSubmitted by Herrero Builders

Award of Merit – K-12 EducationFremont High School TransformationOaklandSubmitted by Quattrocchi Kwok Architects

Best Landscape/Urban DevelopmentFrancisco ParkSan FranciscoSubmitted by Sherwood Design Engineers

Award of Merit – Landscape/Urban DevelopmentConfluence ParkValencia, Calif.Submitted by Consolidated Contracting

Best Manufacturing Biotech ManufacturingSouth San FranciscoSubmitted by Feintuch Communications

Award of Merit – ManufacturingRiCloud Data CenterSan JoseSubmitted by Corgan

Best Office/Retail/Mixed-Use415 NatomaSan FranciscoSubmitted by Swinerton Builders

Award of Merit – Office/Retail/Mixed-Use1 De HaroSan FranciscoSubmitted by DCI Engineers

Best Renovation/RestorationSMUD Museum of Science and CuriositySacramentoSubmitted by Otto Construction

Award of Merit – Renovation/RestorationPier 70 Building 12San FranciscoSubmitted by Plant Construction Co. LP

Best Residential/HospitalityOne Steuart LaneSan FranciscoSubmitted by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

Award of Merit – Residential/HospitalityTrinity Place – 1177 Market StreetSan FranciscoSubmitted by Swinerton Builders

Best Small Project (under $10 million)Frame HouseGlen EllenSubmitted by ZFA Structural Engineers

Best Water/Environment Manteca TCP ProjectManteca, Calif.Submitted by Overaa Construction

Award of Merit – Water/Environment2020 Northern Branch Fire Debris and Hazardous Tree RemovalButte, Lassen, Nevada, Plumas, Shasta, Del Norte, Siskiyou, Trinity, and Yuba CountiesSubmitted by Sukut Construction

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

Best Airport/ TransitRegional Connector Transit ProjectLos AngelesSubmitted by Skanska USA Civil 

Award of Merit – Airport/Transit Mid-Coast Extension of the UC San Diego Blue Line TrolleySan DiegoSubmitted by Stacy and Witbeck

Best Cultural/WorshipAudrey Irmas Pavilion at Wilshire Boulevard TempleLos AngelesSubmitted by MATT Construction

Award of Merit – Cultural/WorshipMCASD La Jolla ExpansionLa Jolla, Calif.Submitted by Level 10 Construction

Best Energy/Industrial ProjectLockheed Martin’s Palmdale 24MW Solar PV Farm ExpansionPalmdale, Calif.Submitted by Burns & McDonnell

Best Government/Public Building Dept. of General Services California Air Resources Board – Mary D. Nichols CampusRiverside, Calif.Submitted by Hensel Phelps

Award of Merit – Government/Public Building Riverside Main LibraryRiverside, Calif.Submitted by Icon West Inc.

Best Health Care Loma Linda University Medical Center Campus Transformation ProjectLoma Linda, Calif.Submitted by McCarthy Building Cos.

Award of Merit - Health Care Scripps Mercy MD Anderson Prebys Cancer CenterSan DiegoSubmitted by Kitchell Contractors

Best Higher Education/ResearchCSU Long Beach Anna W. Ngai Alumni CenterLong BeachSubmitted by The Firm Public Relations & Marketing

Award of Merit - Higher Education/ResearchUC Riverside, Student Success CenterRiverside, Calif.Submitted by P2S Inc.

Best Interior/Tenant ImprovementConfidential ClientLos AngelesSubmitted by Clune Construction

Best K-12 EducationSanta Monica High School (Samohi) Discovery BuildingSanta MonicaSubmitted by McCarthy Building Cos.

Award of Merit – Landscape/Urban Development – Southern CaliforniaTaylor Yard Bicycle and Pedestrian BridgeLos AngelesSubmitted by Zoltan E. Pali, FAIA | SPF:architects

Best Manufacturing Theragent CDMO FacilityArcadia, Calif.Submitted by DPR Construction

Best Office/Retail/Mixed-Use One WestsideLos AngelesSubmitted by MATT Construction

Award of Merit – Office/Retail/Mixed-UseLilia WaikikiHonoluluSubmitted by PCL Construction

Best Renovation/RestorationHerald Examiner Building Restoration & ASU Build-OutLos AngelesSubmitted by MATT Construction

Award of Merit – Renovation/RestorationTower TheaterLos AngelesSubmitted by Shawmut Design and Construction

Best Residential/Hospitality Landmark Los AngelesLos AngelesSubmitted by MATT Construction

Award of Merit – Residential/HospitalityCatherine Santa Monica - Phase IISanta MonicaSubmitted by Milender White Inc.

Award of Merit – Residential/Hospitality Angeles HouseLos AngelesSubmitted by Pacific National Group

Best Small Project (under $10 million)Wilcox Medical Center Emergency Generator ReplacementLihue, HawaiiSubmitted by Layton Construction Co.

Best Specialty Construction Port of Long Beach Fireboat Station No. 15 at Pier FLong BeachSubmitted by Pinner Construction Co. Inc.

Best Sports/Entertainment Rady Shell at Jacobs ParkSan DiegoSubmitted by Rudolph and Sletten

Best Water/Environment Moosa Creek Riparian Restoration ProjectSan DiegoSubmitted by Burns & McDonnell

Award of Merit – Water/EnvironmentLos Angeles Reservoir Ultraviolent Disinfection Plant (LARUV)Los AngelesSubmitted by Los Angeles Dept. of Water and Power