ENR California’s 2019 ENR Awards Best Projects Jury Selects Caltech Bechtel Residence and CSULB College of Continuing and Professional Education For Top Honors

The Engineering News-Record (ENR) has been part of the engineering and construction landscape since 1874 and prides itself on covering trends in construction methods, technology, safety, business management, law, the environment and labor. The 2019 ENR Awards selection process brings elite panels to judge candidates’ contributions to industry and community, innovation in design, safety and construction quality. They also assess the role of teamwork and leadership in navigating challenges that may occur during the construction process. This year, the jury identified two MATT projects as outstanding in their categories: Caltech’s Bechtel Residence and CSULB’s College of Continuing and Professional Education (CCPE).

Caltech Bechtel Residence:

ENR awarded the California Institute of Technology’s Bechtel Residence with its Best Project South award in the Higher Education/Research category. The ZGF-designed facility comprises six interconnected but distinct structures surrounds an interior courtyard. It furnishes undergraduates with a sleek-yet-homey housing option typified by its blended use of wood, glass and an architectural concrete exterior, which doubles as a shear wall and the exterior of the building, saving hugely on cost. Sustainable design elements, such as recycled water initiatives, low electric usage light fixtures and a passive rooftop heating system, will play a key role in making Caltech a leader in net-zero campus energy.

CSULB College of Continuing and Professional Education:

ENR chose California State University Long Beach’s CCPE, the first new building on campus in nearly 10 years, as Best Project South in its Green Project category. The three-story, 38,000 sf structure holds 20 classrooms and a conference room, giving the College of Continuing and Professional Education a permanent home. Another collaboration with ZGF Architects, CCPE is the first net-zero-ready energy building on campus, sourcing its power from PV solar panels. Radiant floor heating and cooling allows for efficient climate control, and the building’s airflow-minded design eliminates the need for central air-conditioning.

Sunnylands Administration and Operations Campus Wins 2019 CMACN and AIACA Grand Award For Public/Civic Design

Co-sponsored by the Concrete Masonry Association of California and Nevada (CMACN) and AIA California (AIACA), this annual Design Awards Program identifies outstanding architectural projects that make use of concrete masonry and also honors the team of designers, builders, structural engineers, concrete suppliers and owners who bring these visions to life.

The Sunnylands Administration and Operations Campus garnered the 2019 Grand Award for Public/Civic Design in recognition of its balanced use and placement of textured CMU and extensive glazing work, which give the new facility a “timeless aesthetic.” The site, a 17-acre addition to the Sunnylands Center & Gardens at the historic Annenberg estate, consists of a series of interrelated operations, from the administrative wing, to the archives, to shipping and receiving, to the engineered wetland (an ecological wastewater treatment system).