2006 Best Of Awards

This year’s Best of judging took placeover a three-week period, starting inmid-August. Jim Duncan, recentlynamed Chairman of Seattle-basedSparling, and Grant Larson president ofMercer Island’s Express Constructionmade the first cut of the 50 entries. Atthe end of several hours, they had pickedthe Best of Washington and nominatedtwo projects for the Grand Award.

Then it was onto Portland, whoeverjudged the Oregon Projects and nomi-nated two Oregon Projects for theGrand Award.

Back in Seattle, Robin Rogers,Sustainability Director for Otak, GregBogard, project manager for BN Builders,and president of the Design BuildInstitute of America Northwest Chapterand Noel Greenberg, architect with DLRGroup grappled with the final decision –who would win the Grand Award.

The trio came down to the wire, ask-ing the finalists for more informationand comparing notes for several days.Because of its outstanding sustainablefeatures, its ability to fit into the envi-ronment and incredible craftsmanship,the judges agreed unanimously on the$8 million Mount Angel AbbeyAcademic Center.

In another initiative to promote work-force development, Northwest Constr-uction is awarding the University ofWashington Research Center theProject of the Year Award, with com-mendations to John Schaufelberger,Ph.D. dean of the construction manage-ment department in the UW School ofArchitecture.

Mark your calendars for August 1,2007 as the due date for 2007 Best of Entries.