2004 Best of Awards - ENR Southwest | McGraw-Hill Construction

Southwest Contractor’s 

2004 Best of Awards 

http://southwest.construction.com/features/archive/0412_cover.asp 

Welcome to our annual “Best of 

2004” awards edition. It's an exciting 

time for us as we see the fruits of the 

industry's labor during the past year 

and this year was no different. Our 

regional juries of judges reviewed 

146 projects, a record amount of 

submissions. 

Arizona led the way with a record 90 

submissions, up from 45 in 2003. 

Nevada builders submitted 29 projects, 

down from 35 in 2003. In New Mexico, 

judges saw 27 project, also down from 

35. This year, there were a total of 51 winners 

in the three states. 

Every year, we assemble a jury in 

Arizona, Nevada and New Mexico. 

Judges are chosen based on their 

industry experience and specialty. We 

include architects, engineers, general 

contractors and subcontractors on all 

juries. 

The editor would like to thank the following 

people for taking the time to sit 

on our jury: 

Arizona Jury 

Ken Schacherbauer of Perini; Mark 

Soyster of Pulice Construction; Joshua 

Smith of Weitz Co.; Peter Kunka of Kunka 

Engineering; Steve Kennedy of Richard 

and Bauer; Heather Kincaid of Carter 

Burgess; Bill Corbin of Corbins Electric 

and John Tieman of Maverick Masonry. 

16 Southwest Contractor 12/2004 

Nevada Jury: 

Steve Schiller of Martin & Peltyn Inc.; 

David Pugsley of Welles Pugsley Architects; 

Steve Swisher, Swisher Hall Architects; 

Mitch Adamic, Kitchell Contractors; Bill 

Curfman of CORE Construction; Rick 

Ewing of Las Vegas Paving; Rick Sellers 

of Carpenter Sellers Architects and Bill 

Mason of Taylor International. 

New Mexico Jury: 

Jason Harrington of HB Construction; 

Rick Tavelli of Bradbury Stamm 

Construction; Steven Perich of 

Dekker/Perich/Sabatini; Don May of 

Rodhe, May Keller McNamara Architects; 

Nancy Bartlett of Custer Baserich and Bruce 

Higgins of Tom Growney Equipment. 

The editor would also like to thank the 

Arizona Contractors’ Association, the 

Las Vegas Associated General Contractors 

and the New Mexico building branch of 

the AGC for graciously hosting our 

juries. 

I invite our readers to attend our annual 

“Best of 2004/Outook 2005 events. 

The event is scheduled for Dec. 7 at 

Mandaly Bay in Las Vegas and Dec. 9 at 

the Arizona Biltmore in Phoenix. For 

more info, call 866-727-3820.>> 

1 Arizona Best of 19 

2 Nevada Best of 58 

3 New Mexico Best of 78


Arizona Best of 2004 

Southwest Contractor Best of 2004 Project Public Under $5 million 

Phoenix Fire Station 50 

This “Green” fire station is designed 

to maintain and function for more than 

50 years. Designed by Deutsch Associates, 

the 13,850 sq. ft. building accommodates 

13 live-in firefighters. The project has four 

drive- through bays, a high tech energy 

management system, kitchen facilities, 

an exercise room and office and meeting 

space. 

The roof is an eye-catching faux copper 

that is made of recycled aluminum 

cans and tinted to a copper finish. There 

are terra cotta polished concrete floors 

that are also low maintenance. In the 

weight room, recycled tires are used to 

create a cushioned floor covering. 

The green construction project recycled 

63 percent of the construction waste and 

sourced nearly 75 percent of the materials 

from less than 500 mi. away. More than 

80 percent of the lighting takes advantage 

of natural sources to save energy and 

improve employee well-being.

Like the Nautilus submarine from 

Jules Verne’s classic 20,000 Leagues 

Under the Sea, Tucson’s new Patrick 

Hardesty Midtown Multi Service Center 

is ahead of its time. 

Clad in bare 3/16-in plate steel, the 

new home for the Tucson Police midtown 

division rises like a submarine 

from a front entrance wash, somewhat 

ominous, but intriguingly inviting. 



Southwest Contractor Best of 2004 Public Project Over $5 million 

Patrick K. Hardesty Mid-town 

Multi Service Center 

The $10.2 million project is the first 

design competition for the city of Tucson, 

with Architekton teaming with GLHN 

Architects and Engineers of Tucson and 

Concord Construction Co., also of Tucson. 

The project is named after Tucson policeman 

Patrick Hardesty, who was killed in 

the line of duty this past summer. 

The 48,000-sq.-ft. project is anything 

but a rectangular block. Curved and 

Owner: City of Tucson 

Architect: Architekton/GLHN 

General Contractor: Concord Cos. 

MPE Engineers: GLHN 

Structural Engineer: Turner Structural Engineering 

(PHOTOS COURTESY OF ARCHITEKTON) 

radius steel dominates the project’s 

design, with the untreated steel shell gradually 

developing a patina as it rusts. Tube 

steel ribs 4-ft. on center jut from the building’s 

load bearing masonry walls to support 

the plate steel sheets. The sheets are 

20-ft. long and 4-ft. wide and weighed 

600 lbs. each. A cantilevered meeting 

room juts out over the wash, supported by 

a 17-ft.-tall, 130-ft.-long steel truss.

Farmer Studios is an economical “flex” 

building in a transitional area in downtown 

Tempe. The 13,300-sq.-ft. building 

creates a precedent in the area with its 

pedestrian environment between 5th 

Street and Farmer Avenue. 

The building was designed, zoned 

and constructed to allow for a combination 

of retail, office and or residential 

studios. Upper level glazing protects 

from the direct sun with a counter balanced 

shade device that allows insulated 

translucent panels to slide in vertically 

on the building’s exterior. A mezzanine 

level incorporates sliding glass walls to 

all for natural ventilation. 

A secure parking lot is reinterpreted 

as a garden parking court. A gravel pave 

system reduces the heat island effect 

and helps reduce retention requirements, 

which are interpreted as a 

sunken courtyard. 

The project was constructed with 

sustainable materials, including concrete 

with fly ash, wheat grass substrate 

millwork and 100 percent recycled 

carpet tiles.

Southwest Contractor Best of 2004 Private Over $5 million 

Banner Estrella Medical Center 

(PHOTOS COURTESY OF DPR CONSTRUCTION INC.) 

Designers and contractors took a bold 

new tack in hospital design at the new 

Banner Estrella Medical Center on 

Phoenix's west side. 

The seven-floor, 453,000-sq.-ft. hospital 

employs a variety of eclectic materials 

that include concrete, galvalume ribbed 

wall panels, concrete, glass curtain walls 

and copper cladding, creating a new 

architectural vocabulary in a former 

alfalfa field. 

Contractors purchased the copper 

before the price started skyrocketing. 

However, at today's prices, the project 

may have gone a different route. The 

copper cladding is gapped between the 

cladding and metal studs, allowing hot 

air behind the copper skin to flow up 

and out through vents on top of the 

building. 

Flexibility was a key issue for both 

designers and contractors. In the steel- 

Owner: Banner Health Systems 

Architect: NBBJ/The Orcutt Winslow Partnership 

General Contractor: DPR Construction Inc. 

MPE Engineers: Syska Hennessy Group Inc. 



framed hospital tower, all of the utilities 

cores are located on either end of the 

floor plate, rather than in a central core. 

The six-above grade, one below grade 

nursing tower sits on 60 drilled friction 

piers 30-ft. deep and ranging from a 24in. 

diameter to a 60-in. diameter. The 

hospital, which also includes a two-story 

diagnostic and treatment building, is 

connected to the central plant by a 300ft. 

underground tunnel.

Southwest Contractor Best of 2004 

Honorable Mention 

Scottsdale Air Center 

(PHOTOS COURTESY OF CARTER BURGESS) 

This project is designed to set a modern 

architectural tone at the Scottsdale 

Airpark. This 107,000-sq.-ft. airplane 

hanger consists of three buildings interconnected 

by breezeways. A two-story, 

9,120-sq.-ft. terminal building anchors 

the project and is flanked by an 11,000 

sq. ft. wing that consists of a pilot's 

lounge, office space and for lease office 

space. The other flank is a 9,450 sq. ft. 

wing dedicated to for lease office space. 

The project is a combination of three 

different structural systems. Pre-engi- 

Owner: Santa Fe Jet Center 

Architect: Carter & Burgess 

General Contractor: WE O'Neil Construction Co. 

MPE Engineers: Sullivan Design 

Structural Engineer: DP & A 

Civil Engineer: Carter & Burgess 

Landscape Architecture: Carter & Burgess 


neered building systems provided a 

200-ft. clear span to accommodate jet 

aircraft. The exterior skin is 36-ft. tall 

painted precast panels. The terminals 

and office space used a structural steel 

system. 

The project features a large wing that 

acts as a entrance and sun shade, with 

the building featuring dramatic parapet 

roofing and angled wing walls that break 

up the building's mass. The interior features 

high-end finishes such as terrazzo 

along with copper accents.


Southwest Contractor Best of 2004 Interior Project Under $5 million 

Express Scripts 

The building team relocated the warehouse, 

offices and manufacturing facilities 

for Express Scripts, a pharmaceutical 

producer and distributor. The new 

requirements for the facility were directly 

related to the needs created by the 

technology housed inside. 

The 93,000-sq.-ft. building features 

16,000 sq. ft. of office space and a production 

space of 77,000 sq. ft. The 

office portion features a tour path to a 

catwalk on the mezzanine level that 

overlooks production space and unifies 

the office and production areas. 

The facility has two specific roles for 

Express Scripts; The most important 

role is handling 60,000 mail order prescriptions 

a day. The second role is as a 

showcase for the company to convey to 

their clientele the advantages of the 

firm's technology. Designers created a 

modern office that is sleek and conveys 

efficiency in minimalist way.

Tucson is the new home to a little bit 

of Tuscany after the opening of the 

expanded Casino Del Sol in west 

Tucson, where designers and contractors 

recreated a little bit of Italy for the 

Pascua Yaqui Indian tribe, which owns 

the elaborately themed casino. 

Taking a cue from other themed casinos, 

such as Caesar's Palace, designers from the 

Phoenix office of Leo A Daly teamed with 

Tempe's McCarthy Building Companies on 

the $70 million project that features high 

end finishes and features that will raise the 

bar for Native American gambling. 

The casino is also the largest casino in 

Arizona, with more than 210,000 sq. ft. 

The recently completed project houses 

1,000 slot machines set in a "town 

square," surrounded by a recreated 

Tuscan village under 41,000 sq. ft. of simulated 

sky, 46 ft. above the gaming floor. 

Kitchell Contractors completed the building's 

shell in September, while McCarthy 

picked up the interior portion in October. 

Along with slot machines, the casino 

also features a 4,650- seat amphitheater, 

46 blackjack tables, 12 poker tables and 

a 600-seat bingo hall. But the amenities 

- and the theming don't end there. The 

new casino is home to an elaborately 

themed "tequila" factory, with local 

craftsman creating the adobe brick and 

a reproduction of a tequila distillery. A 

high-end restaurant with an Italian 

theme is also planned, as is a sports bar 

that replicates an old gym locker room. 

While the building's interior stands 

out in a distinct way, the exterior is also 

designed to please. A massive portacachere 

greets casino visitors in a style 

reminiscent of a Las Vegas casino, and 

three copper domes perched on towers 

beckon potential players.

The Arizona Center’s food court found 

a new life as an architectural office, with 

architects from the SmithGroup and 

contractors from Stevens Leinweber creating 

a dynamic space full of natural day 

lighting and plenty of opportunities for 

collaboration. 

The building team created an open 

and airy work space from the old food 

court, demolishing kitchen facilities and 

raising the floor 4-ft. to provide more 

than 25,000 sq. ft. of office space in 

downtown Phoenix. 

Most of the space looks out onto the 

courtyard of the Arizona Center, where 

water features and extensive landscaping 

create a tranquil view for office 



Southwest Contractor Best of 2004 Renovation Under $5 million 

SmithGroup Offices at 

Arizona Center 

Owner: SmithGroup 

Architect: SmithGroup 

General Contractor: Stevens Leinweber Construction Co., Inc. 

MPE Engineers: SmithGroup 

Structural Engineer: SmithGroup 

PHOTOS COURTESY OF BILL TIMMERMAN AND MARK DELSASSO 

workers. Designers arranged the firm’s 

individual studios parallel to each other 

and radiating out perpendicular from 

the large front glass window to encourage 

the various teams to “cross pollinate,” 

spurring the creative process with 

the exchange of ideas. The open environment 

doesn’t have any doors, allowing 

free and easy circulation. 

A central “temple” in the main space 

serves as a resource library for the firm, 

creating an open room within a room that 

invites associates to browse through periodicals 

and technical bulletins.

Renovation Under $5 million-Honorable Mention 

Pinnacle Peak Country Club 

It’s a question faced by many owners: 

Demolish or redesign. Fortunately, the 

owners chose to preserve the spirit of 

1976 building while incorporating new 

systems and elegant design updates. 

Dining areas were improved for better 

patron and service flow and poor 

acoustics, along with an out dated style. 

The design team looked for the “original 

Arizona” clubhouse beneath a 

series of generic remodels. Designers 

stripped away the remodels to reveal the 

“bones” of the original building. 

The result is a warm, casual and inviting 

atmosphere for members to meet, 

relax or play a round of golf.

With the construction of a new, $12.4 

million communications school for 

Northern Arizona State University in 

Flagstaff, students will be on the cutting 

edge of the new technologies. The new 

building is actually two projects rolled into 

one, with the renovation of 50,000-sq.-ft 

existing communication school and the 

addition of 30,000 sq. ft. of new space. 

The new communication school had a 

wide range of programming requirements. 

In an addition to new classrooms 

and offices, there are darkrooms 

for both print and digital work, graphic 

design labs and a television station. 

Perhaps the most striking element of 

all is the First Amendment Wall. The 

wall will feature the First Amendment 



Southwest Contractor Best of 2004 Renovation Over $5 million 

Northern Arizona University 

School of Communications 

Owner: Northern Arizona University 

Architect: RNL Design 

General Contractor: Sundt Construction 

MPE Engineers: Gordan Gumeson & Associates 

Structural Engineer: Caruso Turley Scott 

Civil Engineer: Daniel Burke 

(PHOTOS COURTESY OF SUNDT CONSTRUCTION) 

etched on a metal plate that will be hung 

from the concrete wall. 

Contractors needed to keep the 

school's television station functioning 

24 hours a day, seven days a week. 

Crews used extreme care when demolishing 

the existing three-story building 

interior so power or communication 

lines wouldn't be damaged.


Southwest Contractor Best of 2004 Green Building Under $5 million 

Yavapai College Agri 

Business and Science Center 

The new Yavapai College Agri 

Business and Science Center is literally 

tied to the land. The 15,000-sq.-ft. 

“green” construction project utilizes the 

earth as the heating and cooling system. 

Subcontractors drilled 30 wells down to a 

natural aquifer at 300 ft., where the water 

stays a constant 68 degrees year round. 

A closed system of rubber hoses circulates 

the water through the aquifer and into 

the building, where tubes in the flooring 

create radiant heating and cooling, depending 

on the season. The heat exchange system 

is just one component of the project. 

The block is designed to have 1/6 the 

web area of a traditional two-cell block, 

so the amount of thermal bridging is 

greatly reduced. The building is capped 

off with 2 x 6 wood trusses manufactured 

from a certified sustainable wood. 

Recycled components include ceramic 

tile made from recycled glass, and all 

of the case work is using wheat board, a 

wood like substance manufactured from 

wheat straw. The building also limits 

VOCs by not using carpet. 

A long, tall wall that serves as a hallway 

actually provides passive solar heating, with 

Owner: Yavapai College 

Architect: DLR Group/Taylor Architects 

General Contractor: Shrader & Martinez 

MPE Engineers: DLR Group 

Structural Engineer: DLR Group 

Civil Engineer: Kelley Wise Engineering 

Landscape Architecture: DLR Group 


(PHOTOS COURTESY OF DLR GROUP) 

the two-story hallway also functioning as a 

way to vent hot air. An automatic energy 

control system opens and closes clerestory 

windows as the temperature changes.

Southwest Contractor Best of 2004 Landscape Project 

Rio Salado Environmental 

Restoration Project 

Although it supported a thriving native 

American civilization for hundreds of 

years, for the past century the Salt River- 

-also known as the Rio Salado--has been 

a lot like Rodney Dangerfield: It got no 

respect. 

The river, which cuts through the 

heart of Maricopa County, has been the 

Valley's dumpsite for ages. 

Dams to control flooding and provide 

irrigation dried up the riverbed for 

years, creating an attractive and easy 

spot to dump waste. Tons of old tires, 

demolished concrete, refrigerators, 

scrap steel, batteries and just about 

every other form of trash has made its 

way into the riverbed. 

Now, after decades of abuse, the city of 

Phoenix is teamed with the Army Corps 

of Engineers and Stronghold 

Engineering to create an asset from an 

eyesore. After 10 years of planning, 

design and construction, contractors are 

well on their way to returning the abused 

waterway to its original condition. 

Designers decided to give much of the 

debris a second chance, with junk concrete 

beams and slabs morphed into benches 

and small bridges crossing the water features. 

Unsuitable concrete is pulverized 

into a rock mulch to use in planting. 

Volunteers are also planting native 

trees such as cottonwood while crews 

from Stronghold Engineering wage an 

aggressive battle against invasive plants 

such as salt cedar. Already, a "100 tree 

forest" has sprouted near an initial 

design-build wetlands test area.


Southwest Contractor Best of 2004 Education K-12 Project 

Boulder Creek High School 

Just a few short years ago, there wasn’t 

much need for a new school in the 

Anthem Community, 20-mi. north of 

downtown Phoenix. 

Of course, just a few short years ago, 

the community consisted of coyotes, 

rabbits and a whole lot of cactus. Now, 

along with around 15,000 new homes, 

the community has its first high school. 

The 300,000-sq.-ft. Boulder Creek 

High School includes two, two-story academic 

buildings, an auditorium building, 

an administration building, a competition 

gym and practice gym and a 

performing arts center. The project also 

includes the construction of a new football 

and soccer field, tennis courts and 

four baseball diamonds, as well as a 

shared media center that Maricopa 

County will operate as a public library. 

The buildings wrap around a central 

student plaza, creating space for outdoor 

dining and studying, while also 

creating a secure campus. Massing on 

the front of the building will be broken 

up with “wavy” panels, while the building’s 

back faces Interstate 17.


Education University Project 

ASU’s West Campus CLCC 

The new classroom/laboratory and 

computer classroom, phase 2 at ASU's 

West Campus is helping to set the architectural 

tone on the young campus. The 

project includes 10 classrooms, labs for 

chemistry, biology and physics. 

A separate lecture hall features a 25-ft. 

long, 17-ft. high projection screen and 

seating for 150 students. 

The building uses a variety of building 

systems, including cast in place concrete, 

a structural veneer exterior features brick, 

block and architectural precast concrete to 

match the existing class room building. 

Designers used piping to exhaust air 

underground and then expel it through 

planters in the large central courtyard. 

The system cools the ambient space in the 

courtyard, creating a comfortable environment 

even in the middle of summer. 

The 97,000-sq.-ft., three story classroom 

is the first classroom construction 

at ASU West’s Campus in 13 years.


Southwest Contractor Best of 2004 Engineering Project 

Union Hills Water 

Treatment Plant 

Turn on a faucet anywhere in the 

metro Phoenix area and you expect to 

see clean, clear drinking water come 

rushing forth. One of the first construction 

manager-at risk contracts by the city 

of Phoenix ensured that clean water 

with a $33 million renovation of the 

Union Hills Water Treatment Plant in 

northern Phoenix. 

The plant, originally built in 1985, was 

designed to handle and treat 160 million 

gallons a day of drinking water. But 

with the variety of water being supplied 

from the Central Arizona Project, some 

days the plant just couldn’t reach its full 

production capacity. 

Now, with the new and additional filters, 

Gilbert-based Hunter Construction 

and operators hope to achieve that 160 

MGD mark despite the quality of the 

water taken into the plant for processing. 

The building team rebuilt eight of the 

filters at one time to keep the plant producing 

water. The 24-ft. deep filters, 

which are housed in concrete vaults, 

consist of 10-in. of sand on top of 20-in 

of anthracite, or coal charcoal. Unlike 

other water treatment plants that rely on 

sediment ponds, at this project, water is 

pumped through the filters then treated 

with a small amount of chlorine.

The Randolph Park Water Treatment 

Plant in central Tucson features one of the 

newest technologies in water treatment. 

The technology behind the smaller 

plant is called Zenon and is manufactured 

in Canada. Thousands of 1/8-in.dia. 

tubes are placed inside cartridges, 

which are then placed in the wastewater 

tanks. A vacuum attached to a manifold 

then applies negative pressure and the 

water is sucked through the fine skin of 

the tubes, leaving the waste behind. 

The water is then treated with ultraviolet 

and pumped to a golf course and 

the Kino Sports Park for irrigation. 

Eight wastewater tanks will hold 48 

cartridges with space in each tank for one 

more cartridge to be installed later. The 

tube filters are so finely meshed that bacteria 

and viruses are trapped and become 

part of the sludge. Each square foot of 

tubing can process 15 gallons a day, with 

each cartridge costing $26,000. 

The site was so small that the head 

works had to be built more than 2 miles 

away. Because the small site was already 

home to an existing but obsolete water 

treatment plant, crews first had to demolish 

the old buildings and other components 

before they could get started.

Honorable Mention 

The Learning Tree Plaza 

This new interceptor sewer line is a 

major component for the city’s 23rd 

Avenue Wastewater Treatment. 

Designers needed to route the lines 

through very congested utility corridors 

and run nearly 5,000 ft. of 72-in. and 

60-in. concrete pipe. There were 10 

sewer junctions along with work in a 

Owner: City of Phoenix/Arizona Department of Transportation 

General Contractor: Archer Western Contractors 

Engineer: Greeley and Hansen LLC 

Landscape Architecture: C.F. Shuler, Inc. 

narrow ADOT right of way. 

The design team minimized the 

impact of the interceptor line with a 

landscaped area to create the Learning 

Tree Plaza. Students served as the client 

group and helped create curvilinear 

paths, a plaza, gateway concept and 

areas with urban wildlife habitat.


Southwest Contractor Best of 2004 Transportation Project 

S.R. 51 

New carpool lanes and bigger sound 

barriers are in place in the heart of Phoenix 

at one of the busiest freeway interchanges 

in the state. Hundreds of thousands of cars 

pass through the area, which connects the 

Loop 202 with Interstate 10 and S.R. 51. 

Because S.R. 51 is below grade, crews had 

little room for working - or error. 

The design-build team developed a 

proposal that was less complicated than 

the initial design. Engineers designed 

an alternative alignment so contractors 

didn’t need to underpin existing 

bridges, with the design also eliminating 

traffic weave in the area. 

Much of the work revolved around 

enlarging sound walls along the corridor, 

which actually started out as a city 

of Phoenix parkway. Contractors used 

aerated concrete panels 20-ft. long, 2-ft. 

high and 8-in. wide to top off existing 

sound walls. The aerated concrete, 

called “Enviroc,” weighs just 32 lbs. per 

sq. ft., as opposed to regular concrete, 

which weighs 144 lbs. per sq. ft. 

Contractors added or replaced more 

than 500,000 sq. ft. of sound wall. 

The project included six new bridges, 

including two pedestrian bridges, as well 

as widening two bridges. The biggest 

bridge, a 220-ft.-long span over McDowell 

Road, uses precast tub girders in three 

sections, with a concrete overlay.


Southwest Contractor Best of 2004 Steel Project 

Arizona State University Foundation 

The ASU Foundation’s design literally 

reflects the university’s past. The new 

building’s south side sheathed in highly 

reflective, low E glass that picks up 

the image of the Newman Center, one 

of oldest buildings on the ASU campus. 

The new building is clad in the traditional 

red brick found in many of the 

university’s oldest buildings. Phoenixbased 

Sun Valley Masonry did the 

brickwork. 

Looking to the future, a design team 

from the Phoenix offices of Gould Evans 

Associates and Architekton created a 

huge “sky window” that is framed by 

two large cantilevered vertical wings at 

the building entrance. The cantilevers 

also frame the Newman Center as you 

exit the building. 

The $25 million project entails the 

construction of not only a six-story office 

building, but a 1,200-space parking 

garage on a very tight 3.5-acre space. 

Designers also had to incorporate a bus 

transportation center into the design. 

The project features retail space 

fronting College Avenue and screening 

the parking garage.

Southwest Contractor Best of 2004 Concrete Project 

ASU Parking Garage 

This new six-story parking garage 

adds 1,650 desperately needed spaces 

for ASU’s main campus. The structure is 

a post tensioned, cast-in-place parking 

garage with CMU elevator shafts, a circular 

steel staircase and a mesh exterior skin. 

The garage is masked by retail space 

on College Avenue. Sidewalks snake 

around the building and the six-story 

pre cast concrete garage. Designers and 

contractors are creating a plaza between 

the ASU Foundation Building and the 

parking garage. The garage and building 

will provide shade most of the day. 

With the parking structure one level 

below grade, heavy equipment had to 

tread carefully in the area in case of a collapse. 

To limit that possibility, engineers 

from the Phoenix office of AMEC Earth 

and Environmental designed a shoring 

system to support the earth.


Southwest Contractor Best of 2004 Design-Build 

Avondale Civic Center 

(PHOTOS COURTESY OF SUNDT CONSTRUCTION) 

This new, 118,000-sq.-ft. campus 

features a new city hall with council 

chambers, administrative offices, a 

municipal courts building with a city 

clerk's office and a public safety building 

to support the police department. 

Future plans call for a proposed region- 

al library, regional county offices and 

some private, class "A" office development 

on a pad fronting 115th Avenue. 

The one- and two-story buildings are 

clustered around a central drive, with plans 

calling for a one-stop customer service center 

for developers and contractors. Because 

Owner: City of Avondale 

Architect: Smithgroup 

General Contractor: Sundt Construction 

MPE Engineers: SmithGroup 


the city still has plenty of room to grow, 

designers planned for future expansion to 

keep the project viable down the road. 

Constructed on a slab-on-grade foundation, 

the steel framed building is clad 

in EFIS with masonry accents and steel 

canopies.

Southwest Contractor Best of 2004 Editor’s Choice 

South Mountain Community 

College Performing Arts Center 

This new, 347-seat South Mountain 

Community College performing arts 

center also functions as a community 

space for the area, which lacks economic 

advantages for many of the residents. 

Designers hope the project will act as a 

beacon for the surrounding community. 

The 27,000-sq.-ft. performing arts center 

is clad in a thin metal that architects said 

would gain character as it aged. Designers 

compared the structure to a violin case and 

violin: tough on the outside, but with the 

potential for beautiful music inside. An 

adjacent, one story, 9,000-sq.-ft. building 

is dedicated to classroom space that 

includes a black box theater and a music 

studio. By building the arts center and 

classrooms at the same time, the college 

was able to get more bang for their buck 

Walls in the theater are curvilinear, requiring 

some skilled framers. Because of all the 

high work in the house, contractors decided 

to erect scaffolding rather than using lifts, 

which could have damaged the black concrete 

floor. As with the exterior, architects 

kept to an industrial type theme.



The James Hotel 

This urban revitalization project was a 

complete renovation of an existing 194room 

Double Tree Inn hotel. The hip 

and modern project includes a 10,000sq.-ft. 

flex space for meetings. The 

courtyard’s centerpiece is a 115-ft. play 

pool surrounded by a relaxation pool 

and Jacuzzi. 

The team recycled and exposed the 

hidden architecture of the existing site 

structure, infusing 50s patterns 

throughout the 136,000-sq.-ft. project. 

High end amenities, furnishings and 

materials went into every aspect of the 

hotel. The project features custom 

designed chandeliers, spa services in 

private cabanas and plasma TVs in all 

guest rooms. 

Existing ceilings were removed to 

open up a 34,000-sq.-ft. area, with the 

lobby featuring 35-ft. floor to ceiling 

neon lighting in 11 built-in place 

columns. Red fin panels radiate light 

and glass transforms from solid walls 

and concrete. 

The building team also added tropical 

landscape elements along desert grasses, 

palo verde trees and other native 

species around the hotel.



America West Arena Remodel 

Recent renovations at the America 

West Arena aren’t adding a whole lot of 

square footage, but the remake will turn 

the venerable arena into the center of 

entertainment in downtown Phoenix. 

Designers concentrated on softening 

the harsh, street level block exterior by 

opening the envelope and creating 

small retail spaces for restaurants and 

shops. Contractors opened up offices 

with a new curtain wall, allowing lots of 

natural light into the second and third 

floor office spaces. The new and 

improved offices consolidate the arena 

management and Suns operations into 

one area. 

Crews also added new space on 

Jefferson for an upscale Italian restaurant 

that recently opened. Santa Monica-based 

Belzberg Architects designed a warm and 

Owner: City of Phoenix 

Architect: DLR Group/Orne & Associates 

General Contractor: Hunt Construction Group Inc. 

MPE Engineers: DLR Group/Peterson Associates 

Structural Engineer: Paragon Structural Design 


contemporary interior with wood, veneer 

and plaster accents combined with pendant 

lighting. 

At the northwest entrance, long-time 

Suns fans will see the biggest changes. 

Crews are erecting a massive curved glass 

curtain wall enclosing 13,000 sq. ft. so fans 

can purchase tickets in an air-conditioned 

environment. Designers went with the 

most efficient, low-E glass available.

Nevada Best of 2004 

Southwest Contractor Best of 2004 Public Project Under $5 million 

Aliante Fire Station No. 56 

This 10,360-sq.-ft. design-build fire 

station will meet the growing needs of 

North Las Vegas. The project employs a 

variety of building systems, including 

wood framing, structural steel and load 

bearing masonry walls. 

Time was a crucial factor, so the 

owner chose to use the design-build 

method to speed construction, but the 

real challenge was meeting the 

demands of the developer and the end 

user with a cost effective solution. 

Once the design-build process was in 

place, it allowed for innovative ideas and 

solutions in a timely and cost effective manner. 

The dynamic nature of the project cre- 

(PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE KORTE CO.) 

ated the need for a simple design solution to 

facilitate two separate functional areas. Load 

bearing CMU and long span steel joists 

were used to create a column free interior 


The project features state-of-the-art 

apparatus bays, along with meeting 

rooms, recreational areas, living quarters 

and a kitchen and dining area.


Owner: North Valley Enterprises/City of North Las Vegas 

Architect: Korte Design Inc. 

General Contractor: The Korte Company 

MPE Engineer: BNA Consulting Engineers 

Structural Engineer: Barker Drottar Associates LLC 

Civil Engineer: Baughman & Turner Inc. 

Major Subcontractors: A&I Water Truck Service; AC Houston Lumber Co.; Advanced Fire 

Protection; Arco Electric, Inc.; Baughman & Turner Inc.; Brown & Russ Construction; Cabinet 

System; Commercial Roofers, Inc.; Cox Communications; Firestop Inc.; Framing Brokers; 

Gothic Landscape Service; Hallgren Co. of Nevada; The; Harrison Door Company; Haycock 

Petroleum; Henri Specialties Co., Inc.; Herdas Appliances; Highway Striping & Signs; 

Independent Roofing Consultants; Insulpro Projects, Inc.; K&G Construction; Las Vegas Toilet 

Rentals, Inc.; Lloyd's Refrigeration and Air Conditioning; Looking Glass; Michael Ulch's 

Specialty Sealants; Mr. Concrete, Inc.; Nevada Division EPA; Nevada Power; New Creation 

Masonry; North Valley Enterprises; Patrick Signs; Pestaway; Pink Ladies, Inc.; Pioneer 

Surveys; Power Plus; Rental Service Corporation; Republic Services, Inc.; Sandlin Lumber 

Co, Inc.; Sante Fe Ironworks; Signs West; Silver State Steel Group; Source 4 Industries; 

Southern Nevada Paving, Inc.; Southwest Gas Company; Sprint; Standard Restaurant 

Equipment Company; STF, Inc.; Sun Valley Construction; Sunrise Air Systems, Inc.; Thomas 

Floors; Tile Masters, Inc.; Triple J Trenching; Universal Plumbing; Urbana Group. 

59 Southwest Contractor 12/2004



Community College of Southern Nevada 

Telecommunications Building 

The Morse Arberry J. Telecommunications 

Building is the first state approved designbuild 

project in Nevada and is also in the 

approval process for a L.E.E.D. Silver 

certification. 

The exterior façade of tilt up walls are 

with screened with architectural metal 

panels and architectural stone veneer. 

Contractors used an aphonic system to 

attach the stone to stop them from 

falling off in Nevada's dry, harsh climate. 

Natural light covers 75 percent of the 

interior space through skylights, reflective 

screens and windows. Natural light 

is also piped through solar tubes that 

work with a series of lenses and prisms 

to capture and channel natural light. 

Approximately 25 percent of the 

building is constructed from recycled 

material including asphalt, carpet and 

other flooring materials. The team also 

used wheat board and low VOC glues 

sealants and paints to minimize harmful 

emissions.

Owner: Community College of Southern Nevada 

Architect: JMA Architectural Studios 

General Contractor: Martin Harris Construction 

MPE Engineer: Harris Consulting Engineers 

Structural Engineer: Wright Engineers 

Civil Engineer: Southwest Engineering 

Landscape Architect: Southwick 

Landscape Architects 


Major Subcontractors: Acme Underground, Inc.; Architectural Openings; Century Steel, Inc.; 

Construction Consultants, Inc.; Dean Roofing Co., Inc.; Delcon Pest; Design & Consulting Services 

Inc.; Ducharme Door Corp; Eberhard Southwest Roofing; Evergreen Recycling; Facilitec; Grani 

Installation; GSL Electric Inc.; Hallgren Co. of Nevada; The; Hammond; Caulking Company; JBM 

Construction, Inc.; M & H Building Specialties; Mactec; National Construction Rentals; NV Division 

of Environmental Pro.; NV State Public Works Board; Penn Air Control, Inc.; Quantum Glass Co.; 

Rolling Plains Construction; Sanpete Steel Corp.; SASC Southwest; Solar Concepts; Solatube Intl; 

Southern Nevada Paving, Inc.; Southwest Air Conditioning, Inc.; Spectrum Engineers; Statewide 

Fire; Stout Roofing, Inc.; The Plumber; ThyssenKrupp Elevator; Tracy & Ryder Landscape, Inc.; 

Western Sealants; Yamas Controls Southwest, Inc.


Private Project Under $5 million 

Dr. Kim’s Dental Office 

The project was on particularly challenging 

site because of development restrictions 

imposed by the developer. Architects 

pushed the contemporary two-story stucco 

and masonry project’s individuality with 

bold colors and detailed block to be com- 

patible with nearby buildings. 

The small lot size and parking issues, 

along with a limited budget were also 

challenges. 

The project captures natural daylighting 

in every exam room by the use of 

Owner: Dr. Samuel Kim 

Architect: JVC Associates 

General Contractor: Bentar Construction 

MPE Engineer: Strategic Engineering Group 

Structural Engineer: TKH Consulting Engineers 

Civil Engineer: Acclaim Materials Testing LLP 

Landscape Architect: JVC Associates 



(PHOTOS COURTESY OF JVC ARCHITECTS) 

courtyards and strategic planning. The 

team placed the infrastructure for future 

technology that and is networked 

throughout the office. 

The exposed block design, awnings create 

exterior and interior continuity.


Private Project Over $5 million 

Spring Valley Hospital 

The four-story, 176-bed “Spring Valley” 

hospital was a 15-month fast-track undertaking, 

requiring 310 tradesmen during 

the height of construction. The new $70 

million, 300,000-sq.-ft. facility on a 35.5acre 

site. 

The project’s compressed schedule 

required strategic staging and design. 

For instance, two-thirds of the hospital’s 

square-footage is at ground level. 

Directly south of the tower, an 110,000sq.-ft. 

concrete tilt-wall structure houses 

some of the hospital’s most important 

functions, including diagnostic and 

treatment rooms. 

The tilt-wall method enabled work to 

begin early in the intricate, labor-intensive 

rooms. Meanwhile, progress on the 

59-ft.-tall, pour-in-place concrete tower 

took place. 

Using 18- to- 22-in. columns, the 

building has a unique step-back design, 

enabling a quick erection time. The third 

and fourth stories can be expanded in 

the future to give the hospital 210 beds. 

The hospital houses surgery rooms, 

emergency suites, a neonatal intensive 

care unit, 26-bed women’s center, outpatient 

services, 40-bed intensive care unit, 

cardiac program, radiology services and 

more. The two-tone tan-colored structure 

is clad with glazing and EIFS.



Interior Project Under $5 million 

China Spice Restaurant 

The building team crammed six month 

of work into just 65 calendar days on this 

7,800-sq.-ft. remodel project at the 

Green Valley Casino. The sushi and saki 

bar is a ultra high-end trendsetting 

design that showcases the Japanese and 

Chinese venues separately. 

All mechanical, electrical and plumbing 

fixtures were replaced and new concrete 

slabs were poured for the kitchen 

and restaurant. A new roof system was 

incorporated into the remodel and structural 

steel provided a new mezzanine 

and expansion of the restaurant area. 

Owner: Station Casinos 

Architect: Friedmutter Group 

General Contractor: SR Construction 

MPE Engineer: Syska Hennessey/RHR Consulting Engineers 

Structural Engineer: Martin & Peltyn 


(PHOTOS COURTESY OF SR CONSTRUCTION) 

Stone and wood flooring incorporates 

an intricate design when viewed 

from the casino floor outside of the 

restaurant. New exterior landscaping 

provided a fresh image for the upscale 

restaurant.



Interior Project Over $5 million / Masonry Project 

DragonRidge Country Club 

This 27,000-sq.-ft. country club is a 

two-story project that uses masonry to 

blend into the natural environment of 

the McCullough Mountains on the 

southeast rim of Las Vegas. 

The project features a swimming 

pool, fitness center, formal and informal 

dining areas, administrative offices and 

a golf pro shop. 

Named DragonRidge for a mythical 

sleeping giant, the building features a 

masonry “spine” that creates the backbone 

and the heart of the clubhouse. 

The massive, jagged tooth like wall runs 

the entire length of the building and 

provides continuity both inside and outside 

of the building. The design materials 

and colors are an excellent compliment 

to the surrounding desert landscape, 

almost camouflaging the building 

in the hillside. 

All of the materials were carefully 

selected to create a comfortable and 

relaxing environment.



Renovation Project Under $5 million 

Shibuya Restaurant 

This restaurant emphasizes Japanese 

design highlighted with elements of 

modern art. The project features more 

than 5,000 sq. ft. of seating that is split 

into three distinctive dining areas. The 

restaurant's entrance is dominated by 

an 18-ft. tall by 35-ft. long video wall 

covered by mirrored acrylic boxes 

reflecting the video content. 

Other features include an etched pink 

glass wall system that stands in sections 

12-ft. tall by 6-ft. wide, separating the 

restaurant form the adjoining MGM 

Studio Walk. The project included a variety 

of artistic wood screens on a independent 

track system and a unique sushi 

Owner: MGM Grand Hotel & Casino 

Architect: Leo A Daly 

General Contractor: The PENTA Building Group Inc. 

MPE Engineer: FEA Consulting Engineers/RHR Consulting Engineers 

Structural Engineer: Leo A Daly 


(PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE PENTA BUILDING GROUP) 

counter and prep area are almost entirely 

made of stone from Japan and Canada. 

Because the restaurant is in the middle 

of a busy casino, there were scheduling and 

logistical challenges during the five month 

construction period. There was also a 

lengthy lead time for many of the materials 

that were supplied from overseas.


Renovation Project Over $5 million 

Margaritaville Las Vegas 

(PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE PENTA BUILDING GROUP) 

This heavily themed restaurant features 

reproductions of elements found 

in the Florida Keys, along with subtle 

references to Jimmy Buffett songs, 

books and travels. A replica of a 

Grumman Albatross with a 32-ft. 

wingspan is a not quite subtle reminder 

of Buffett’s love of aviation. The airplane 

had to be broken into pieces and 

reassembled using a chain fall winch. 

Another interesting design element is 

the erupting volcano that erupts margaritas 

into two blenders. To appease the volcano, 

“virgin” servers are offered as sacri- 

Owner: Caesars’ Entertainment and Margaritaville Holdings 

Architect: TSA of Nevada 

General Contractor: The PENTA Building Group 

MPE Engineer: JBA Consulting Engineers 

Structural Engineer: Martin & Peltyn 



fices. With a rumble and a burp, the volcano 

spits out the “virgin,” who then 

slides into the river of margaritas (green 

water) that is flowing into the blenders. 

The three-story project includes four 

bars, two full kitchens, three elevated 

patios and seating for 675 patrons.


Southwest Contractor Best of 2004 Education K-12 Project (Tie) 

Andre Agassi College 

Prep Academy, Phase II 

Designers faced challenge on the 

long, linear site for this expansion to an 

existing school. In response to the 

desert environment, the buildings are 

oriented on an east/west axis. Deep 

recessed windows and entries cut glare. 

Student and faculty circulation were 

coordinated to develop the most efficient 

space plan as possible. The plan 

required that some buildings be two 

story in order to prove the necessary 

space. Phase II includes a 26,000-sq.-ft. 

middle school and a two-story, 27,000sq.-ft. 

multi purpose center. 

The project included new administrative offices, a cafeteria, health center and 

central plant. Both phases provide the latest technology in computing, fiber optics, 

telecommunications, distance learning and security.

The Howard E. Hollingsworth Elementary 

School consumes only one-third the 

amount of property otherwise used for 

school construction. Traditionally, the district 

has built single-level elementary 

schools on 12.5-acre plots. By going up, 

instead of out, the school can still accommodate 

the same number of students and 

faculty but on less land. 

Despite its compact space, the steelframed, 

block masonry school still manages 

to fit in most of the recreational 

amenities found at other district facilities, 

including four basketball and eight 

tetherball courts, plus one softball field 

and three play structures. Inside, there 

are 40 classrooms, an auditorium, a 

cafeteria, a library, and administration 

offices. 

The facility has everything from a 

high-tech computer network to the ecofriendly 

lighting systems to the synthetic 

grass inside the kindergarten classrooms. 

The building is slated to serve as 

a much-needed community center for 

the surrounding area.



Mechanical/Electrical Project 

Nevada Highway Patrol 

The most elaborate and innovate part 

of this project is the control room, which 

features a bank of large plasma screens 

that attach to live feed cameras and 

allow for monitoring traffic across the 

entire valley. From this office, authorities 

can notify drivers of traffic conditions, 

accidents and construction. 

The communication center features a 

50 video screen wall where dispatch 

operators can monitor traffic. The center 

will also serve as a command center for 

special events such as New Year's Eve 

celebrations and during emergencies. 

The project covers approximately 25 

acres and includes two buildings totaling 

66,000 sq. ft. The $10 million project 

was completed this month.

With a rapidly growing city, the need 

for wastewater treatment also grows. 

This $35 million project includes four 

new concrete aeration basins, four concrete 

secondary clarifiers, a pump station, 

a mixed liquor splitter box and 

blower and electrical buildings. 

WSCI self-performed 75 percent of 

the work, including concrete, site work, 

yard piping and equipment installation. 

During the project, two new secondary 

clarifiers and the associated underground 

piping were added to the scope 

of work.



Concrete Project 

Hilton Grand Vacations Club 

Las Vegas has more than 123,311 hotel 

rooms, but its timeshare inventory has 

lagged woefully behind, prompting 

ambitious new developments such as 

Hilton Grand Vacations’ $450 million, 

1,523-unit complex. 

This is the first of four planned Hilton 

towers on a 10-acre site on the strip. The 

massive 441,000-sq.-ft. undertaking 

entails a 285-ft.-tall tower, a two-story 

low-rise lobby and a number of recreational 

amenities. The cast-in-place concrete 

structure is 10-ft. taller than the 

Georgia Dome and 25-ft. shorter than 

the Statue of Liberty. The project will 

use 21,000-cu. yds. of concrete and is 

supported by 3-million pounds of rebar. 

The interior features one, two and three 

bedroom time share units, ranging from 

725 sq. ft. to 1,430 sq. ft. in size. Serviced 

from a central plant with two 520-ton 

capacity chillers, each unit has villa-style 

features, including air conditioning, a 

washer/dryer and a kitchen.

New Mexico Best of 2004 

Southwest Contractor Best of 2004 Public Project Under $5 million 

Santa Fe Municipal Airport 

(PHOTOS COURTESY OF MOLZIN-CORBIN 

ASSOCIATES/MARBLE STREET STUDIOS INC.) 

Constructed in 1957, the Santa Fe 

Airport Terminal was showing its age. 

The building had only one remodel since 

it was first constructed. The project’s 

overriding challenge was integrating 

modern technology without compromising 

the unique and original architecture. 

Carefully designed alterations allowed 

the use of previous circulation space to 

be transformed into a comfortable waiting 

room and a cautious design allowed 

for the construction of male, female and 

unisex ADA compliant restrooms. 

Designers turned to local native influences 

and created warm fields of ceramic 

tiles with marble and blue glass 

Owner: City of Santa Fe 

Architect: Molzen-Corbin & Associates 

General Contractor: J.B. Henderson Construction 

MPE Engineers: ABQ Engineering 

Structural Engineer: ABQ Engineering 

Civil Engineer: Molzen-Corbin 


accents. The existing wood ceilings, 

original to the building, were kept and 

painted a deep blue to reflect the skies of 

New Mexico. 

Lighting was supplemented by using the 

existing historical fixtures and the existing 

HVAC was retained with extensive modifications 

for improved comfort.

Hispanic influence has shaped and 

formed New Mexico since the first conquistadores 

stepped foot in the region 

more than 400 years ago. 

A new theater celebrating and highlighting 

that influence - the Roy E. Disney 

Center for the Performing Arts - recently 

opened its doors in Albuquerque after 

local general contractor Gerald Martin 

Construction put the finishing touches 

on the building. The New Mexico 

Department of Cultural Affairs, Hispanic 

Cultural Division, owns the $22 million 

facility. Disney donated a substantial 

amount of money to fund project. 

The project borrows some of its architectural 

vocabulary from the Hispanic 

Cultural Center’s first phase, which has 

an Aztec flavor. Architects used the 

theme of ancient temples in construc- 




The Roy E. Disney Center 

for the Performing Arts 

Owner: National Hispanic Cultural Center 

Architect: Alex Griego 

General Contractor: Gerald Martin General Contractor 

MPE Engineers: Ashcraft Mechanical/Bowers Electric 

Civil Engineering: GMGC 

Structural Engineer: GMGC 

Landscape: Lee Landscape 

(PHOTOS COURTESY OF GERALD MARTIN GENERAL CONTRACTOR) 

tion of the second phase, which borrows 

from Mayan architecture. Architects 

employed earthy tones throughout the 

performing arts center, which sits across 

from the Hispanic Cultural Center. 

Designers employed local artisans to 

create the interior, which features rusticated 

copper used in the ceilings, doors, 

light sconces and chandeliers in a contemporary 

interior design.


Southwest Contractor Best of 2004 Honorable Mention 

State of New Mexico 

Metropolitan Courthouse 

As with every project, a tight budget 

was the driving factor in design, and the 

new, $37.5 million, 245,000-sq.-ft. State 

of New Mexico Metro Courthouse, 

which also includes a new cast-in-place 

parking structure, was no different. 

Originally in the interest of economy, 

building designs called for exterior foam 

insulated system cladding, but with 

some ingenuity and value engineering, 

designers were able to use a precast 

cladding on the steel framed building. 

In the interest of wind loading, the 

precast panels are 8-in. thick, a necessity 

in the windy Rio Grande Valley. 

Designers tracked down a special brilliant-white 

silica sand in Colorado that 

tints the panels nearly snow white, giving 

the appearance of marble cladding. 

The owners, being of the conservative 

sort, opted for traditional design elements 

that evoke the city's past history as 

a waypoint along Route 66. Designers 

incorporated rounded concrete forms in 

the two-story rotunda, with expressions 

from the 1930s Works Project 

Administration as well as an art deco, 

Route 66-style referencing that era. 

Although the courthouse design may 

echo a previous era, the mechanical and 

electrical systems are thoroughly modern 

and cutting edge. The building has 

been designed and built with pre-wired 

video conferencing and video arraignment, 

as well as an automated queuing 

system and document imaging for a 

paperless record keeping system. 

A strong emphasis on energy conservation 

led designers to incorporate low-E 

glass, a 100 percent outside air capability 

as well as occupancy controls and daylight 

sensors on the lighting fixtures.


Private Project Under $5 million 

University Mazda 

Architects embraced the branding of 

Mazda in this new, 7,290-sq.-ft. auto 

retail store. The design was dictated by 

the idea of attracting highway visibility 

at 65 mph. The solution was a two-story 

glass enclosure to elevate a car in. The 

idea was to create the image of a car 

floating within a glass box. 

One of the major concerns was maintaining 

the impact at night. Designers 

used a metal halide system to make the 

colors of the car “pop.” The glass enclosure 

essentially acts a billboard advertising 

the newest Mazda cars. 

The building’s exterior had to match 

up with the existing University 

Volkswagen building, so designers chose 

similar color schemes. Pricing the project 

was difficult, so designers value engineered 

a solution to use three different 

types of block. The main building features 

custom white split face, the garage 

is non-custom split face and the rear of 

the building is standard gray CMU. The 

project also features aluminum paneling 

for a clean and modern look. >> 


(PHOTOS COURTESY OF DE LA TORRE ARCHITECTS)


Owner: University Mazda 

Architect: De la Torre Architects 

General Contractor: Helmick Enterprises 

MPE Engineers: Stone Electrical Design/Terry Walker Mechanical Engineer 

Structural Engineer: QPEC 

Civil Engineer: Issacson & Arfman 

Major Subcontractors: Precision Masonry; Norwest Concrete; Sandia Plumbing and 

Heating; Allstate Steel Inc.; Total Service Co. Inc.; Century Drywall; Gonzales Roofing. 

82 Southwest Contractor 12/2004

Constructing a hospital is one of the 

more formidable challenges any contractor 

can undertake. Complicated 

medical gas piping, crucial life safety 

issues and special loading requirements 

for heavy diagnostic equipment can 

make for a challenging project for both 

designers and engineers. 

The challenges are even greater when 

adding on to an existing hospital. Noisy 

construction workers, heavy machinery 

and keeping the hospital up and running 

can be daunting for any builder. 

Now, try building a new wing of a 

hospital - on top of an existing, fully 

operational hospital. 

That’s the job McCarthy Building Co. 

and their subcontractors faced on this 

construction manager at- risk, $45 million 

project for an expanded and renovated 

Presbyterian Hospital in Albuquerque. 

Because of the new seismic requirements, 

technicians had to perform load 

tests on the steel beams to ensure they 

would support the mandated load limit. 

Crews from AMFAB Steel also ripped 

out walls to install K-braces and chevron 

braces built from 8-in. to 10-in. tube 

steel to stiffen the frame further. 

To keep a consistent appearance 

between the old hospital building and the 

new expansion, masons ripped off all of 

the old brick veneer, with the lower portions 

of the new and old buildings to be 

eventually clad in one type of brick. More 

than 325,000 CMU were used on the 

project.


Southwest Contractor Best of 2004 University Project 

UNM Student Union 

Originally designed for 8,000 students 

nearly 50 years ago, the University of New 

Mexico Student Union has been bursting 

at the seams. 

Now, with the completion of the $25 

million remodel and the addition of 

25,000 sq.ft. of space, the union can 

comfortably handle the schools 25,000 

students. 

A tight purse drove the decision for the 

remodel, rather than new construction. 

After demolition, engineers found that 

many of the structural members were 

overstressed. Designers were faced with 

using a massive steel beam to shore the 

project up. Engineers eventually 

employed a Kevlar fiber normally used to 

sheath stealth bombers. The carbon strips 

were attached to members for more reinforcement 

at one-third the cost.

Because the office building will house 

the state engineer's office, which oversees 

the state's water supply, images of New 

Mexico's history and its waterways is incorporated 

into the design. Near the entrance 

of the underground parking garage, crews 

from HB Construction, the project general 

contractor, have built a large water-harvesting 

roof resembling a funnel. The roof, 

which is 10-ft. wide and 3-ft. high, will gather 

water, which will then be used to irrigate 

the xeriscape landscaping. 

The project's color palette is taken 

from the surrounding earth. The cafeteria 

is in a circular form referencing the 

Kivas and a large open air "mall" passing 

through the buiding takes it's inspiration 

from traditional Spanish settlements. 

The two-story lobby features a 24-ft. dia. 

monumental circular stairway and the carpet 

is inlaid with an abstracted map of the state's 

major waterways. The project also features an 

extensive amount of stonework to recall the 

state's ancient material palette.


Southwest Contractor Best 2004 

Renovation Under $5 million 

Eklund Hotel 

This historic centerpiece of Clayton, 

N.M. was built in 1892, but was much 

worse for the wear when the building 

team started work. As with any renovation, 

there were surprises. When plumbing 

was installed in the second floor, 

load bearing floor joists were notched or 

cut, leaving the unanswered question of 

what was hold up the second floor. 

Sagging floors on the second and 

third stories had to be disconnected 

from the first floor ceiling and jacked up 

and and repaired. In some cases, the 

floors were holding up the trusses, 

rather than the trusses holding the 

floors. 

Many of the walls had to be braced to 

hold them up and only 25 percent of the 

building could be worked on at one time 

so the other 75 percent could hold the 

structure together.

Southwest Contractor Best of 2004 K-12 Project 

Santa Fe Indian School 

The project is different from past BIA 

efforts, with the school’s administration 

and students heavily involved in the 

design. It’s also one of the largest projects 

in the BIA’s building inventory. 

Tribal authorities wanted to create a 

campus that represented the Pueblo culture, 

which stretches back thousand of 

years in the Rio Grande River Valley. 

The result is a true Santa Fe style 

pueblo that reminds students of their 

homes on the reservation. 

The dormitories are broken up into a 

boys and girls wing, and include “heart 

rooms,” or round, enclosed rooms that 

evoke the spiritual spaces that are common 

to pueblos. 

While the project evokes the ancient 

pueblos of the Rio Grande Valley, the 

buildings all employ modern steel framing 

and construction techniques. 

Besides being cost-prohibitive, adobe 

bricks are also structurally unsound for 

most buildings more than one-story 

high. The steel frame also eased the construction 

of the various roof planes and 

architectural features. 

A crucial factor in the project’s success 

was sighting the school buildings to 

replicate a Pueblo village while preserving 

views with religious significance. 

Site corridors allow views of the Sangre 

de Cristo Mountain Range and the 

Jemez Mountain range. The buildings 

radiate out from a central plaza that is 

the focus of the site design.



Civil/Infrastructure Project 

Isleta Boulevard, Phase 1 

Originally a corridor for Native 

Americans, Isleta Boulevard was part of 

the first major north-to-south high in 

New Mexico. As the area developed, the 

gravel was eventually replaced by concrete 

and then asphalt. 

Construction work in phase 1 included 

five lanes with two in each direction 

and a center turn lane and the community 

was interested in selecting a theme 

consistent with the roads rich history. 

Landscaping, shelters at bus stops, 

park design and art design were all related 

to the theme of El Camino Real. 

Contractors had to deal with more 

than 130 private driveways, along with 

80 storm drains. 

Contractors undergrounded unsightly 

power and telephone poles and bike lanes 

are provided. Because the road in in a very 

flat area, the road way vertical alignment 

was lowered to capture run off from the 

adjacent properties. Drainage basins were 

constructed every 200-ft. to capture run off 

and discharge it into an underground storm 

drain. Ultimately, the storm drainage basin 

for the area will be 600 acres. 

A number of engineering improvements 

eliminated many safety issues including the 

infamous “Deadman’s Curve” a sharp turn 

that was converted to a gentle, super elevated 

curve and a new traffic signal. 

Owner: New Mexico Department of Transportation 

Engineer: Larkin Group 

General Contractor: Star Paving 

MPE Engineers: CME 

Landscape Architect: Morrow, Reardon, Wilkinson, Miller Ltd. 

Major Subcontractors: Abasto Utility Locating Co.; Faith Engineering; Geo-Test; HYDRA; 

JHK; Thomas R. Mann and Associates; Valley Fence; Rio West Landscape; Bixby Electric; 

New Mexico Underground Contractors; Rhino; Grandin Testing; Terracon; Blue Sky 

Construction Services Inc. United Rentals Inc. 


(PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE LARKIN GROUP)


Southwest Contractor Magazine Best of 2004 

Transportation Project (Tie) 

U.S. 84-285 

The new and expanded U.S. Highway 

84/285 corridor between Santa Fe and 

the Tesuque Pueblo is more than just a 

busy road connecting northern New 

Mexico. 

The four-lane corridor offers an 

insight into the past and present of the 

Tesuque Pueblo, with a significant 

amount of local art incorporated into the 

project’s design. Overpasses, abutments 

and retaining walls feature artistic symbols 

meaningful to local American 

Indians. 

The $70 million project’s south end 

features designs by Santa Fe artist 

Federico Vigil. Tesuque Pueblo native 

Anthony Dorame created artwork for 

the center section and artist George 

Rivera of the Pojoaque Pueblo designed 

the northern segment’s artwork. 

The 14-mi. project is divided into three 

phases, with FNF tackling the northern 

and southern sections while Nielsons 

Skanska is working in the center. The 

project consists of new frontage roads 

and overpasses to allow local traffic better 

access to homes and businesses. 

On the north and south ends of the 

project, FNF will move nearly 1 million 

cu. yds. of earth and use nearly 100,000 

metric tons of asphalt. In the center, 

Nielsons Skanska is moving 450,000 

cu. yds of earth and 135,000 metric tons 

of asphalt. The three projects use 9 -in. 

of Super Pave 3 laid in three lifts on 6 - 

in. of base course. Much of the base 

course is recycled asphalt. 

Because the corridor, which sees 

more than 40,000 vehicles a day, is a 

vital link to the northern parts of New 

Mexico, road closures were not allowed 

for construction. 

Owner: New Mexico Department of Transportation 

Engineers: Parsons Brinckerhoff/Louis Berger Group/Bohannan Huston 

General Contractor: FNF Construction Inc./ Nielsons Skanska 

Major Subcontractors: Post Tensioning Reinforcing; Baca’s Tree; J & H Supply Co.; 

Blindheim Co. of Arizona; Beaty Construction 


(PHOTOS COURTESY OF FNF CONSTRUCTION INC.)


Southwest Contractor Best of 2004 Transportation Project (Tie) 

U.S. 70 

A massive road improvement project 

is easing congestion in the growing Las 

Cruces, N.M. area. Cheyenne, Wyo.-based 

Reiman Corp. improved two sections of 

the U.S. 70 road project, with a new, fourlane 

divided highway with controlled 

access from new, two-lane frontage roads. 

Some 40,000 vehicles a day use the road 

and traffic volumes are expected to double 

by 2015 as the area grows. 

For contractors, that traffic turned out 

to be the biggest headache, especially 

with one of New Mexico’s largest high 

schools a stone’s throw away. Keeping 

the access to businesses was also difficult, 

with the contract calling for 100 

percent business access 100 percent of 

the time. 

Part of the project includes nine split 

bridges, with contractors using a combination 

of steel and pre stressed, pre cast 

concrete box girders on the 3780 section, 

while exclusively using pre cast 

concrete on the 3781 section of the job. 

More than 5,000 cu. meters of class A 

concrete was used. 

In a bid to ease transiting from one 

side of the highway to the other on the 

frontage road, each overpass will be 

built with a dedicated U-turn lane on the 

frontage road, allowing motorists a 

quick option to head the other direction 

without have to go on the highway or 

wait at off-ramp traffic controls.


Columbia Elementary School 

This 84,000-sq.-ft. school in Las 

Cruces was named in honor of the astronauts 

on the space shuttle Columbia. 

The one-story school is a steel framed 

with masonry with an exterior three-coat 

stucco system. 

The school is designed around a main 

hallway that is built on a 450-ft. radius. 

Classroom wings are separated by 

secure landscape courtyard and each 

wing accommodates two grade levels 

with a total classroom count of 36. 

The project features a state of the art 

networking system with a T-1 connection 

and closed circuit cable TV for both broadcast 

and reception are in every classroom. 

The project also features a computer lab 

that was incorporated into the design with 

computer stations for 30 students. There 

are also smart boards and ceiling mounted 

projectors in each classroom. 

Contractors only had nine months for 

completion, but 30 calendar days were lost 

after a portion of the building was damaged 

by winds in excess of 80 mph. Much 

of the administration wing needed to be 

demolished and totally reconstructed, but 

no additional time was allotted.



FBI Office Building 

The events of Sept. 11 awakened 

Americans to the realities of a changing 

world. Buildings that were once seemingly 

safe could no longer offer protection 

from terrorist attacks. 

With that in mind, officials at the FBI’s 

field office in Albuquerque began laying 

plans to construct a new office building 

that was more defensible than the current 

office in downtown Albuquerque. 

The key to the building’s defensibility 

is distance. After the Oklahoma City 

bombings in 1995, the federal government 

required new federal office buildings 

to have a minimum 100-ft perimeter 

from places where cars or trucks could 

park. Boulders, some weighing as much 

as 30 tons, along with extensive fencing 

and restricted access, create a safe zone 

for the building and its occupants. 

The three-story, 102,000-sq.-ft. project 

features typical office space, a gym 

and break room as well as conference 

areas. The project takes its design cues 

from many of the 1930s era Work 

Project Administration buildings in 

Santa Fe. Designers used an extensive 

amount of traditional 3.5-in. brick, with 

Albuquerque’s Beaty Masonry placing 

50,000 units in multiple tones. 

Cornices and a subtle color palette that 

echoes the colors of New Mexico’s high 

desert compliment the simple and straight 

forward architecture. Sandstone bands 

running vertically add more accents, along 

with lightly punched windows, and hori- 

Owner: M.L. Harris and Co. 

Architect: Rees Associates 

General Contractor: Jaynes Corp. 

Structural Engineer: Chavez Grieves Consulting Engineers 

MPE Engineer: Darr Collins Engineers 

Civil Engineer: Bohannan Huston 

Landscape Architect: Consensus Planning 

Major Subcontractors: AmFab Inc.; Beaty Masonry 


zontal brick banding of multiple colors. 

The $16 million building employs 

high end finishes and features to create 

a class "A" office building. The project 

also features a two-story, 144-space 

secure parking garage.

2004 Best of Awards - ENR Southwest | McGraw-Hill Construction

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