The University of Arizona recently unveiled the Applied Research Building’s Thermal Vacuum Chamber, the world’s largest of its kind housed within a collegiate research facility. Weighing 40 tons and extending 30 feet, the TV Chamber is designed for testing nanosatellites under replicated atmospheric temperature and pressure conditions found within the space and near-space environment. The TV Chamber provides incredible accuracy in simulation, ensuring the greatest confidence in materials testing. This technology represents one of the primary features within the ARB. With the complexity of the TV Chamber, the Design-Build partnership between SmithGroup and general contractor McCarthy Building Companies Inc., sequenced … Read more
DBIA Announces 2024 Project/Team National Awards of Merit
The Design-Build Institute of America announced the 2024 National Design-Build Project/Team Award winners. Sixty-three projects from across the U.S. –– and one in Antarctica –– were submitted for consideration across 10 categories. Submissions were evaluated by a panel of industry experts. Merit Award winners will now compete for a National Award of Excellence, “Best of” categories and Project of the Year. “As Design-Build approaches nearly half of all construction spending, we continue to see extraordinary projects that raise the bar for Design-Build teams across the country, pushing the limits of high performance and optimizing triple-bottom line success,” said DBIA Executive … Read more
Design-Build Institute of America Releases Updated Design Excellence Position Statement
The Design-Build Institute of America has updated its Design Excellence Position Statement to emphasize collaboration between design and construction professionals through all stages of the project delivery, from procurement and development through execution. The statement introduces five lenses to help provide a framework for evaluating design excellence and to acknowledge the diverse aspects crucial for successful design-build outcomes. Thes lenses include: Integration & Collaborative Process: Emphasizing collaboration and integration across project teams throughout the project lifecycle Healthy Living: Prioritizing user experience by crafting spaces that promote well-being, health and safety Community Impact & Delight: Recognizing a project’s connection to and … Read more
Gilbane Building Company Recognized with Design-Build Institute of America Awards
Gilbane Building Company has earned top honors at the 2023 National Design-Build Institute of America Conference in National Harbor, Maryland. The company was the design-builder for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s new D.C. headquarters, which was selected for the 2023 Chair’s Award, and the owner’s representative for the California Department of General Services 1021 O Street State Office Building, which was selected for the 2023 Project of the Year award. Gilbane received national excellence awards for both projects in their respective categories, as well as special recognition for commitment to diversity, equity & inclusion and design for WMATA’s D.C. … Read more
Design-Build Institute of America ED/CEO Lisa Washington Inducted into National Academy of Construction
Lisa Washington, CAE, executive director and CEO of the Design-Build Institute of America, has been inducted into the National Academy of Construction. As a black woman in a traditionally male-dominated field and a leader from a non-construction background, induction to NAC is a testimony to Washington’s leadership and innovation in the engineering, design and construction industry. Membership in the National Academy of Construction is a distinction extended solely through invitation by current members. NAC is a distinguished institution that has, over the years, elected a selective group of professionals who have made significant and lasting impacts in various aspects … Read more