Thirteen Innovative Structural Steel Building Projects Earn National Awards

Chicago, IL (April 24, 2013) – Thirteen structural steel building projects have earned national recognition in the 2013 Innovative Design in Engineering and Architecture with Structural Steel awards program (IDEAS2). Conducted annually by the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC), the IDEAS2 awards recognize outstanding achievements in engineering and architecture on steel-framed building projects throughout the U.S. The award is the highest honor bestowed on building projects by the structural steel industry in the U.S. and recognizes the importance of teamwork, coordination and collaboration in fostering successful construction projects.

The winning projects and their respective team members were recognized on April 17 during AISC’s 2013 NASCC: The Steel Conference in St. Louis. Each year, awards for each winning project are presented to the project team members involved in the design and construction of the structural framing system, including the architect, structural engineer, general contractor, detailer, fabricator, erector and owner.

A panel of design and construction industry professionals identified National and Merit winners in three categories, based on constructed value: projects less than $15 million; projects $15 million to $75 million; and projects greater than $75 million. In addition, the panel awarded a Presidential Award of Excellence in Engineering to one project for structural engineering accomplishment.

Covering an array of project types, this year’s IDEAS2 winners demonstrate the flexible and effective solutions provided by structural steel on a wide variety of building projects. Each project was judged on its use of structural steel from both an architectural and structural engineering perspective, with an emphasis on: creative solutions to the project’s program requirements; applications of innovative design approaches in areas such as connections, gravity systems, lateral load resisting systems, fire protection and blast; aesthetic and visual impact of the project; innovative use of architecturally exposed structural steel; technical or architectural advances in the use of the steel; and the use of innovative design and construction methods.

The 13 IDEAS2 winners were chosen from nearly 100 submissions received from architectural, engineering and construction firms  throughout the U.S. The 2013 award-winning projects are:

Projects Less Than $15 Million
•    National Award: El Dorado Conference Center, El Dorado, Ark.
•    Merit Award: Sierra Bonita Mixed-Use Affordable Housing, West Hollywood, Calif.
•    Merit Award: Solar Canopy, Chicago
•    Merit Award: The Corner Condominiums, Missoula, Mont.
•    Merit Award: Twilight Epiphany (James Turrell Skyspace at Rice University), Houston

Projects $15 Million to $75 Million
•    National Award: City Creek Center Retractable Roof, Salt Lake City
•    National Award: HL23 multi-story residential, New York
•    Merit Award: UC Berkeley California Memorial Stadium Press Box, Berkeley, Calif.
•    Merit Award: Lee Hall III – Clemson University, Clemson, S.C.

Projects Greater than $75 Million
•    National Award: NASCAR Hall of Fame, Charlotte, N.C.
•    Merit Award: Barclays Center arena, Brooklyn, N.Y.
•    Merit Award: National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency headquarters, Springfield, Va.

Presidential Award of Excellence in Engineering
•    Chelsea Piers Connecticut adaptive reuse sports facility, Stamford, Conn.

Roger E. Ferch, P.E., president of AISC, commented, “The 2013 IDEAS2 winners demonstrate that innovation and creativity can be found on building projects of every size and description. Steel continues to provide excellent solutions for the entire design and construction team, from architects, engineers and developers to fabricators, erectors and general contractors. Congratulations to the award-winning teams for projects that combine creativity, economy and technical achievement through the use of structural steel.”


The American Institute of Steel Construction, headquartered in Chicago, is a not-for-profit technical institute and trade association established in 1921 to serve the structural steel design community and construction industry. AISC’s mission is to make structural steel the material of choice by being the leader in structural steel-related technical and market-building activities, including: specification and code development, research, education, technical assistance, quality certification, standardization, and market development. AISC has a long tradition of service to the steel construction industry of providing timely and reliable information.