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SALT LAKE CITY — Five Jacobsen Construction Company projects were announced as award winners this week in the ENR Mountain States Best Projects annual contest.
Jacobsen project teams won the Best Project distinction in the Health Care, Higher Education, Manufacturing and Residential/Hospitality categories, as well as a Merit Award in the K-12 Education category. The awards will be formally presented at a breakfast celebration on Dec. 6 in Salt Lake City.
Winning projects were chosen by a panel of 15 judges with expertise in the A/E/C industries. Entries were scored on the criteria of innovation, contributions to the construction industry and the community, the aesthetics and functionality of the project’s design, quality craftsmanship, examples of teamwork and overcoming challenges, and safety record.
Each ENR award is an official recognition of the project itself, meaning all firms who participated in the project are considered full recipients of the award. Several dozen design, engineering and construction firms partnered with Jacobsen on the winning projects, providing expertise and resources that were vital to the quality and efficiency of the work that was done.
Descriptions of the winning projects are listed below.
Best Health Care Project | University of Utah NBICU Ronald McDonald Family Space | Salt Lake City, Utah
The aim of this project was to remodel existing space in the University of Utah Hospital to create a new office suite for Women’s & Children’s Inpatient Nursing Services, a new waiting area and, most importantly, a new Ronald McDonald Family Space for parents and family members of newborn intensive care unit (NBICU) patients. The family space was built to help the parents of young patients feel at home, ensuring they could spend time with their infant child while also navigating day-to-day life.
Every design decision was intended to make the space feel different from the rest of the hospital facility, with strong elements of welcoming serenity. The family space includes amenities such as sleeping rooms, a washer and dryer, a shower, a business center, a meeting room, a kitchen/snack area and both communal and private spaces.
Best Higher Education Project | Utah Tech University Science, Engineering & Technology Building | St. George, Utah
The 163,000 square-foot Science, Engineering & Technology Building at Utah Tech University (previously Dixie State University) is helping students blaze a new trail of innovation and discovery. The immense, 100-foot-tall building includes labs and classroom spaces for students studying physics, chemistry, biology, geo sciences, mechanical engineering, computer engineering, coding, mechatronics, anatomy, astronomy and more. The building also includes computer labs, faculty offices and other support spaces.
Utah Tech University’s recent success and growth has been wonderful for the university overall but has also significantly strained existing resources such as lab and classroom spaces, and course availability. The Science, Engineering & Technology Building boosts the university’s ability to keep up with demand for classes in these fields, resulting in more students taking career-critical courses where and when they want, graduating faster and moving on to promising professional futures.
K-12 Education Project Merit Award | American Heritage High School Auxiliary Gym, Commons Building & Plaza | American Fork, Utah
American Heritage School, a private school focused on U.S. history and government curriculum, has a proud tradition of providing outstanding academic offerings and setting up students for both career achievements and civic engagement.
This success has led to steady growth in enrollment, and rapid growth in the past two years as families have had more time on their hands to re-consider unique education options amid the pandemic. To keep up with rising numbers of students, American Heritage School commissioned this project in the Summer of 2020.
This project consisted of two-story addition to American Heritage School that connected into the existing school building, a new auxiliary gym, and a new concrete plaza/common area for students. The new addition provides administrative offices on the first level as well as classroom space. Level two of the addition provides seven classrooms, a creativity lab, and a space shuttle simulator room.
Best Manufacturing Project | Cytiva Cleanroom Expansion | Logan, Utah
This project was the first phase of Cytiva’s campus expansion and included construction of a new core and shell structure, fully automated process systems, formulation systems and bottling cleanroom spaces.
Cytiva, a medical research and manufacturing business which produces many life-saving pharmaceuticals including COVID-19 vaccines, needed an expansion of its cleanroom capabilities — specifically, the business needed a place where they could install additional and updated liquid pharmaceutical formulation and bottling equipment. The work done on this project resulted in a pristine, highly functional and adaptable facility that could safely and efficiently increase Cytiva’s production of important medical products.
Best Residential/Hospitality Project | Liberty Sky Tower | Salt Lake City, Utah
Located in downtown Salt Lake City, Liberty Sky is the city’s first high-rise apartment community. With ready access to some of the locale’s favorite dining and entertainment establishments, the project entailed building 21 stories, five parking decks and 278 new apartments that are helping to alleviate the city’s stressed housing market. Apartments feature floor-to-ceiling glass walls that provide natural light and exquisite views of the Wasatch mountains. Floor plans include one-bedroom, two-bedroom and studio apartments. As a first-of-its-kind concrete build, apartments feature exposed concrete ceilings and walls — not the traditional sheetrock — and a variety of other high-end, modern finishes.
Community amenities include a pool, theater, club room, office space, mail room, interior loading dock, five levels of secured parking, pet center and bike storage area. The rooftop gathering areas provide a full kitchen, club room, gaming room, theater, a fitness center, multiple exterior heated gathering areas, grills and prep areas, three exterior fireplaces and a large programmable LED light box that stands out in the night sky. The main level has conference and private meeting areas, interactive displays and a coffee bar and lounge.