Dec 10 2014
East Valley Water District's (EVWD) new headquarters facility has earned the 2014 Best Project award from Engineering News-Record, a weekly publication providing news, analysis and opinion about the construction industry worldwide. This prestigious award, which the district claimed at a December 4 ceremony, is dedicated to honoring best construction projects across the country.
East Valley Water District's award-winning headquarters facility opened to the public in March 2014. The project was recognized as the best project in California for facilities in its category by Engineering News-Record.
"We are thrilled to be recognized for creating an outstanding facility that helps us to better meet our customers' needs," said James Morales, Jr., chairman of EVWD's board of directors. "The headquarters facility is elevating the district to a new level of operational efficiency and community engagement, while honoring the commitment to leadership, partnership and stewardship that guides all we do at East Valley."
Approximately 150 entries competed for the award, which was judged by construction industry experts. EVWD earned the top honor in California for its category.
EVWD's new facility, which includes a 30,000 square-foot administration building and a 5,256 square-foot operations building, opened its doors 71 days ahead of schedule in March of 2014, and was celebrated by a number of community open house events. The 27.5-acre site features historical and equipment displays, water efficiency demonstration gardens, a multi-purpose boardroom, and various spaces designed to host community events and educational workshops. The new headquarters streamlines operations by bringing all EVWD employees together at one site.
The project was completed using the design-build method, keeping costs down and expediting construction.
"Designing and completing this facility in less than two years was an ambitious goal. Our success is a direct result of the leadership of our board, the dedication of our staff and the hard work of our design-build partners," said John Mura, general manager/CEO of EVWD. "We are honored that this community asset has achieved national recognition."
Balfour Beatty Construction, Ruhnau Ruhnau Clarke Architects and Parsons Brinckerhoff were key partners in bringing the new headquarters to life.