February 4, 2019

(Chicago, IL) - A "baker's dozen" of structural steel projects have earned recognition in the 2019 Innovative Design in Engineering and Architecture with Structural Steel awards program (IDEAS²). Conducted annually by the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC), the IDEAS² award is the highest honor bestowed on building projects by the U.S. structural steel industry and recognizes excellence and innovation in the use of structural steel on building projects across the country. The winning projects and their respective team members will be recognized at the 2019 NASCC: The Steel Conference, April 3-5 in St. Louis.

"These are fantastic projects that put the talents and creativity of the designers and constructors on display. We celebrate them and the way these projects show the extent and diversity of what steel can do," said Charles J. Carter, S.E., P.E., Ph.D., president of AISC. "We thank the award-winning teams for delivering such inspiration!"

A panel of design and construction industry professionals identified National and Merit winners in three categories, based on total constructed value: projects greater than $75 million; projects $15 million to $75 million; and projects less than $15 million. In addition, the panel awarded a Sculpture/Installation/Non-Building Structure Award, and Presidential Awards for Excellence in Fabrication and Erection Engineering to Facilitate Adaptive Reuse.

The 2019 award-winning projects are:

Projects Greater than $75 Million

• National Award: 181 Fremont St., San Francisco
• National Award: Superior Court of California - San Diego
• Merit Award: LondonHouse Hotel, Chicago

Projects $15 Million to $75 Million

• National Award: UT Austin Engineering Education and Research Building Atrium, Austin, Texas
• National Award: Spectrum IV, San Diego
• Merit Award: Apple Michigan Avenue, Chicago
• Merit Award: The Exchange at 100 Federal Street, Boston

Projects Less than $15 Million

• National Award: Vespertine, Culver City, Calif.
• National Award: Caddell Building, Atlanta
• Merit Award: Saxum Vineyard Equipment Barn, Paso Robles, Calif.

Sculpture/Installation/Non-Building Structure
Helen Diller Civic Center Playground, San Francisco

Presidential Award for Excellence in Fabrication
The Spheres, Seattle

Presidential Award for Erection Engineering to Facilitate Adaptive Reuse
75 Rockefeller Plaza, New York

The 13 IDEAS² winners were chosen from nearly 100 submissions received from architectural, engineering and construction firms throughout the U.S. 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 (AESS); technical or architectural advances in the use of the steel; and the use of innovative design and construction methods.

The IDEAS² program also recognizes the importance of teamwork, coordination and collaboration in fostering successful construction projects. Awards for each winning project will be presented to the project team members involved in the design and construction of the structural framing system, including the architect, structural engineer of record, general contractor, owner and AISC member fabricator, erector, detailer and bender-roller. The awards are presented to the team members at ceremonies held at each of the winning projects during the year.

For more information about the IDEAS² awards and the winning projects, please visit www.aisc.org/ideas2. Members of the media may request high-resolution photos of the winning projects by contacting AISC's Jenna Carpentier at carpentier@aisc.org or 312.670.5407.