March 28, 2011: NREL’s Research Support Facility Wins National AGC Aon Award
NREL’s Research Support Facility Wins National AGC Aon Award
Published: The Daily Journal, McGraw Hill Construction Companies
Volume 113, Number 104
The U.S. Dept. of Energy’s Research Support Facility at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden was one of the most outstanding construction projects of 2010, the Associated General Contractors of America announced last week. As a result, the project’s contractor, Haselden Construction LLC of Centennial, was one of eight firms to receive the association’s Aon Build America Merit Award.
“Projects like this require skill, craftsmanship and determination to successfully complete,” said Ted Aadland, the association’s 2010 president and the CEO of Portland, Oregon-based Aadland Evans Constructors Inc. “Mastering projects like this is what distinguishes great contractors from their competition.”
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory, which won merit recognition for new design-build projects, is a 222,000-sq-ft research facility in Golden built with regional and local sustainable materials.
For example, more than 300 pine trees devastated by the mountain pine beetle epidemic were expertly milled and kiln dried to accentuate the two-story lobby walls. The facility integrates an array of energy-efficient features, including maximized daylighting, operable windows, thermal mass, natural ventilation, triple-pane glazing and radiant heating and cooling. Not only is the research facility designed to meet LEED-Platinum standards, it is also on course to be the first net-zero-energy building of its kind. It was designed by Denver architects RNL and San Francisco engineering firm Stantec.
Aon Build America Merit Awards recognize significant construction project* completed during the past 12 months. A panel of judges representing all areas of construction evaluated over 115 projects this year, assessing each project’s complexity, use of innovative construction techniques and coordination with partners, among other criteria.
The awards, which were announced during the association’s annual convention in Las Vegas, are considered by many to be among the most prestigious recognitions of construction accomplishments in the U.S.