2004 AWCI Awards

AWCI presented its annual construction quality awards in June. Winners included two educational projects, a country club and a private residence.

The Association of Wall & Ceiling Industries Colorado Chapter hosted its annual Excellence in Construction Quality Awards breakfast in June, presenting one award in each of the following categories:

• Commercial/Institutional Drywall
• Residential Drywall
• Acoustical/Specialty Ceilings

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Eligibility criteria for the awards included the following:

• The project's drywall, EIFS and/or acoustical contractor must be a current AWCI member.
• The project must have been 100% complete by December 31, 2003.
• The size of the project did not limit eligibility.

Scoring
A panel of contractors and suppliers evaluated each applicant project. Winners were determined by the project's degree of difficulty, the installation of multiple systems/products and the overall construction quality.

Applicants provided written narratives stating why their project should win AWCI's Excellence In Construction Quality Award; characterizing the project as it applies to their trade; describing any specialty systems that were utilized (i.e. GFRC items, fiberboard, plaster, metal/wood specialty ceilings); and summarizing how the project challenges were overcome by the contractor.

Award Winners
2004 Excellence in Construction Quality Award
Acoustical/Specialty Ceilings
Heartland Acoustics
Englewood
Project: Prairie Hills Elementary School, Thornton
Architect: Christiansen, Reece & Partners PC
General Contractor: Rhoads Construction Inc.
Manufacturers: Armstrong, BPB/Celotex, Chicago Metallic Corp., Lamvin
Suppliers: Ahern Rentals, Gypsum Products, MGM Supply

This project included more than 50,000 sq ft of acoustical ceilings, 4,000 sq ft of specialty ceilings, acoustical wall panels and custom wall-mounted acoustical baffles. The major challenge was the specialty "cloud" ceilings in the commons and cafeteria areas. The clouds were installed below a higher suspended acoustical ceiling custom colored sky blue to simulate an outdoor effect.

2004 Excellence in Construction Quality Award
Commercial/Institutional Drywall
Delta Drywall, Denver
Project: University of Denver, College of Law
Architect: H+L Architecture
General Contractor: Saunders Construction
Suppliers/Manufacturers: Jones Heartz Drywall, Western Fasteners, Insulation Supply, National Gypsum, Sto Corp Inc., Western Metal Lath Co., Team Panels of Denver

This building is designed and built to stand for 500 years and be a permanent part of the University of Denver. Eighty-five workers - led by Kelly Ludwig, job foreman; and Steve Martin, field superintendent - completed this difficult project that included three floors of new library space, seven new classrooms, a mock courtroom, new study space and faculty office space.

The mechanical floor houses all of the heating and air conditioning for the building and was designed as an air plenum for the mechanical units, so walls had to be built, designed and engineered to withstand the static pressure of the air movement. The focus of the building is the two-story atrium lobby and the six-story skylight in the center of the building that required a complicated system of scaffolding and working platforms.

2004 Excellence in Construction
Peoples Choice Award
(Voted by attendees at the 2004 Annual Products Show)
South Valley Drywall, Littleton
Project: Cherry Creek Country Club, Denver
Architect: William Zmistowki, Boulder
General Contractor: Centerre Construction

This project focused on building an 18th Century hall using modern construction techniques. Architects, suppliers and industry veterans were challenged to come up with solutions. The project required framed, arched openings with limited clearances, framing drywall around an HVAC system built to be unobtrusive, and applying texture to replicate old world plaster.

Matt Bradford, finishing foreman, took the initial concept through completion, which required him to train 10 finishers that had never applied a hand texture and turn a product that would look as if it was done 200 years ago.

2004 Excellence in Construction Quality Award
Residential
South Valley Drywall, Littleton
Project: Falcone Residence, Larkspur
Developer: Mesa Properties

This 20,000-sq-ft home is an example of craftsmanship taken to the highest level - stylish, detailed attention at every ceiling, including numerous vaults and barrel ceilings. Round walls and arches join with the arched doors to create an elegance rarely seen in this market. Each of the 1,772 sheets of drywall were finished to a minimum of "level four" excellence and decorated with a pool trowel texture - even in the laundry and furnace rooms.

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