The Structural Engineers Association of North Carolina (SEA of NC) has announced the 2021 Excellence In Structural Engineering award winners.
The awards were outlined at the organization’s virtual annual statewide conference on July 13 and 14, “recognizing projects, individuals and companies who build our communities and neighborhoods,” the organization said in a statement.
Lawrence A. McGinnis, from Bennett & Pless in Charlotte was recognized as Engineer of the Year.
The award citation said McGinnis “has proved to be an iconic figure in our profession” over the past four decades.
“Those who judge our professional performance, ACI, AIA, AISC, PCI and CRSI have all, without exception, honored Larry through the firm KingGuinn Associates, now Bennett & Pless, with a long list of awards. But more importantly, Larry has given back to the engineering community,” the association says.
Other award winners include:
Special-use structures
Lake Vermilion Dam Rehabilitation Danville, Illinois
Charles M. Johnson, associate engineer, Schnabel Engineering, LLC
Lake Vermilion Dam was built in 1925 to impound a water supply reservoir and is owned and operated by Aqua Illinois (Aqua) in Danville. The impoundment supplies water to the City of Danville, Villages of Tilton, Catlin, Belgium, and Westville, as well as surrounding areas. Additionally, recreational use of the lake is allowed under contract with the Vermilion County Conservation District.
Historic preservation
The Church on Parkwood Charlotte, NC
Robert Phillips, associate, Charlotte department manager, Bennett & Pless, Inc.
The goal of the project was to keep the entire exterior of the building and the interior office and classroom spaces behind the sanctuary while removing all framing in and around the sanctuary. Finished construction is 18 residential units including single story apartments in the basement, 2-story units above, and large 1 story units in the two levels of existing office and classroom wing.
Retrofit/alteration
William C Ellis & Sons Building, Adaptive Reuse, Memphis, Tennessee
Andrew Stark, associate principal, Uzun + Case, PLLC
Overlooking the Mississippi River, the new One Beale mixed-use development is rejuvenating a long neglected corner of downtown Memphis. The existing single-story Foundry and the Welding Shop buildings were renovated to create the Hyatt Centric Beale Street Hotel special events center.
New construction $25 million – $50 million
NC State Carmichael Gymnasium Addition and Renovation, Raleigh, NC
Robert Stevenson, principal, LHC Structural Engineers, a division of Bennett & Pless
Prominently located at the corner of Morrill Drive and Cates Avenue adjacent to the Talley Student Union, the new Wellness and Recreation Center will reflect the university’s focus on promoting holistic well-being and recreation while highlighting the importance of physical activity. The new facility will include functional training areas, fitness center space, a rock wall, and dozens of multipurpose areas, as well as a meeting space and a teaching kitchen.
New construction $50 million – $100 million
Eastern Virginia Medical School (EVMS) Waitzer Hall
Dave Mykins, principal-in-charge, Lynch Mykins Structural Engineering
Rising up at the intersection of healthcare and innovation, Waitzer Hall is a vital hub for the collaborative work that defines EVMS’s distinctive approach to medicine today and for future generations of medical leaders.
New Construction greater than $100 million
NC State University Fitts-Woolard Hall
Klaus Perkins, structural department head, associate principal, Clark Nexsen, Inc.
Located on North Carolina State University’s Centennial Campus, Fitts-Woolard Hall houses the Fitts Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, the Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering, as well as a portion of the College of Engineering Dean Administration. The design is driven by a commitment to “Engineering on Display”.