Builders of the Year Award
Since 1988, Gilbane Building Company has presented one of its project teams the Iver Johnson Builders of the Year award — Gilbane’s highest honor for excellence in project management. The award is based on several criteria including quality, safety, client satisfaction, teamwork, and more. Each year more than 300 projects globally are eligible.
Past winners include the George R. Brown Convention Center, Robert F. Kennedy Main Justice Department Building, ExxonMobil Campus, The Norton Museum of Art, and last year’s winner, The Visitor Experience and Restaurant at Hudson Yards’ Edge.
2021 Winner: NYC COVID-19 Centers of Excellence Program
The recipient of the 2021 Iver Johnson Builders of the Year Award is the New York City Department of Design & Construction (DDC) COVID-19 Centers of Excellence Program. This Iver Johnson Builders of the Year award project exemplified the teamwork needed to deliver the COVID-19 Centers of Excellence on an expedited schedule under extraordinary circumstances.
“Working on a project in the middle of a pandemic, for the pandemic and for the community, gave us motivation to do something meaningful in a dark time,” said Camille Rimmer, Senior Project Engineer
To aid New York City in its response to the COVID-19 threat, the DDC hired Gilbane to provide construction management services for three Centers of Excellence facilities leased by New York City Health + Hospitals (NYC H+H). These first-of-a-kind health centers provide comprehensive outpatient primary care services to COVID-19 survivors in the Bronx, Brooklyn and Queens.
Fast-Tracking Project Delivery
Due to the immediate need for these facilities, an expedited schedule of 12-24 weeks was implemented for the different sites, inclusive of the design of the projects while maintaining consistency across all three sites. In order to meet the expedited schedule, Gilbane focused on an Integrated Project Design (IPD) Process, engaging mechanical, electrical, plumbing and fire protection subcontractors early in the design phase to efficiently meet the project needs and construction timelines.
It was amazing to employ the design-build model on a floor-by-floor basis while designing at the same time. Gilbane made my job easy because we were always on the same page regarding schedule and budget. – Lorena Chacon, Team Lead, New York City Department of Design & Construction
Gilbane worked with the design team and subcontractors to utilize materials and equipment that could be turned around quickly to support the expedited schedule. The staff and trades worked around the clock to put an unprecedented amount of work in place at an accelerated rate by implementing three working shifts, seven days a week at times, in order to maintain the aggressive schedule.
“In the early days of Covid no one knew what policies to follow and it was really heartwarming to see everyone come together to achieve our goals,” said Tim Carey, Project Manager Bronx Center of Excellence. The team received design updates every week, fostering alignment with the schedule due to effective communication between all project stakeholders.
Driving Economic Inclusion and Opportunity
While the project did not have a specific diversity goal or requirement due to its emergency status, Gilbane’s project teams were able to achieve an average of over 40% minority and women-owned business participation in its contracts.
This project was the true meaning of One Gilbane with everyone coming together as a family to get the job done because the city had a need. Acting quickly to serve the needs of the community is why the COVID-19 Centers of Excellence Program project team is the deserving recipient of the 2021 Iver Johnson Builders of the Year award.
