Best National Brick Project
Local 15 Missouri/Kansas
Marillac Center
Leavenworth, Kansas

Signatory Contractor: JE Dunn Construction

A visit to the Marillac Center, a religious retreat and conference facility in Leavenworth, Kansas, is designed to rejuvenate the body, mind, and spirit. Two existing structures were recently joined by a new addition, whose flawless masonry design and construction are as multi-dimensional as the Center’s restorative goals. A crew of up to 19 Local 15 MO/KS members used 250,000 brick in 75 different shapes to complete the Center’s rounded surfaces and bending radius walls. Its 30,000 square feet of interior space house flexible assembly areas, a kitchen, cafeteria, library, chapel, fitness spa, and 32 sleeping rooms.

Photo courtesy of Barry Boyd for Barry Boyd Imaging

Special Recognition for Artistry in Masonry
Local 8 Illinois
Temple Plaza
Danville, Illinois

Signatory Contractor: John Leverenz Masonry, Inc.

Gutted by fire in 1987, the Temple Building in Danville, Illinois has reclaimed its prominence as a city landmark due to the skilled craftsmanship of Local 8 IL members. The restoration of the building’s 20-foot high arch, the sole feature left standing after the blaze, guides visitors into an expansive public plaza including a striking 30 by 14 foot brick wall of figures depicting the area’s history and heritage. The project required 2,500 square feet of block and 31,500 square feet of brick, along with reinforcing steel plates, rods, and ties. The Temple Building is once again a teeming center of city life, a place that honors Danville’s past citizenry while welcoming its present.

Photo courtesy of Timothy Hursley

Best Region 1 Brick Project
Local 3 Massachusetts
Peabody Essex Museum
Salem, Massachusetts

Signatory Contractor:
Pizzotti Brothers Inc.

The Peabody Essex Museum’s new $125 million addition, located in Salem, Massachusetts, is a stunning combination of complex geometry, glass, and extensive use of masonry, executed with skill and precision by members of Local 3 MA. The 111,000 square foot addition creates a perfect environment for the Museum’s diverse collection of art and culture. The use of red brick, imported from England, Scottish limestone for banding, and subtle traces of the area’s Federalist, Victorian, Georgian, and industrial architecture not only lend stature to the expanded Museum, but allow it to reflect, rather than overpower, the historic New England surroundings.

Photo courtesy of Audie Di Lucente for Visual Artistry by Audie

Best Region 3 Brick Project
Local 9 Pennsylvania
UPMC Hillman Cancer Center
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Signatory Contractor: Cost Company

The UPMC Hillman Cancer Center in Pittsburgh is a centerpiece for masonry architecture. Veneered in three shades of brick, clad at its lower elevations with oolitic limestone, and trimmed with boreal green granite at its base – this demanding project presented a welcome challenge for members of Local 9 PA. Designed for energy efficiency, concrete masonry units serve as back up for exterior cavity walls, and exterior windows were used sparingly. Glass block entryways and limestone windowsills, heads, and string courses provide an elegant architectural finish. The 350,000 square-foot facility will play an important role in cancer treatment and research.

Best Region 5 Brick Project
West Virginia Administrative District Council
Clay Center for the Arts & Sciences
Charleston, West Virginia

Signatory Contractor:
Cost Company

Opened in July 2003, the 240,000 square foot Clay Center for the Arts & Sciences in Charleston, West Virginia is one of the state’s most ambitious economic, cultural, and educational projects ever. The
$130 million Center features masonry inside and out, including 500,000 brick and 400,000 block, in addition to marble, slate, terrazzo, limestone, and tile. Built by WV ADC members in less than three years, the project employed 52 bricklayers and stonemasons during peak construction. The Center’s spacious interior includes a 225-foot long Grand Lobby providing access to two theatres, a planetarium, and an interactive museum.

Best Region 6 Brick Project
Local 5 Oklahoma/ Arkansas/Texas
Booker T. Washington High School
Tulsa, Oklahoma

Signatory Contractor: Advanced Masonry, Inc.

The combined talents of artisans and Local 5 OK/AR/TX bricklayers brought new life to Tulsa’s Booker T. Washington High School in the form of a signature laid-in-place brick sculpture depicting Washington’s life and times. Born into slavery, Washington went on to found the prestigious Tuskegee Institute. His journey, an important chapter in the civil rights struggle, unfolds with the help of more than 58,000 12- and 8-inch block and alternating brick color bands. The school’s one-of-a-kind handcrafted exterior is a fitting tribute to a great leader, and a testament to the skills of Local 5 craftworkers.

Photo courtesy of Steven Linder for Twin City Photography

Best Region 7
Local 1 Minnesota
Goodhue County Law
Enforcement Center
Red Wing, Minnesota

Signatory Contractor:
BOR-SON Construction, Inc.

Completion of the Goodhue County Law Enforcement Center in Red Wing, Minnesota is the final phase of the county’s long-range plan to convert existing historic structures into modern, centralized facilities for county workers while containing costs and preserving the area’s architectural heritage. Local 1 MN members, employed by BOR-SON Construction, helped achieve both objectives. Once the site of Red Wing High School in the city’s historic district, the 152,000 square foot Law Enforcement Center makes use of traditional red brick, accented by cream-colored brick. Undeterred by winter weather and stringent security requirements, Local 1 members ensured that the $19 million project ran smoothly.

Photo courtesy of J.W. Hensley for DBM/Hatch, Inc.

Best Region 8 Brick Project
Local 4 California
USC, Popovich and Lewis Halls
Los Angeles, California

Signatory Contractor: DBM/Hatch, Inc.

Popovich and Lewis Halls on the University of Southern California’s University Park Campus in Los Angeles are “concrete” examples of USC’s recent building boom and the craftsmanship of Local 4 CA members. Popovich Hall, the larger of the two, is home to USC’s MBA program. Its brick and pre-cast tower extends above a tile roofline while brick archways usher students and faculty into a three-story sun-filled lobby. Masonry also embellishes Lewis Hall’s interior and exterior with brick corbelling outside – an equally splendid setting for the faculty and classrooms of another noted USC Department – the School of Policy, Planning, and Development.

Best Region 9 Brick Project
Local 2 British Columbia
St. Patrick’s Parish
Vancouver, British Columbia

Signatory Contractor: Star Masonry, Ltd.

Members of Local 2 BC took pride in helping parishioners of St. Patrick’s in Vancouver transform their hopes for a new church and gymnasium into reality. Members installed 120,000 Tan-Terra Norman brick, 12,000 pieces of natural stone and 3,000 synthetic Arriscraft stones, and paid careful attention to the matching of mortar types. Architectural and landscaping features, such as the meditation garden, work together to help draw visitors into the Church’s open spaces. Quality construction, and the durability and beauty of masonry materials, will help St. Patrick’s weather the elements for many years to come.