The Excellence in Structural Engineering Awards Competition takes place each year to recognize creative achievement in structural engineering via innovative structural designs and individual contributions that advance the profession.
Purpose
To recognize creative achievement in structural engineering via innovative structural designs and individual contributions that advance the profession.
Eligibility
Projects completed since January 1, 2020 are eligible. Projects must be completed or under construction as of January 1, 2023. Incomplete projects must be sufficiently complete to clearly show the basic design of the structural system. For this awards program, “design” may refer to the overall structure or an element that performs a key function within the completed structure. Any type or size of project may be entered, including new projects, renovations, preservation, rehabilitation, and adaptive reuse projects. The project need not be located in Illinois, but at least one member of the design team, or a principal of the firm responsible for the entry, shall be a member of SEAOI. Submitting an application for membership with an entry will satisfy this requirement. For entries in the Best Neighboring State category, at least one member of the design team, or a principal of the firm responsible for the entry, shall be a member of a neighboring state Structural Engineers Association.
Categories of Awards
Awards will be presented for the following:
- Juror’s Favorite/Most Innovative Structure
- Best Bridge/Transportation Project
- Best Industrial /Utility Project
- Best Renovation/Retrofit/Preservation Project
- Best Special Structure
- Best Project – over $150 million
- Best Project – $50 million up to $150 million
- Best Project – $10 million up to $50 million
- Best Project – up to $10 million
- Lavicka Award – Small Firm (less than 10 FT employees)
- Best Neighboring State Project – designer located in a state neighboring Illinois
Project categories apply to total construction costs. The bridge/transportation category applies to any size of bridge; however, entries can be also submitted in individual cost categories. The winner of the Jurors’ Favorite/Most Innovative will be selected from entries in all categories.
One project will be selected to receive the Juror’s Favorite/Most Innovative Structure award. A project selected in this category, however, will not simultaneously be selected in one of the Best Project categories. Similarly, projects awarded the Best Bridge/Transportation and Best Renovation/Retrofit/Preservation Projects will not simultaneously be selected in one of the categories classified by construction cost. Finalists will be selected to make presentations at the SEAOI dinner meeting in May. One finalist will be selected to win each category of award. Finalists not selected as Juror’s Favorite/Most Innovative Structure or Best Project will receive Awards of Merit.
SEAOI and the Judging Panel reserve the right to withhold an award in a particular category should no entry be deemed worthy.
Congratulations to the 2024 Winners!
Lavicka Award
Art Institute of Chicago - Loggia Restorations
Chicago, IL
Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc.
Best Project - up to $10 Million
Deflecting Disaster: Rehabilitating Chicago’s Skyline
Chicago, IL
Klein & Hoffman
Best Renovation/Retrofit/Preservation Project
Dallas County Records Building
Dallas, TX
Datum Engineers
Best Project - $10 Million to $50 Million
Minnesota Zoo Treetop Trail
Apple Valley, MN
Buro Happold and Meyer Borgman Johnson
Best Special Structure
Trinity University Dicke Hall
San Antonio, TX
Datum Engineers
Hangzhou Greenland Century Center
Hangzhou, Zhejiang
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
Best Industrial/Utility Project
IBEW LOCAL 9 Journeyman & Apprentice Training Center
University Park, IL
Wight & Company
Best Neighboring State Project
ThedaCare Medical Center – Orthopedic, Spine and Pain
Appleton, WI
HGA Architects and Engineers
Best Bridge/Transportation Project
I-94 Second Avenue Network Tied Arch Bridge
Detroit, MI
HDR, Inc.
Best Project - $50 Million to $150 Million
The Lark
Oakland, CA
Cary Kopczynski & Co
Best Project - over $150 Million
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Pittsburgh International Airport Terminal Modernization
Pittsburgh, PA
Thornton Tomasetti
Jurors' Favorite/Most Innovative Structure
Perelman Performing Arts Center
New York, NY
Magnusson Klemencic Associates
Congratulations to the 2024 Finalists!
• Pittsburgh International Airport Terminal Modernization - Thornton Tomasetti
• 1114 W Carroll Residential Tower - SR+A Structural Engineers
• The Lark - Cary Kopczynski & Co.
• Art Institute of Chicago: Loggia Restorations - Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc.
• IBEW LOCAL 9 Journeyman & Apprentice Training Center - Wight & Company
• Perelman Performing Arts Center - Magnusson Klemencic Associates
• ThedaCare Medical Center: Orthopedic, Spine and Pain - HGA Architects and Engineers
• Book Tower - Buro Happold
• Dallas County Records Building - Datum Engineers
• I-94 Second Avenue Network Tied Arch Bridge - HDR, Inc.
• Hangzhou Greenland Century Center - Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
• Deflecting Disaster: Rehabilitating Chicago’s Skyline - Klein & Hoffman
• (W)rapper - ARUP
• Joan and Paul Rubschlager Building at Rush University Medical Center - Rubinos and Meisa Engineers
• Murphy Memorial Renovation - SR+A Structural Engineers
• 801 South Canal Street - Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc.
• Flyover in Chicago: Ride Structure - Thornton Tomasetti
• Minnesota Zoo Treetop Trail - Buro Happold
• 222 Fifth Avenue - Cary Kopczynski & Co.
• Evanston Labs - SR+A Structural Engineers
