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2020 Excellence in Structural Engineering Awards
New Buildings $5 Million - $25 MILLION
Outstanding Project Award
Mary Our Queen Catholic Church
PES Structural Engineers
Merit Award
Holy Vietnamese Martyrs Catholic Church
Palmer Engineering Company
Merit Award
Atlanta Gas Light Regional Business Center
PES Structural Engineers
New Buildings OVER $25 MILLION
Outstanding Project Award
725 Ponce
Uzun+Case
Merit Award
Renelle on the River
Uzun+Case
FORENSIC/RENOVATION/RETROFIT/REHABILITATION STRUCTURES
Outstanding Project Award
Georgia Tech Library Renewal
Uzun+Case
The Georgia Tech main library consists of two buildings Price Gilbert, constructed in 1951 and Crosland Tower constructed in 1978. Beginning in 2014 Georgia Tech as part of its Strategic Planning embarked on the process of reimagining its library facilities based on the changes in how students and faculty use the library. The result was a $75 million transformational project to renovate the libraries. Both buildings were to be brought into compliance with the 2012 building code and converted from facilities designed solely to house books into a state-of-the-art collaborative research environment.
Crosland Tower was transformed from a nearly windowless structure with low ceilings and dark spaces, suitable for an archive building, as it was originally conceived, into a brightly-lit state of the art building with multi-story spaces, roof top terraces and at the top level a reading room which takes advantage of its vantage point as the tallest building, on the highest point on the campus to provide some of the best views of the city’s skyline.
Because of its designation as a historic building, the original design and character of Price Gilbert was restored by removing the circular dome atrium which was added at the time Crosland was built. Other modifications included new shear walls to meet modern seismic codes and interconnecting the basement of the two buildings.
Merit Award
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport Modernization
HOK
new bridge and transportation structures
Outstanding Project Award
Hanley Bridge
Uzun+Case
The Hanley pedestrian bridge serves as an enclosed 86’-0” span between an existing 18 story building and a newly constructed 30 story building over Hanley Road. In order to meet traffic clearance requirements, the bridge floor, which supports the roof, is only 27.5” deep and has a span to depth ratio of 37.
To minimize traffic impacts the bridge was constructed offsite, including cladding and finishes, and transported to the site on a Goldhoffer transporter equipped with a gantry and a turntable and erected in one day. Erection engineering was performed to ensure the bridge deflections during transport would not damage architectural finishes.
The existing building perimeter beams, which were not designed to support the bridge, were retrofitted in order to accommodate the new bridge without the need for new columns. The result is an elegant bridge that was erected with minimal impact to the community.
Young Engineer of the Year
Sarah Scarborough, PE, SE
Sarah is a graduate of the Georgia Institute of Technology with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in civil engineering with a focus in Structures. At PES Structural Engineers, Sarah has over eight years of experience on projects ranging from hotels and industrial buildings to senior living facilities and high-end automotive dealerships. In addition to serving as a Project Manager for the firm, she acts as the Quality Assurance Manager and assists in overseeing the firm's continuing education and onboarding programs. She also focuses on the development and implementation of company processes and standards. Sarah is involved with the Georgia Community of Practice of the Lean Construction Institute and serves as a current board member and past chair of the SEAOG Young Members Group.
Engineer of the Year
Tom Pfeifer, PE, SE
Uzun+Case
Tom began his professional career with Uzun+Case and has over 18 years of structural engineering experience. He has designed many significant concrete and steel structures for commercial, hospitality, residential, mixed-use, healthcare, and institutional projects. He is currently active in several American Concrete Institute (ACI) national committees and is a past president of the Georgia Chapter of ACI.
Tom understands the importance of collaboration and communication during all phases of a project. He strives to integrate the architect’s vision with the safety, economy and construction parameters of his projects. In addition to a strong technical base, he has a large amount of field experience, which gives him a unique understanding into the total project cycle and needs.
Tom’s notable projects include 3630 Peachtree and the High Museum of Art Addition in Atlanta, The Main at Las Olas Residential in Fort Lauderdale, Project One in Greenville, and the Thompson Hotel in Savannah.
Outside of work, Tom enjoys traveling with his wife and two children to different national parks and beach destinations. When not in the office, you can usually find him fishing on a boat, cheering or coaching on a baseball/softball field, or fixing something around the house.
Lifetime achievement Award
James Case, PE, SE
Uzun+Case
Jim Case is a founding Principal of Uzun+Case, LLC. He studied Architectural Engineering at the University of Colorado and received a Master of Engineering degree from Cornell University. After graduating, Jim worked several prominent engineering firms. In 1987 he founded Case Engineering which eventually became Uzun + Case, LLC.
Jim’s training in architecture and engineering has led to a lifelong interest in exploring the intersection of the two disciplines and a commitment to helping clients achieve their design goals. Be it a large iconic building or a complex work of art, Jim strives to arrive at synergistic solutions that are intuitive, correct, and buildable. This has resulted a body of award-winning work, including the High Museum of Art, the NCR Corporate Headquarters, the Fernbank Museum Canopy Walkway, and the Georgia Tech Kendeda Building for Innovative Sustainable Design.
Jim is committed to the advancement of his profession and his community. He has served on the boards of numerous organizations, including the Structural Engineers Association of Georgia, the American Council of Engineering Companies, the Georgia Tech School of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the University of Colorado Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering.
His charitable activities include contributions to the Uzun + Case Fellowship for Excellence in Structural Engineering at Georgia Tech, the Woodruff Arts Center in Atlanta and numerous other philanthropies.
eSe Awards Jury
The selection of award recipients is made by a distinguished Awards Jury, consisting of leaders in the design, construction and academic communities in Georgia.
Daniel Kuemmerle, PE
Daniel is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Kennesaw State University, where he teaches engineering mechanics and structural design courses. He has also taught engineering courses in the School of Building Construction at Georgia Tech. Prior to teaching, he worked for Uzun & Case, LLC for 15 years with a design concentration in the hospitality, residential, institutional, and commercial sectors. He managed projects ranging in size from a single story to over 28 stories in height. His current projects include seismic upgrades of several existing structures in the Los Angeles and San Francisco areas.
Basil Bennett, PE
Basil Bennett, PE is a retired Principal Structural Engineer with the City of Atlanta's Department of Aviation, where was oversaw work at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
Aaron Wilner, AIA, NCARB
Aaron is a Senior Associate at HOK with close to two decades of design experience on multiple building types, Aaron has combined a strong passion for design with the technical skills necessary to produce award-winning projects that have been featured in Architectural Record, ARCHITECT and Arch Record2, among others. He is widely recognized for his innovative design & ability to create exciting spaces that ensure the integrity of design solutions remain uncompromising as the project moves through design phases. Part of Aaron’s design strength is his ability to draw from his extensive experience delivering projects from programming through construction.
Russell E. BrockelbankRussell is a Project Executive with Balfour Beatty Construction, where he has had the opportunity to contribute to the success of a wide variety of projects across the Southeast.
2020 ESE Awards Committee
- Mary Shinners, Chair
- Brian E. Adorno, Jr.
- Sean Dotson
- Morgan Neal
- Adrian Persaud
- Sarah Scarborough
