GBCA Construction Excellence Awards

GBCA 2023 Construction Excellence Awards

The Construction Excellence Awards is the premier construction awards program in the Philadelphia region, recognizing excellence in construction from GBCA member companies.

Important Dates

  • 7.10: CEA opens for submissions
  • 9.11: Deadline for Award Submissions
  • 9.15: Entries Submitted to Judges
  • 10.04: Winners Contacted
  • 11.16: Construction Excellence Awards Celebration at Switch House

Eligibility

  • The Construction Excellence Awards are open to General Building Contractors Association (GBCA) members in good standing only.
  • The project’s GC/CM/primary contractor must be a signatory contractor.
  • All projects must be located in Southeastern Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey, or Eastern Maryland and must be substantially completed between January 1, 2022 and July 1, 2023.

Tips for Building Awards Submission

Writing Tips

  • The quality of the submission can “make or break” even the best project, so clear, concise, and grammatically correct writing is a must! You may submit your descriptions in bullet points – just keep in mind that the judges still need to understand the project as a whole!
  • With a strong outline to begin, you can embellish each point and create a logical order for each explanation.
  • If you had to tell a colleague what made your project unique and interesting, what would you say first? Highlight those salient points in your opening statements.
  • Wherever possible, describe your role and what you did that was unusual, difficult, or above and beyond your expected duties in order to solve a problem or achieve client satisfaction.
  • Submissions come alive in the details. Be sure to communicate heights, widths, distances, sizes, shapes, materials used, etc. to give the judges a true image of the project.

Judging

The judging panel consists of industry professionals who are unaffiliated with the applicants.

Notes about the judging process:

  • Each category is judged by the same group of judges.
  • Electronic submissions are individually evaluated and scored by each judge. Judges will be able to see the locations of the projects, but due to time and logistical constraints, will not be required to visit each site.
  • If there is not a clear winner based on the judge’s scores alone, a short list of finalists will be chosen.

If you have any questions, please contact Nicole Catrambone by clicking below:

Award Categories & Descriptions

Project-based Awards

Project-based Awards recognize a contractor who has done an outstanding job in the workplace. The award seeks to honor a contractor who has overcome a unique challenge, tackled a difficult project, taken great care in detail, or ensured the success of a project.

Excellence in Craftsmanship
The Excellence in Craftsmanship Award is the program’s top award, honoring best overall work! This award recognizes a project that has demonstrated exceptional care in detail, utilized new or different materials or technologies, and/or coordinated intricate building techniques.
Breakdown of Four Sub-categories:
– Over $50 million
– $15 – $50 million
– $5 – $15 million
– Under $5 million

Best Adaptive Re-Use Project
The Best Adaptive Re-Use Project recognizes a project which has taken an existing building and/or space and enhanced/or created an entirely new use for the space. For example, projects entered into this category could include everything from large-scale rehabilitation of historic buildings for new uses, to smaller-scale installation of HVAC systems within the original historic building.

Best Cultural Institution Project
The Best Cultural Institution Project Award recognizes a project which demonstrates successful application of practices including, but not limited to, innovation and technology, design, efficiency and budgeting. Projects must be cultural institution developments, including but not limited to, museums, churches, or tourism attractions.

Best Educational Institution Project
The Best Educational Institution Project Award recognizes a project which demonstrates successful application of practices including, but not limited to, innovation and technology, design, efficiency and budgeting. Projects must be educational institution developments, including but not limited to, university facilities, community colleges, K-12 schools, and student housing.

Best Fit-Out Project
The Best Fit-Out Project Award recognizes a fit-out construction project that has demonstrated the exceptional application of construction practices including, but not limited to, innovation and technology, design, efficiency, budgeting and client services.

Best Green Space Project
The Best Green Space Project Award recognizes a project which demonstrates successful application of practices including, but not limited to, innovation and technology, design, efficiency and budgeting. Projects must consist of some form and use of green space, including but not limited to, parks, public spaces, and green living areas.

Best Healthcare Project
The Best Healthcare Project Award recognizes a project which demonstrates successful application of practices including, but not limited to, innovation and technology, design, efficiency and budgeting. Projects must be healthcare developments.

Best Historic Preservation Project
The Best Historic Preservation Project recognizes a project which has preserved or restored the historic built environment and/or landscape component of a structure which is significant in American history, architecture or culture and was constructed more than 50 years ago. Projects entered into this category could include restoring the original paint schemes, recreating portions of damaged elements original to the building or preserving existing elements to prevent further deterioration.

Best Hospitality Project
The Best Hospitality Project Award recognizes a project which demonstrates successful application of practices including, but not limited to, innovation and technology, design, efficiency and budgeting. Projects must be hospitality developments, including but not limited to, hotels, resorts, theme parks and restaurants.

Best Retail Project
The Best Retail Project Award recognizes a project which demonstrates successful application of practices including, but not limited to, innovation and technology, design, efficiency and budgeting. Projects must be retail developments.

Best Residential, Mixed-Use or Office-Space Project
The Best Residential, Mixed-Use or Office-Space Project Award recognizes a project which demonstrates the exceptional application of practices including, but not limited to, innovation and technology, design, efficiency and budgeting. Projects must be either residential, mixed-use, or office-space developments.

Best Concrete Construction Project
The Best Concrete Construction Project Award recognizes a concrete construction project that has demonstrated the exceptional application of construction practices including, but not limited to, innovation and technology, design, efficiency, budgeting and client services.

Best Demolition Project
The Best Demolition Project Award recognizes a demolition construction project that has demonstrated the exceptional application of demolition practices including, but not limited to, innovation and technology, design, efficiency, budgeting, safety and client services.

Best Electrical Construction Project
The Best Electrical Construction Project Award recognizes an electrical construction project that has demonstrated the exceptional application of construction practices including, but not limited to, innovation and technology, design, efficiency, budgeting and client services.

Best Mechanical Construction Project
The Best Mechanical Construction Project Award recognizes a mechanical construction project that has demonstrated the exceptional application of construction practices including, but not limited to, innovation and technology, design, efficiency, budgeting and client services.

Best Masonry Construction Project
The Best Masonry Construction Project Award recognizes the masonry work of a construction project that has demonstrated the exceptional application of construction practices including, but not limited to, innovation and technology, design, efficiency, budgeting and client services.

Best Specialty Contractor Project
The Best Specialty Contractor Project Award recognizes a project that has demonstrated the exceptional application of construction practices including, but not limited to, innovation and technology, design, efficiency, budgeting and client services. This is special and innovative work in support of a General Contractor or Construction Manager. This award is intended for a specialty contractor who supplies essential needs for a project, excluding mechanical, electrical, concrete, and demolition contractors.

Program-Based Awards

Excellence in Diversity and Inclusion
The Excellence in Diversity and Inclusion award recognizes a member company who demonstrates diversity and inclusion efforts above and beyond meeting equal opportunity program requirements. Unique and inclusive ways of creating a more diverse workplace while meeting, and/or exceeding, EOP requirements, as well as working with external partners, will be considered. The honoree should exemplify the progressive principles of inclusion, using unique tactics to diversify perspectives, gender, age, ethnicity, work experiences, lifestyles, and cultures.

Excellence in Training and Professional Development
The Excellence in Training and Professional Development award recognizes a member company demonstrating and implementing investment in human capital, providing practical means to educate and advance the workforce and develop a stronger team. The honoree will significantly and regularly acknowledge the rising leadership within the company.

Excellence in Technological Advancement
The Excellence in Technological Advancement award recognizes a member company that utilizes successful, progressive, and/or unique technology to facilitate or assist in, but not limited to, the planning, organizing, problem solving, and communicating more efficiently of building projects. The program should exemplify progressive innovation, and problem solving while demonstrating technology adaptations.

Commitment to Community Excellence
The Commitment to Community Excellence award recognizes a member company that is making significant contributions to their community through their time, actions, talents and dedication. The company selected should serve as a role model for compassion, and service and be striving to make the greater Philadelphia region a better place.

Excellence in Safety
The Safety Excellence Award is intended to recognize a general contractor or specialty contractor who holds the highest level of safety standards for their employees and others whom they work with. The recipient organization has been successful in promoting safety within the company and throughout the industry.

Additional Member Award

Affiliate of the Year
The Affiliate of the Year award gives special recognition to an Affiliate member who played an integral role in the completion of a project: assisting a contractor to come in on-time, on-budget, and/or safely; or that has made a significant contribution to the industry. This Affiliate member demonstrates the true meaning of partnership and collaboration and may go above and beyond to contribute to the overall success of a project(s).

GBCA Construction Excellence Awards