Houston Municipal Jury Facility Wins Top Honors for Construction

Houston, TX, May 31, 2012 --(PR.com)-- The Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) awarded Hoar Construction a top national award for a public facility that is largely out of view to the public. Roughly 85% of the Harris County Jury Assembly Building and Transportation Plaza facility is located under a public greenspace in downtown Houston. ABC recognized Hoar with a Pyramid Award as part of their national Excellence in Construction awards program from over 325 projects nationwide. Scott Thetford and Hollis Anderson accepted the award on behalf of Hoar at the 22nd annual ABC awards celebration at the Arizona Biltmore in Phoenix.

Pyramid Award-winning projects are selected from national entries. Design and construction industry experts judge projects on complexity, attractiveness, unique challenges, completion time, workmanship, innovation, safety and cost. The Harris County Jury Assembly Building is a 33,273 s.f. facility that consumes an entire city block and connects to the surrounding judicial buildings and parking via an underground pedestrian tunnel system. The new steel and concrete structure is 85% below grade, but its ground-level glass entry pavilion allows significant natural light into the facility. The new green space above the building doubles as a site for approved public events and activities.

“This project is an outstanding example of the innovation and commitment to superior craftsmanship that embody merit shop construction,” said Michael D. Bellaman, ABC president and CEO.

Jury Plaza welcomed the first prospective jurors on July 5, 2011. Total project cost was $13.7 million.

The Pyramid Award honors all construction team members, including the contractor, owner, architect and engineer.

“This award is a testament to the teamwork it took to make the Jury Plaza project so successful,” said Scott Thetford, senior project manager. “By working closely with Harris County, the design team and our subcontractors, we were able to safely deliver this highly complex project, despite the tight sidewalk-to-sidewalk site and underground design.”

The Harris County Jury Plaza has also been awarded the Society of American Registered Architects Award and Excellence in Construction awards from the Houston and Alabama chapters of the Associated Builders and Contractors. The Houston Business Journal also selected Jury Plaza as the winner in the Public Assembly category of the 2012 Landmark Awards.

Images:
Harris County Jury Assembly Plaza site: http://flic.kr/p/c46U93
Harris County Jury Assembly Plaza exterior: http://flic.kr/p/c46V9L

If you are unable to access photos, please contact Carrie Stallwitz at 713-320-8165.

About Hoar Construction:
HOAR Construction, established in 1940, provides construction management, general contracting, preconstruction, design/build and program management services. With a construction volume of approximately $500 million and managed work in excess of $300 million annually, HOAR works with clients in the commercial, educational, healthcare, government, hospitality, manufacturing and industrial sectors. HOAR employs over 500 people and has offices in Houston, Austin, Birmingham, Nashville and Orlando. Entrepreneur Magazine ranked Hoar #17 on their 2011 list of Best Medium Businesses to Work For, HOAR’s 5th consecutive appearance on the list. Representative projects underway include the Troy University Arena, Troy, AL; City Centre Three office building, Houston, TX; Stonebridge Retail Center, Richmond, VA; and NEA Baptist Memorial Hospital, Jonesboro, AK. Visit www.hoarllc.com for more information.