BELLEVUE, WA — With over 20 years of Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA) award achievement, design-build projects continue to be an area of expertise for Hensel Phelps. Since their first design-build project delivery in 1977, Hensel Phelps has completed over 400 design-build projects nationwide.

“Today, the design-build project delivery methodology represents over 45 percent of all projects constructed in the U.S., thus it is no longer an alternative delivery method. Design-build, when done right, is a very power[ful] option in an owners’ tool box of available options for project delivery," said Steve M. Grauer, DBIA Chairman, Hensel Phelps Vice President. "The teamwork, trust, and collaboration inherent in design-build creates an exceptional environment to help achieve exceptional project outcomes. Hensel Phelps is extremely proud of our long successful track record of highly successful design-build projects and for being recognized as an industry leader in design-build.”

Since receiving its first DBIA project award in 1999, Hensel Phelps has received over 55 DBIA awards. The firm continues to hold the highest amount of DBIA awards, and almost two dozen more than their second highest awarded competitor. This year, Hensel Phelps received seven DBIA awards, with the Sound Transit Operations and Maintenance Facility East in Bellevue, Washington, receiving multiple awards.

Sound Transit (ST) sought to double its Light Rail Vehicles (LRV) fleet to support the East Link expansion of the light rail network to connect downtown Seattle to communities on the east side of Lake Washington. The project required a joint land-use entitlement for the maintenance facility and a surplus property development/Master Development Plan design that preserved 6.9 acres of the 28-acre site for a Transit Oriented Development, which includes affordable housing, market-rate housing, and commercial spaces. This project was launched to support the needs of the growing community, and the resulting design-build, LEED Gold-certified Operations and Maintenance Facility East project will store, maintain, and deploy a 96 light rail vehicle fleet to support the ST expansion.

• Award: National Award of Merit
• Award Category: Industrial/Process/Research Facilities
• Location: Bellevue, Washington
• Owner: Sound Transit
• Market: Ground Transportation
• Contract Value: $236 million
• Square Footage: 165,150 square feet
• Completion Date: December 2020
• Architect: Stantec

The first DBIA award of its kind, the project also received the Projects Exemplifying Meaningful DEI Practices award. In the Best Awards category, the Sound Transit Operations and Maintenance Facility East received the Best in Teaming award.