ENR Mountain States & Southwest

ENR Mountain States & Southwest recently announced the main category winners for the Mountain States Best Projects competition, which recognizes the best in design and construction in two separate contests: one for projects located in Colorado/Wyoming, and one for projects located in the Intermountain area of Idaho, Montana and Utah. In addition to those awards, judges selected from all the winners three projects in each sub-region as finalists for this year’s Project of the Year. Experts in safety and sustainability selected winners for those special awards as well.

Colorado/Wyoming Sustainability Awards
Excellence in Sustainability Award: Denver Public Schools Responsive Arts & STEAM Academy, Denver, CO

We are excited to announce the winners of ENR’s annual Mountain States Best Projects competition. For more than 25 years, the regional publication has honored the best in design and construction with two contests: one for projects in Colorado and Wyoming, and the other for projects in the Intermountain area of Idaho, Montana and Utah. Our panel of industry judges reviewed entries in a variety of categories and for two special awards, Excellence in Sustainability and Excellence in Safety, both of which will be announced at a later date.

Congratulations to this year’s winners, listed below by category for each sub-region:

Best Project: Denver International Airport United Airlines Concourse B Gates of the Future.

Award of Merit: Denver Public Schools Responsive Arts & STEAM Academy.

Aviation Pros

Denver, CO (December 10, 2024) Swinerton Incorporated (Swinerton) announces Executive Vice President and National Director of Self-Perform Scott Conrad’s retirement on January 3, 2025, following 44 years of a successful and diverse career in construction and 13 years with Swinerton. Conrad’s impact on the built environment has been embedded in Colorado and across the United States.

First joining Swinerton Builders’ Colorado office as Division Manager in 2011, Conrad guided the division’s steady revenue growth, diversified its market share and more than doubled its team of talented construction professionals. Later, when promoted to region manager, he continued to solidify Swinerton’s market presence in Colorado, Texas and the Southeast, driving the establishment of the Dallas, TX and Charlotte, NC offices. During his time as Region Manager, he also oversaw Swinerton’s existing offices in Honolulu, Seattle, Austin, Portland and Atlanta.

Since he assumed his role as National Director of Self-Perform in 2021, Conrad has?supported the firm’s 2,300 craftspeople and focused on the continuous enhancement of safety, productivity, efficiency and quality for all of Swinerton’s self-perform trades, driving the expansion of Swinerton’s self-perform revenues across the company from $285M to $673M in 2024, with projected self-perform revenues of almost $800M in 2025. Achieving $1 billion of Swinerton self-perform revenue is an impactful milestone—a goal Conrad helped establish and develop the strategies for during his tenure.

Some of these strategies and achievements include hiring, supporting and training the best craft talent in the construction industry; introducing transformative processes, tools and standards such as including labor productivity tracking platforms and an unwavering focus on embracing the cultural thread that unites Swinerton’s self-perform teams, operations groups and business services departments, dubbed by Conrad as “the Builder’s Gene.”

This year, in his commitment to Swinerton’s vision of a vertically integrated family of companies, Conrad assumed direct leadership over Timberlab’s acquisition of American Laminators and the sawmill facilities in Philomath, OR. He has also supported the ground-up development of the cross-laminated timber (CLT) manufacturing facility in Millersburg, OR, which is set to produce a staggering 100,000 cubic meters of CLT each year once complete. These developments have not only revolutionized the future of Timberlab and the family of companies as industry leaders in mass timber construction—but have left indelible marks on sustainable building practices nationwide. One of his direct hires and mentees, Chief Operating Officer Tim Kretzschmar, will build on his legacy and guide Timberlab and Swinerton Incorporated’s other subsidiary companies to continued success.

When sharing his retirement with Swinerton employees, Conrad shared these words, “Working with my many partners at Swinerton has been the highlight of my professional life. I’m proud to have been called a ‘builder.’ Not only for the projects we complete, but more importantly, for the incredible people and teams I’ve been privileged to support and who will carry on long after I’m gone.”

Swinerton CEO David Callis also shared, “I have appreciated Scott’s willingness to do whatever it takes to make Swinerton successful and his tenacity to continue to grow our self-perform work, all the while fostering our company culture of being a best-in-class builder. Scott was always the voice of our craftspeople in our leadership meetings, never letting us forget that the heart of our business lies inside the gates of our jobsites.”

Conrad leaves behind a legacy of innumerable contributions to the teams and culture he created and a physical testament in the buildings dotting skylines across the United States.

Mass Timber Buildings: A New Approach to Sustainability and Net Zero Goals

Mass timber is quickly becoming a solution as the number of public institutions and private developers pledging to attain net-zero carbon emissions increases. Whether they are leaning on public-private partnership (P3) or traditional delivery methods, owners and developers are recognizing the benefits of wood as a versatile, sustainable, and structurally efficient feature for their projects. With public and private support for this renewable resource, experts believe mass timber could challenge steel and concrete as favored construction materials.

“Mass timber offers cost and value considerations that developers and clients see as benefits. Mass timber supports regional economies, saves time on the speed of construction, and is a renewable resource—with the added benefits of improved daylighting and interior aesthetics, which benefits the health and well-being of the end-user as well,” said Swinerton Builders (Swinerton) Pacific Northwest Regional Director of Preconstruction William Silva.

For example, at Northlake Commons, the utilization of mass timber estimates 1,990 metric tons of avoided CO2e (carbon dioxide equivalent) emissions, with a total carbon benefit of 2,920 metric tons; this is equivalent to removing 558 cars from the road or to the energy required to operate 249 homes for an entire year. It is also estimated that forests in the U.S. and Canada can regrow the equivalent wood volume in four minutes.

Swinerton’s early commitment to mass timber began in 2016 with the design, permitting, and construction of the then largest mass timber office building in the U.S.—First Tech Federal Credit Union Oregon Corporate Campus—which was delivered four months faster and four percent cheaper than structural steel.

In a short period, Swinerton has become known for taking on and successfully delivering some of the most challenging mass timber projects in the country. With the number of mass timber projects expected to double every two years, Swinerton has assembled an unparalleled knowledge base and robust internal resources that are sought after by design teams and owners who want to capitalize on the lessons learned from other projects.

While building designs will continue to push toward net zero energy, reducing operational carbon through better energy efficiency and cleaner energy sources, there is growing policy and regulation emphasizing the importance of reducing the embodied carbon of our infrastructure as well. Structure and foundation make up over half of a building’s embodied carbon footprint, so they are often targeted first for reductions. Every metric ton of wood used in place of concrete and steel in the structure is estimated to avoid 3.9 metric tons of CO2 emissions, and this is compounded by the fact that mass timber buildings are lighter and reduce the carbon (i.e., concrete) in the substructure.

Life-cycle assessment (LCA) is the industry tool for evaluating the embodied impacts of a building design, but what it cannot account for is the potential carbon “storage vault” mass timber infrastructure offers cities. Mature forests are maximizing their carbon storage, while growing forests are maximizing their carbon sequestration. By sustainably harvesting trees off the landscape and storing that carbon in wood structures for the life of the buildings, forests are allowed to sequester carbon more rapidly from the atmosphere and avoid releasing a large portion of the carbon stored in the removed trees.

While the softer benefits of mass timber, sustainability, and aesthetics frequently lead project teams to want to use a mass timber solution, the construction benefits are often what enables them to happen.

Swinerton recognizes the challenges of developing a project around a new structural system and brings its expertise to teams seeking creative solutions to make a mass timber project financially viable. Swinerton’s approach is to direct efforts toward reducing overall construction cost through smart and informed selections of not just the structural system but also to look at how to leverage complementary benefits in building mechanical, electrical, envelope, and interior systems to help achieve low energy goals.

“We can control costs through early assessment on project alignment with building code and efficient structural layouts that allow for complementary benefits with other building systems and maximize prefabrication,” added Silva.

Because Swinerton is a national leader in numerous construction market sectors, it combines market sector knowledge with mass timber advantages to bring beneficial outcomes for its clients. Swinerton has pioneered mass timber solutions in market sectors, including affordable housing, aviation, civic, community college, corporate accounts, healthcare, higher education, life science, office and more.

5 Examples of Swinerton’s Mass Timber Project Experience

Northlake Commons, Seattle, WA

Swinerton’s Northlake Commons highlights the sustainability of mass timber in workplace construction. This 275,000-square-foot, LEED? Platinum-certified building incorporates mass timber columns, beams, and cross-laminated timber (CLT), showcasing how renewable materials can support both structural durability and environmental responsibility. Built in collaboration with Timberlab, a Swinerton affiliate, Northlake Commons’ timber was carefully chosen for its capacity to age beautifully while creating a warm, health-focused environment. Mass timber, significantly lighter than concrete and steel, reduces carbon emissions by up to 75%.

Beyond the use of wood, the building’s design maximizes water and energy savings, contributing to a 27% reduction in electricity usage and conserving over 700,000 gallons of water annually. Further, a significant 96% of construction waste was recycled, minimizing environmental impact. This commitment to sustainable mass timber not only enhances the building’s aesthetic and structural integrity but also reinforces Northlake Commons as a model for eco-friendly development in modern architecture.

Childcare Center, Boise, ID

The new 19,347-square-foot single-story childcare center is a groundbreaking example of the benefits of mass timber in early education. Imagine nine lively classrooms with stunning vaulted ceilings, where clerestory windows flood the space with natural light, accentuating the warmth of timber columns and beams. Outside, timber overhangs create inviting play areas, blending seamlessly with nature.
This center isn’t just beautiful—it highlights sustainability. It combines mass timber with additional eco-friendly exterior materials, native landscaping, and cutting-edge energy-efficient features like low-VOC paint, smart thermostats, and LED lighting, seeking to achieve LEED? Gold certification. This innovative approach ensures a healthy, inspiring environment for children to learn and grow.

Sunnydale Community Center, San Francisco, CA

A vibrant new 30,000-square-foot neighborhood community center is a stunning two-story mass timber marvel. It offers a mix of spaces, such as a teaching kitchen, study areas, a recording studio, and a living room for community gatherings. The Sunnydale Community Center also hosts new facilities for Boys & Girls Clubs of San Francisco and Wu Yee Children’s Services, significantly boosting their capacity to provide childcare and youth programs.

Designed for LEED? Gold certification, the center emphasizes sustainability and biophilic design, using CLT and glulam for structural, aesthetic, and eco-friendly qualities. The exposed wood structure not only speeds up construction but also reduces waste and creates a warm, inviting atmosphere.

This project revitalizes the neighborhood, demonstrating the potential of mass timber construction and environmental responsibility with beautiful, impactful construction.

Live Oak Bank Building 4, Wilmington, NC

In Wilmington, NC, a new development is welcoming employees—a four-story, 67,000-square-foot constructed entirely from mass timber. This ambitious project is one of the largest of its kind in the United States, slashing the building’s carbon footprint by up to 60%. Nestled among trees and overlooking an expanded pond, Live Oak Bank Building 4 is a harmonious blend of nature and innovation. The design incorporates numerous biophilic elements, aiming to foster a happier, healthier, and more productive work environment. The building is on track to achieve LEED? Silver certification, highlighting its commitment to sustainability and eco-friendly design.

Responsive Arts & STEAM Academy, Denver, CO

Nestled in Northeastern Denver, the Responsive Arts & STEM Academy is setting new standards for sustainability with cutting-edge innovations. As one of the first all-electric hybrid mass timber schools in Colorado and a pioneering project for Denver Public Schools, it highlights the district’s climate action plan. This means that every aspect of the heating, cooling, and kitchen facilities is designed to meet rigorous environmental standards.

The school’s commons and gymnasium will feature striking mass timber beams and columns. This design choice not only enhances the building’s aesthetic appeal and sustainability but also streamlines construction. Utilizing cross-laminated timber (CLT) in these areas eliminates the lengthy wait for long-span steel joists, which typically have a lead time exceeding nine months. This innovative approach not only supports environmental goals but also creates a vibrant, inviting learning environment for students.

Additional Reading: Contractors are Partners for Achieving Sustainable Development Goals

Swinerton, an industry leader in commercial construction with offices nationwide, has promoted Josh Leen to Director of Operations for its Colorado division. Leen’s new role will support Swinerton’s commitment to providing exceptional client experiences, strengthening internal teams, and enhancing operational excellence.

“The Director of Operations role is a natural step in our division’s growth,” shares John Spight, vice president and division manager of Swinerton’s Colorado division. “Josh is one of the most technically sound individuals I’ve worked with. He is incredibly committed to our teams and cares about what he does at every level.”

In his new role, Leen will oversee initiatives that foster cross-market collaboration and ensure project teams continue to deliver high-quality service to clients and partners.

“I’m excited to embrace the new challenge and support team members. Instead of focusing on just a few markets, I have the opportunity to dive deep into all our markets and drive their growth,” says Leen.

Leen’s dedication extends into the community through his involvement with Destination Imagination Colorado (DICO), a program that empowers youth with STEM skills through hands-on learning. Swinerton proudly supports this initiative by hosting skills training and participating in the annual fundraising event, helping to equip the next generation with critical problem-solving abilities.

“This work is about shaping the future of our industry,” said Leen. “Whether young people pursue careers in construction, real estate, or any other field, learning how to communicate and solve challenges is essential.”

During his 16 years at Swinerton, Leen has been instrumental in expanding self-perform capabilities and cultivating a collaborative culture.

Reflecting on his impact, he highlights the division’s shift toward teamwork and cross-market support: “We are all running the race together. Recognizing every team member as an employee-owner has been key to our success.”

Since 1942, Swinerton has been building in Colorado, delivering transformative projects like Block 162 Office Tower, UCHealth Cherry Creek Medical Office Building, Southwest RON Hangar, Denver Public Schools RASA K-5 School and Biodesix Corporate Headquarters and Laboratory. With over 200 team members, Swinerton’s Colorado division continues to deliver expertise across diverse projects, from interior improvements to high rises and sustainable facilities, shaping the region’s skyline.

ENR

We proudly announce that Swinerton has been honored with multiple awards at the ENR Mountain States 2024 Best Projects competition. This year, the competition recognized top projects across a seven-state region, evaluating over 100 entries for innovation, design, teamwork, craft quality, safety, and community impact. Swinerton’s achievements in this highly competitive field underscore our commitment to excellence. We celebrate winning two prestigious awards and an Award of Merit, solidifying our reputation as a leader in the construction industry.

An Outstanding Collection of Achievements

Swinerton’s projects were highlighted among the best, securing awards in both the Best Projects and Award of Merit categories. Here is a look at the honors we received:

Best Interior/Tenant: Biodesix Corporate Headquarters and Laboratory, Louisville, CO

Best Renovation/Restoration: Hatch Labs at Wilderness Place, Boulder, CO

Award of Merit – Small Project: University of Colorado Ofelia Miramontes and Leonard Baca Education Building, Boulder, CO

Swinerton planted roots as a builder 135 years ago, and continues to deepen them nationwide. Alongside our subsidiary companies, we leverage our knowledge, skills, and drive to build the projects and workforce of the future. We take pride in the expertise and passion it takes to raise a structure from the ground up. Because, at our core, we are builders.

A CHANGING INDUSTRY

When brick mason Charles Lindgren founded the company that would become Swinerton at the end of the nineteenth century, the construction landscape looked very different than it does today. The industry was moving from a workforce of individual craftspeople managed by an architect or engineer to a more centralized system. Positions like those of superintendent and foreman emerged to be the expert eyes on the jobsite to manage installation and supervision, while contractor builders brokered materials, labor, and services.

An entrepreneurial mason turned builder, Lindgren saw the potential for greater speed and efficiency as technologies like steel-reinforced concrete emerged on the market. His business partner, Lewis A. Hicks, was a vocal advocate for this technology—writing two enthusiastic articles in 1905 for The Architect and Engineer of California and distributing brochures on the topic to local engineers.

When tragedy struck in the form of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, Lindgren and Hicks were completely equipped to help rebuild, and could legitimately claim that their steel-reinforced concrete buildings fared better than most in the devastation. Clients who were initially skeptical of the “newfangled” material were convinced. By 1908, when namesake Alfred B. Swinerton joined the firm, the company was well on its way to becoming
one of the most recognized builders in the West, thanks in no small part to its expertise in concrete.

SEEING POTENTIAL

In the century that followed, Swinerton has continually invested in enterprises and people to keep the industry moving forward, expanding its markets and offerings nationally and internationally. From engineering canals and pipelines in the 1950s, driving value-add services like tenant improvements in the 1980s, to embracing sustainable materials and energies in the 2020s, we are always finding ways to build where the world is going.

In 2016, Swinerton recognized another opportunity: to drive construction forward by adopting mass timber. As a result, our mass-timber specialist subsidiary was launched in 2021, harnessing the structural and environmental potential of engineered wood materials and helping clients meet their vision for sustainable structures that soar with the beauty of timber.

BUILDERS OF TOMORROW

Being a master builder depends on first-hand knowledge of the builder’s craft, which must be passed down with each generation. We continue our 135- year builder’s legacy by supporting the workforce of the future: training the next generation of craftspeople in trade skills, and attracting more builders to the industry.

Through The Swinerton Foundation’s support of trade education programs at the Cypress Mandela Training Center in Oakland, CA, Portland YouthBuilders in Portland, OR, and The Roc in Charlotte, NC, partnership with organizations like SkillsUSA nationwide, and outreach efforts at colleges and universities, we are driven to support the young people who will become our next generation of master builders.

OUR BUILDER’S LEGACY

Alongside the industry’s evolution, at Swinerton we continue our master builder’s legacy through the present day, employing thousands of expert craftspeople on staff as laborers, journeymen, foremen, and superintendents whose direct experience in the field ensures our projects’ success. As a company, we invest in their safety, their training, and their well-being to ensure their expertise shines on every project.

Swinerton Builders’ self-perform teams include concrete, drywall, doors, frames and hardware, carpentry, millwork, and demolition and clean-up. Our family of companies also includes a broad range of professionals whose expertise encompass concrete at SAK Builders, mass timber at Timberlab, and engineering, procurement, and construction of renewable gas plants at Swinerton Energy.

On every project, we also draw on our experts who understand the non-physical components of building: financing, logistics, planning, permits, site entitlements, and more. Our administrative teams at Swinerton, Lindgren Development, and Griffin Swinerton work in tandem to make our clients’ buildings possible.

Combined with our expert knowledge and skill, our pride of ownership, passion, leadership, integrity and excellence are what truly make us master builders.

In collaboration with DLR Group, Swinerton provided general contracting services for Denver Public Schools’ (DPS) Responsive Arts & STEAM Academy, a transformative project that marks the first all-electric school for DPS and one of the first schools in Colorado to leverage mass timber construction.

As the largest school district in Colorado, DPS serves over 93,000 students in 207 schools. DPS is leading change with an ambitious climate action plan that aligns with the City and County of Denver’s overall goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 65% by 2030. The Responsive Arts & STEAM Academy is the foremost school in this initiative, featuring mass timber elements and sustainable all-electric design. In addition to these sustainability goals, the district aimed to complete the project’s first phase by July 2024—just in time for upcoming school year.

Swinerton provided design-assist services during preconstruction, imparting valuable insights on constructability, budget, and scheduling concerns. The original structural design called for the use of long-span steel joists; however, these came with a lead time of more than nine months. To help the district meet its schedule, Swinerton engaged Timberlab to discuss the feasibility and benefits of incorporating mass timber into the design to complement the precast concrete elements. Together, the two firms and the DLR team shortened procurement lead times by two months by replacing long-span steel joists with glued laminated timber (glulam) and cross-laminated timber (CLT) decking. The team also identified other strategic locations to use glulam and CLT, including the gymnasium and common area. The final design is highlighted by an exposed mass timber vaulted ceiling that spans an open two-story space.

In addition to Swinerton’s longstanding expertise and continued success with mass timber construction, the firm’s self-perform capabilities allowed the team to maintain the schedule, maximize the budget, and ensure high quality and safety standards. Swinerton self-performed concrete slab-on-grade, drywall and framing, firestopping, specialties, stormwater, and cleanup.

In late 2023, DPS received funding for a second phase at the Responsive Arts & STEAM Academy campus. The district awarded Swinerton and DLR Group the expansion project thanks to their success on the first phase. The new 35,000-squarefoot classroom building will provide additional capacity to support middle school students.

Having Swinerton on board as general contractor for Phase 1 allowed for construction to wrap up seamlessly, and has allowed Swinerton and DLR Group to bring their expertise and experience to bear on the earliest stages of concept design for Phase 2. Swinerton’s project team is remaining onsite and will begin construction in fall 2024.