2022 Lean Construction Institute Design Award Recipient Announcement
The Lean Construction Institute is pleased to recognize the awardee of the second annual Design Award:
Joan and Sanford I. Weill Neurosciences Building
- Owner: University of California, San Francisco
- Architect of Record: SmithGroup
- Design Architect: Mark Cavagnero Associates
- CM-at-Risk Builder: DPR Construction
- Program Manager: Jacobs
- Structural Engineer: Degenkolb
- D/B Mechanical: Critchfield Mechanical (CMI)
- D/B Electrical: Cupertino Electric, Inc
- D/B Plumbing: Southland Industries
- D/B façade: Walters & Wolf Glass Company
The Joan and Sanford I. Weill Neurosciences Building team delivered a world-class neuroscience research facility over four-and-a-half years of design and construction. The team committed to advancing innovation and quality, while maintaining an accelerated construction schedule – even in the face of challenges like a global pandemic. By embracing Lean design and construction techniques, strategies, collaboration and transparency, the team identified ways to deliver this 282,000 SF megaproject smarter, faster and more efficiently. The result is a world-class research facility designed to foster partnerships and medical breakthroughs.The most successful Lean tactic was the team’s co-location in a Big Room environment to foster collaboration, innovation and joint problem solving. Over 100 members of the design and construction team, owner’s reps, design-build MEPF subcontractors and others worked in proximity at the onsite Big Room during the multi-year design and construction process. This collaborative approach facilitated quick and efficient problem solving to overcome challenges.
Wellness and the comfort of occupants was a fundamental part of the design response, aimed at fueling connectivity and collaboration. As a cross-disciplinary hub, the building drives advances for new treatments for disorders of the brain and nervous system, while providing expert and compassionate care for patients. The project prioritized health and wellness of occupants through design for usable daylight, views and the integration of biophilia at several levels. A glazed curtain wall protected by an architectural screen is complemented with a large skylight bringing connection to nature in the waiting area and lobby of the building.
Honorable Mentions:
Advocate Outpatient Center Oak Lawn
- Owner: Advocate Aurora Health
- Design Firm: HDR
- General Contractor: The Boldt Company
Pavilion at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
- Owner: University of Pennsylvania Health System
- Design Firm: HDR
- General Contractor: Balfour Beatty
- Construction Manager: LF Driscoll
About the award –
The Lean Construction Institute (LCI) Design Award recognizes project teams that are delivering outstanding design while advancing the industry through collaborative Lean Project Delivery. The purpose of this award is to encourage the adoption of Lean approaches and methods to improve project outcome and elevate design.
While the focus is on the design elements, the LCI Lean in Design Award recognizes an entire project team. This includes the engineers, designers, architects, clients and builders who work collaboratively to improve the whole design and construction process start to finish. The design firms on these projects are examples of design excellence, they have brought Lean to the design space.
Submissions were scored by factor:
- Design Aesthetic (50%)
- How Lean tenets were used to achieve the final project (50%)
- Respect for People
- Generation of Value
- Optimize the Whole
- Continuous Improvement
- Removal of Waste
- Process/Flow
- Cost and Schedule Approach
We would like to acknowledge the 2022 LCI Design Award planning team for pioneering this award program. LCI Design Award Planning Team Members and Design Award Jury Committee:
Planning team: Bernita Beikmann, HKS, Inc.; Stan Chiu, Gensler; Lisa Hitchingham, SSOE; Michael Murray, The Beck Group; Romano Nickerson, Boulder Associates; Victoria Navarro, Advocate Aurora Health; Neelanjana Sen, HGA Architects and Engineers; Andrea Sponsel, HKS, Inc.; Steve Wilson, HMC Architects
Jury facilitators: Bernita Beikmann, HKS, Inc. and Stan Chiu, Gensler
Jury Committee: Long Duong, Kaiser Permanente; Cliff Moser, CCS Solutions; Victoria Navarro, Advocate Aurora Health; Zofia Rybkowski, Texas A&M; Bill Seed, Jackson Health System
LCI received many impressive submissions and would like to extend our appreciation to all those who submitted. Awardees will be recognized on Thursday, October 20th at the 2022 LCI Congress Award Ceremony in New Orleans, LA!