April 15, 2008
AOC’S CAPITOL VISITOR CENTER PROJECT RECOGNIZED
BY WASHINGTON BUILDING CONGRESS WITH ITS
2008 CRAFTSMANSHIP AWARDS
The Office of the Architect of the Capitol’s (AOC) Capitol Visitor Center project was recognized by the Washington Building Congress with several 2008 Craftsmanship Awards. Teams of skilled tradesmen were recognized for displaying exceptional skill in their fields, including door and hardware fabrication, skylight design and installation, exterior hardscape installation, and stone masonry.
Specifically, the Capitol Visitor Center (CVC) project was singled out for the high-quality, professional workmanship throughout the facility by individuals who are “creative, precise, and possess the special skills associated with quality craftsmanship.” These features include the six skylights which allow natural light into the CVC; the custom light fixtures located throughout the CVC and Expansion Spaces that complement the existing fixtures in the Capitol Building; the installation of major hard scape features such as stairs and seat walls, as well as the re-installation of historic elements such as fountains and lanterns on the East Front; and the installation of monumental interior wall stone and marble, and ornamental staircases, doors, and other hardware.
Technical skills of the teams responsible for electrical and fire alarm systems installation, and plaster work were also honored with Craftsmanship Awards.
In addition to the 11 awards presented, several of the winners were extended additional honors with the receipt of two of the three “Star Awards” presented to projects demonstrating the highest level of quality and achieving exceptional visual and technical excellence. The CVC project was also received the “Hall of Fame Award” for the masonry work done throughout the facility.
April 28, 2008
USBG EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR HOLLY SHIMIZU RECEIVES
“GREAT AMERICAN GARDENERS” AWARD
Ms. Holly Shimizu, Executive Director of the U.S. Botanic Garden (USBG), will be honored by the American Horticultural Society as a recipient of its 2008 Great American Gardeners Award at a ceremony to be held on June 6, 2008. She was recognized with the Professional Award which is given to a public garden administrator whose achievements during the course of his or her career have cultivated widespread interest in horticulture.
July 11, 2008
American Public Gardens Association Awards 2008 Professional Citation
to U.S. Botanic Garden’s Christine Flanagan
At an awards ceremony at the American Public Gardens Association’s (APGA) Annual Conference on June 26, 2008, Dr. Christine Flanagan, public programs manager of the U.S. Botanic Garden, received the Association’s prestigious Professional Citation. The Professional Citation recognizes achievements in public horticulture of an individual member who has excelled in one of the disciplines associated with the work of public gardens. Flanagan was recognized for her vision and innovative approach to exhibits and public garden educational programming.
March 14, 2008
AOC’S WEST REFRIGERATION PLANT EXPANSION PROJECT WINS CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
National Garden Receives Honorable Mention
The Office of the Architect of the Capitol’s (AOC) West Refrigeration Plant Expansion project at the Capitol Power Plant has been named the winner of the 2007 Project Achievement Award by the Construction Management Association of America (CMAA), National Capital Chapter. The National Garden received an honorable mention.
The annual Construction Management Project Achievement Awards program recognizes outstanding achievement in the practice of construction management. The awards program is designed to recognize and promote professionalism and excellence in the management of the construction process. Awards are given to those projects that reflect this mission.
The West Refrigeration Plant Expansion Project was recognized along with the Virginia State Capitol Building Renovation project in the category of “projects with a construction value of less than $100 million.”
The National Garden at the U.S. Botanic Garden was also recognized with an honorable mention in the category of “project with construction value of less than $50 million.”
October 17, 2008
AOC’S WEST REFRIGERATION PLANT EXPANSION PROJECT WINS NATIONAL CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT AWARD
The Office of the Architect of the Capitol’s (AOC) West Refrigeration Plant Expansion project at the Capitol Power Plant recently received a National Project Achievement Award from the Construction Management Association of America (CMAA).
The annual Construction Management Project Achievement Awards program recognizes outstanding achievement in the practice of construction management. The West Refrigeration Plant Expansion Project was recognized as “Best Infrastructure Project with Constructed Value Less Than $100 million.”
Since 1999, CMAA has been presenting its Project Achievement Awards to recognize instances in which professional Construction or Program Management has made a significant contribution to the successful completion of a challenging project or program.
December 19, 2008
U.S. Botanic Garden Receives Highest National Recognition
Awarded Accreditation from the American Association of Museums
The United States Botanic Garden (USBG) has achieved accreditation from the American Association of Museums (AAM), the highest national recognition for a museum.
Of the nation’s nearly 17,500 museums about 775 are currently accredited. Notably, of several hundred public gardens in North America, the U.S. Botanic Gardenis one of only 19 that have been awarded accreditation.
AAM accreditation brings national recognition to a museum for its commitment to excellence, accountability, high professional standards, and continued institutional improvement. Developed and sustained by museum professionals for 35 years, AAM’s museum accreditation program is the field’s primary vehicle for quality assurance, self-regulation, and public accountability. It strengthens the museum profession by promoting practices that enable leaders to make informed decisions, allocate resources wisely, and remain financially and ethically accountable in order to provide the best possible service to the public.
December 19, 2005
AOC’S WEST REFRIGERATION PLANT EXPANSION PROJECT
NAMED “BEST OF 2005” BY MAGAZINE
The Office of the Architect of the Capitol’s (AOC) West Refrigeration Plant Expansion project at the Capitol Power Plant recently was recognized by Mid-Atlantic Construction magazine as one of the “Best of 2005” as Project of the Year in the Public Works/Facilities category.
The project was recognized, according to Editor-in-Chief Bruce Buckley, as one of the “finest examples of design and construction in the markets throughout the [Mid-Atlantic] region.” The jury awarded projects based on entry criteria including achievement of goals set out by the team, overcoming challenges of the job, and exhibiting extraordinary teamwork and innovative execution. It will be featured in the December 2005 issue of Mid-Atlantic Construction magazine.
January 2005
U.S. Botanic Garden Recognized by Washington Chapter of American Institute of Architects with Award of Excellence for Extraordinary Achievement
in Architecture
Following its extensive renovation and reconstruction, the U.S. Botanic Garden was recognized with several architectural awards, including the Washington Chapter of American Institute of Architects (AIA) with Award of Excellence for Extraordinary Achievement in Architecture in 2005. The AIA called the Botanic Garden a “treasured jewel among the city’s great landmarks,” and noted that the challenge to ensure that “every new technological upgrade blended seamlessly with the original building design. . . was exceptionally well executed.”
