BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The Walbridge/Brasfield & Gorrie Joint Venture was named a 2013 Merit Award winner in the national Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA) awards program. The joint venture was the design-builder for the two-story, 150,000-square-foot Main Exchange Replacement at the National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md.

The DBIA awards program recognizes the best design-build projects from across the nation. Each project was graded by a panel of experts who decided on projects that exemplified “design-build done right.”

The Main Exchange Replacement was built to serve the retail and personal needs of active duty, wounded warriors, reserve, and retired personnel in the Washington, D.C., area. It was constructed under a 26-month design-build contract. The construction of the facility involved several steps, including building a 15,000-square-foot temporary shopping center; demolishing a 20-year-old facility; and finally constructing the new Navy Exchange and adjacent 100,000-square-foot elevated parking structure. The new facility fits comfortably in the same small space as the former Exchange but offers greater accommodations and is more energy-efficient.

Brasfield & Gorrie partnered with Detroit-based Walbridge for the project. The two companies teamed with CMH Architects to design and build the new facility.

“This award holds a special meaning for all of us because our project is being formally recognized as one of the best in the nation by experts in the design-build industry. We are honored to have worked with Walbridge to have successfully built the Main Exchange Replacement and to share this award with them. It was truly a team effort,” said Alan Anthony, division manager at Brasfield & Gorrie.

An awards dinner and ceremony will be held on Nov. 5 at the DBIA’s 2013 Design-Build Conference & Expo in Las Vegas to honor the winning projects.

For more information about Brasfield & Gorrie, visit www.brasfieldgorrie.com. For more information about Walbridge, visit www.walbridge.com.

Publication date: 8/5/2013

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