Several of our team members enjoyed the festivities at this year’s ACEC/Massachusetts Engineering Excellence Awards (EEA) Gala that was held at the Boston Renaissance Hotel on Thursday, March 28, 2024. The EEA competition recognizes engineering firms for projects that demonstrate an exceptional degree of innovation, complexity, achievement, and value. The event provided an opportunity for members of the Greater Boston engineering community to connect with one another while celebrating both individual and team achievements over the last year.
Teams from Sanborn Head were recognized for our work on four different projects. See below for summary descriptions of the projects as well as some photos from the event.
Congratulations to the Project Teams who demonstrated our commitment to responsive client service and technical excellence in our project work on these award-winning projects. Sanborn Head team members on the projects include April Towne, Daniel Dombrowksky, Alex Lulias, Alexander Grochmal, Ryan Henderson, Daniel Thabault, Leigh Macedo, Derek Long, Joel Sousa, Corinne Disenhoff, Jason Keohane, Adam Coen, Rico Santamaria, Laura Garvey, Rose Linehan, Kelly Dubois, Shawn Kelley, Luke Norton, Vern Kokosa (retired), Kevin Stetson, and Tricia Pinto.
2024 EEA Bronze Award Winners
CambridgeSide Redevelopment Phase 1, Cambridge, MA
Client: New England Development
Submitted by: Sanborn, Head & Associates, Inc.
The first phase of the redevelopment of CambridgeSide is deserving of special recognition due to the project’s transformative impact on the community. The project converted 160,000 SF of existing space and added 250,000 SF of new life science space that further stiches the CambridgeSide development into its Cambridge neighborhood and positions the development for years to come. The team employed innovative engineering solutions to overcome the challenges of the constrained, occupied site, coordinating extensive work while maintaining the safety of the public at all times. The project epitomizes the fusion of engineering excellence, adaptability, and social progress.
180 CityPoint, Waltham, MA
Client: bxp (Boston Properties, Inc.)
Submitted by: Sanborn, Head & Associates, Inc.
180 CityPoint, Waltham is worthy of recognition by the ACEC/MA for the collaboration and collective engineering excellence that was displayed by the team in managing the complexities of the project. Building a 329,000 square foot building into a steeply sloped site required changes to the foundations and building design as the actual conditions of the bedrock were discovered through the course of excavation. Constant communication between the design team and the contractors facilitated the resolution of issues quickly and creatively, pushing the team to meet the goal of delivering a state-of-the-art research facility while minimizing disruptions and maintaining safe operations.
Rand-Whitney Corrugated Packaging Facility, Boylston, MA
Client: VHB
Submitted by: VHB
As a business with roots in Central Massachusetts, it was important to Rand-Whitney Container to remain local when it built a new packaging facility. Its new site in Boylston, MA, offered proximity to the highway, minimizing emissions and interruption to residential neighborhoods from facility traffic—but also introduced challenges. Surrounded by wetlands and featuring a steep grade, the topography presented VHB with the complex task of maximizing the land’s potential for Rand-Whitney while respecting the natural environment. Using model-based design and integrated thinking, VHB provided designs that addressed these challenges while helping Rand-Whitney open its doors as soon as possible.
2024 EEA Silver Award Winner
Gillette Stadium North End Zone Improvements, Foxborough, MA
Client: The Kraft Group
Submitted by: Sanborn, Head & Associates, Inc. and McNamara Salvia Structural Engineers
The Gillette Stadium North End Zone Improvement Project is worthy of recognition for the team’s effective collaboration and creative engineering required to deliver a complex project on a fixed, aggressive schedule while keeping the venue safely operating to host a schedule of events. Engineering contributions include the design and installation of the country’s largest high-definition video board without an expansion joint on the screen, use of a mix of existing foundation system enhancements including drilled micro piles in the existing structure, design, and coordination of the 218-foot light house and a complex deep transfer truss system above the north entrance.
