Davis Barracks Receives Best Project Award from Engineering News Record

Davis Barracks at USMAThe Davis Barracks at the U.S. Military Academy has been named a Best Project in New York in the Engineering News Record (ENR) 2018 Best Projects regional competition. Davis Barracks tied for Best Project with Zaha Hadid’s 520 W. 28th St. building in Manhattan in the Residential/Hospitality category.

Award submissions were judged on quality of construction and design and overall contribution to the industry and community, as well as on an evaluation of how the project teams worked together to overcome challenges. All winning projects are profiled in the Sept. 24-Oct. 1 issue of ENR New York. Projects in the New York region were honored at an awards gala on Tuesday, October 2 in Manhattan.

The six-story, 287,000 square foot Davis Barracks established a new standard of excellence at West Point. The judges noted that the building design fits in alongside the school’s iconic Gothic Revival style, using stone cladding over concrete for longevity and low maintenance. The granite façade’s is comprised of 167,901 numbered and modeled pieces, delivered to the site in sequence to aid in erection.

The original site between two roads on a steep hillside in West Point’s Central Post presented considerable challenges. A level site was accomplished through blasting and drilling to remove more than 60 vertical feet of rock over 132 feet of grade change. The project also required 150,000 tons of rock excavation.

While its exterior aligns with the historic context, Davis Barracks looks to the feature in supporting West Point’s goal for a net zero energy campus. Innovative engineering systems are estimated to reduce energy consumption more than 50.1% below a building of similar type and use. The facility features 100% solar-heated domestic hot water, and automated controls to assure performance.

Clark Nexsen was the Designer of Record for the project, providing architecture, civil, MEP, and structural engineering as well as construction phasing support services. STV/URS Joint Venture was Design Architect (creating the bridging documents). Walsh Construction was the construction manager.

Read ENR NY’s Davis Barracks feature. See the full list of ENR NY Best Project award winners.


Photograph: © Ty Cole Studio