Green Projects Honored at 2nd Annual CEMEX U.S. Building Awards.

HOUSTON -- Green building and design was the highlight last night at the Second Annual CEMEX U.S. Building Awards where 20 finalists from across the country were recognized. From houses built to reduce energy costs to a California museum designed as a work of art and to withstand earthquakes, the projects used concrete and recycled products to design cutting edge and environmentally friendly structures.

"While CEMEX manufactures cement and concrete products, it is you that molds and shapes those products into projects that inspire, amaze and delight. This year's nominees represent visionary thinking, best practice performance and respect for the environment," Gilberto Perez, President of CEMEX USA, told the finalists. "Thank you for working with us to build the future."

The ceremony recognized the best builders, designers and architects in the following categories: Sustainability, Housing, Institutional/Industrial, and Infrastructure. Award recipients were highlighted for their use of concrete, innovation, execution of the project, architectural design, and attention for the environment. The awardees in each category will later compete against winners from approximately 30 countries for the world title at the 16th CEMEX International Awards in Mexico in November.

Because of its innovative design and benefits to the environment, the de Young Museum in San Francisco took top honors for the Sustainability and the Institutional/Industrial categories.

Sustainability Award Recipient & Institutional/Industrial Award Recipient:

de Young Museum, San Francisco, Calif.

Built to replace the original museum damaged in a 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, the project is innovative in design elements, construction materials, and techniques. One of the first "Green Building" projects in San Francisco utilizing high fly ash mixes, the building used 15,000 cubic yards of concrete. It features a nine-story vertical post-tension tower and state-of-the-art custom under-floor system featuring a system of plates with rubber liners that allows the building to move during seismic shifts. The project reduced the original building's footprint by 37 percent in order to return nearly two acres of open space to the surrounding park. Yet, designers of the 293,000 sq. ft. building still managed to double the amount of exhibition space. Skylights and floor-to-ceiling glass reduce power consumption and allow art to be viewed by natural light. Where needed, the museum uses energy-efficient fluorescent lighting. The building's flooring is Australian Eucalyptus, known for fast-growth and sustainability. The de Young Museum, designed to last for 150 years, has a metal skin of 50 percent copper in 7,000 embossed panels that over time will begin to develop a green patina and will blend with the environment truly becoming a green building.

The Corporation of Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco is the project developer. Architectural work was performed by Herzog & de Meuron of Basel, Switzerland, Fong & Chan. Swinerton Builders was the general contractor.

Housing Award Recipient: The Bellamy, Tampa, Fla.

The Bellamy, a state-of-the-art condominium, sits on fashionable Bayshore Boulevard in the heart of Tampa. It rises 21 stories, boasts a garden area and pool on the rear deck, and combines architecture, amenities and artistry to create a blend of space and intimacy for 61 homes. The oak trees were saved for an effective use of the existing environment. A two-story lobby greets residents from the parking area. The Bellamy theatre, library and conference center offer space for special events. The structure includes 580,000 sq. ft. of suspended slabs of concrete. Column mixes ranged from 4,000 to 6,000 psi. Local ordinances placed tight weight restrictions on Bayshore Boulevard. So, all truck traffic entered through secondary road access, which required extra routing efforts for on time arrival of multiple loads of concrete.

The project's developer was JMC Design & Development. Architectural work was done by Sydness Architects, and the concrete work was by Hickman Structures.

Infrastructure Award Recipient: Chaparral Water Treatment Plant, Scottsdale, Ariz.

The Chaparral Water Treatment Plant pumps and treats 30 million gallons of water per day from the Salt River flowing through Scottsdale. The plant filters and treats the city's water and uses granular activated carbon to remove taste and odor. The plant also disinfects the water using 0.8 percent sodium hypochlorite instead of gaseous chlorine, which eliminates the need to store the gas. The project used 25,000 cubic yards of specialized concrete mixes with low water-to-cement ratios, air entrainment, superplasticizer, and fly ash. More than 100,000 cubic yards of concrete was used. The plant's architectural design creatively breaks up the scale of the big wall and features a contextual response to the Southwest desert region. The jury panel said it is not just a water treatment plant, but a work of art.

The City of Scottsdale developed the project, Scot Thompson handled the architectural and engineering, and Archer Western was the concrete contractor.

Sustainability Award Finalists:

* El Monte Residence, Thousand Oaks, Calif.: The 7,000 sq. ft. El Monte residence evokes the timeless beauty of medieval homes found throughout Europe. Solid concrete walls stand up to fire, earthquakes and termites and provide superior insulation. This two-story home features a complex roof design, complete with a dragon wrapped chimney. The builder was Steve Armstrong.

* Hubble Lighting, Greenville, S.C.: The International Center for Automotive Research development is dedicated to research and education. Its newest structure, the Hubble Lighting building, is expecting to earn a Silver level LEED designation for its architecture. The building required 5,300 cubic yards of concrete, 150 cubic yards of colored concrete and 4,000 pavers. Harper Corporation was the project developer. McMillan Smith & Partners did the architectural work. The concrete contractor was Advance Concrete.

* San Mateo Public Library, San Mateo, Calif.: The 90,000 sq. ft. building used 12,900 cubic yards of concrete mixes including recycled materials, fly ash and slag, diverted from landfills. Daylight reduces electrical energy consumption 20 percent compared to similar sized buildings. The City of San Mateo developed the project, EDHH Architecture handled the design needs, and S.J. Amoroso Construction Co., Inc. was the concrete contractor.

* Adamic Residence, Alamo, Calif.: Made of 100 percent Insulated Concrete Forms (ICF) and concrete, the 22,000 sq. ft. Italian-style home used 2,300 cubic yards of concrete and is the largest ICF home in northern California. Each room is encased in concrete with arches, turrets, pillars, and sinks. The residence, heated by radiant heat in the concrete floors, maintains warmth in winter and cool temps in summer. ICF walls deliver fire resistance, termite resistance, strength and sound-proofing benefits. The owner and builder is Kelly Adamic.

Residential Award Finalists:

* El Monte Residence, Thousand Oaks, Calif.: please see description above.

* Raisor Residence, Salem, S.C.: This 6,800 sq. ft. house overlooks the Jack Nicklaus Golf Course and its foundation used poured-in-place concrete and masonry block. An upper floor garage features a poured-in-place concrete slab. Structural insulated panels form the roof and wall base, and concrete pavers the driveway. The builder was Sexton, Griffith & Raisor, Lamar Construction did the concrete work. The design was by Mill Creek Post & Beam.

* The Strand, Jacksonville, Fla.: The 28-story condominium showcases concrete benefits in aesthetics, durability, cost and scheduling flexibilities. It features foundation piles, columns, post-tension slabs, CMV walls, massive shear walls, pre-cast features and stairs, using 65,000 cubic yards of concrete and 100,000 masonry blocks. A two-story lobby offers river and city views, nearby shopping and entertainment. American Land Ventures was the developer, Dorsky, Hodgson & Partners did the architectural work, and the concrete work was by the Auchter Company.

* Vivante, Punta Gorda, Fla.: The luxury condo development on a peninsula offers views of the water, beaches and nearby Ponce de Leon Park. The Mediterranean structures used in-fill block construction and poured-in-place floors and columns. The developer was Brooks & Freund, architectural work was done by Tseng Consulting Group, and Naples Concrete & Masonry did the concrete work.

Infrastructure Award Finalists:

* Atlanta Hartsfield Airport Runway Replacement, Atlanta, Ga.: Replacing a 10,000 ft. long by 150 ft. wide runway at one of the busiest airports in the world in only 59 days raised the bar for meeting a fast-paced schedule. CEMEX delivered 46,800 tons of cement, requiring about 70 trucks a day. No load of cement could exceed a 0.4 percent alkali content. The City of Atlanta was the project developer. Architectural and engineering work was done by Aviation Consulting Team. The general contractor was GSC Atlanta, a Kiewit company.

* New Carquinez Bridge, Vallejo/Crockett, Calif.: It is the first major suspension bridge built in the U.S. in 35 years. At 3,464 feet long, the $247 million bridge uses orthotropic steel box girders and was designed for the maximum credible earthquake from three major faults. It used 84,000 cubic yards of concrete. The piles and 420-foot towers are cast-in-place concrete. The California Department of Transportation developed the project, Parsons Company handled the architectural and engineering work, and FCI Constructors, Inc.-Northern Division was the concrete contractor.

* Katy Freeway Expansion, Houston, Texas: Each day, more than 215,000 vehicles travel the 23-mile IH-10 corridor, the Katy Freeway. The roadway expansion used 185,000 tons of cement, noise abatement barriers, and TxDOT and the Army Corps of Engineers redesigned bridges and culverts to minimize impact on local wetlands and wildlife. It was finished on time despite material shortages, weather delays and a fast-track schedule. The Texas Department of Transportation developed the project and provided engineering work. Williams Brothers was the general contractor.

* Lee Roy Selmon Crosstown Expressway, Tampa, Fla.: The expansion is a reversible, three-lane bridge featuring a seven-mile flyover constructed over a road. It used 110,000 cubic yards of special mix concrete to achieve strength quickly. Temperature control often required 70 pounds of ice per cubic yard. The overpass used 3,100 segments and 197 cast-in-place columns rising 85 feet. The Tampa-Hillsborough County Expressway Authority developed the project, Figg Bridge completed engineering work, and PCL Civil Constructors, Inc. was the concrete contractor.

Institutional/Industrial Award Finalists:

* Anderson Recreation Center, Anderson, S.C.: The design used oversize shot blast units, concrete brick, split face architectural block, polished architectural block and more. Segmental retaining walls, standard grey blocks and concrete formed the foundation and the second floor where members enjoy a circular walking track. Neal-Prince & Partners performed the architectural work and Triangle Construction was the contractor.

* Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women and Babies, Orlando, Fla.: The 400,000 sq. ft., 12-story project faced challenges, including a hurricane season and a cement shortage delay. It used 45,000 cubic yards of concrete, 150,000 grey block units and many CEMEX products. Completed on time and on budget, it earned the 2006 Project of the Year award from the Associated Builders and Contractors Excellence in Construction awards. The Orlando Regional Healthcare System was the project developer, Jonathan Bailey Associates did the engineering and architectural work, and The Robins and Morton Group was the contractor.

* Tampa International Airport Remote Long-Term Parking Garage, Tampa, Fla.: The $67.3 million garage offers parking for 5,600 vehicles and housing for airport police, landscape maintenance and operations staff. Made of post-tensioned concrete decks and cast-in-place columns on drilled concrete caissons, it used 80,000 cubic yards of concrete. The project used fiber reinforced concrete, corrugated pre-cast panels, and masonry units. The Hillsborough County Aviation Authority was the developer, The Walter P. Moore Company provided architectural design, and Clark Construction was the concrete contractor.

* Stanford Cancer Center, Palo Alto, Calif.: The $84 million project added to an existing medical complex and required relocation of underground utilities. The 219,000 sq. ft. facility used 19,500 cubic yards of concrete for the thick, lead-lined walls needed for shielding cancer treatment equipment. Three stories above used colored concrete walls with a sand-blast finish and skylights. It won a design award from Modern Healthcare magazine. Bobrow Thomas & Associates performed the architectural and engineering work. Rudolph & Sletten was the general contractor.

For complete details of the finalists' projects, please contact the Communications Department at CEMEX USA.

CEMEX received applications from more than 100 builders, architects and engineers across the U.S. The top recipients were selected by four U.S. architects, Kathleen Carrier, a LEED accredited professional and owner of Evergreen Design Studio in Bellaire, Texas; Marley Carroll, an AIA Fellow and Managing Partner with Odell Associates, Inc. in Charlotte, N.C.; David Hertz, an AIA Fellow and LEED accredited professional, founder and president of Syndesis Inc.; and Jerry Regenbogen, landscape and urban architect, and Principal-in-Charge of Regenbogen Associates in Charlotte, N.C.

CEMEX is a growing global building solutions company that provides high quality products and reliable service to customers and communities in more than 50 countries throughout the world. For more than 100 years, CEMEX has a rich history of improving the well-being of those it serves through its efforts to pursue innovative industry solutions and efficiency advancements and to promote a sustainable future. For more information, visit www.cemexusa.com.