Building excellence: projects and contractors are honored by Associated Builders and Contractors.

• Author: Held, Shari
• Position: Building Indiana

EACH YEAR THE Associated Builders and Contractors Inc. of Indiana (ABC) recognizes the quality and diversity of merit shop construction in Indiana. Here's a look at the most recent winners in the Awards in Excellence program.

JUDGES SPECIAL--INSTITUTIONAL: OVER $2 MILLION

Wurster Construction Co., Indianapolis, faced challenges galore on the $15.75 million Clarian Health Partners People Mover Project, yet it was still completed in less than 24 months. The company had to build three stations on the 1.5-mile route, which meant three separate sites. To top it off, two of the stations were at busy Indianapolis hospitals, Clarian and University Hospital/Riley, which had to remain open and functioning.

The People Mover is one of only a handful of dual-guideway systems nationwide. Its elevated track required workers to ply their trade high in the air and entailed close coordination with Schwager Davis Inc., the train and track builder.

JUDGES SPECIAL--INSTITUTIONAL: OVER $2 MILLION

The Indiana Heart Hospital, located on the north side of Indianapolis, was the nation's first cardiac-care hospital with a paperless environment.

The main challenge Indianapolis-based Summit Construction Co. faced was executing the $60 million project in only 18 months. The sophisticated project involved the creation of 320 computer monitor locations throughout the building. The 220,000-square-foot facility houses 48 patient rooms, 32 outpatient rooms, labs, an imaging suite, operating rooms, an emergency-room area with its own enclosed ambulance garage, a dining room and an attached professional office building.

COMMERCIAL: OVER $2 MILLION

Bioanalytical Systems Inc. (BASI) performs critical medical research, so when BASI needed to expand its Evansville research campus, attention to detail was essential.

Happe & Sons Construction Inc. of Evansville was up to the challenge. The HVAC system had to be custom-designed to produce a continuous flow of 100 percent fresh air with a relative humidity" of 50 percent, maintained at 72 degrees, 24 hours per day, 365 days per year. Concrete floors for the 75-room expansion had to be poured individually to allow for perimeter drams and individual crowning All floor, wall and ceiling surfaces had to be non-permeable.

COMMERCIAL: UNDER $2 MILLION After operating in Broad Ripple for more than 30 years, Ossip Optometry thought a redesign of its flagship store was in order. The main challenge Indianapolis-based Kort Builders Inc. faced was totally demolishing and rebuilding the 3,000-square-foot facility in 27 days while maintaining a "business as usual" atmosphere. As if that weren't enough, the storefront needed to blend in with the distinctive Broad Ripple architecture. One main feature of the redesign is the 70 feet of custom display cabinets, framed by walls, bulkheads and soffits so they appear to be...