PORTLAND, ME – The John and Lile Gibbons Center for Arctic Studies and Barry Mills Hall on the Bowdoin College’s campus has been honored by Engineering News Record (ENR) as a 2023 New England Best Project of the Year. It received top honors in the Higher Education/Research category.

The first pure mass timber structure in Maine, the $28.5 million, 46,000 sq. ft. project utilized glue laminated beams, columns and trusses, as well as other materials. To mitigate potential supply chain and skilled workforce challenges, Consigli proactively secured pricing for the mass timber ahead of significant lumber price increases.

To further support cost savings, Consigli utilized a 4D model using cost analysis to compare mass timber with a more traditional steel, concrete and masonry superstructure and demonstrated that mass timber pre-fabrication strategies was the best choice for the project. Funding for the cost comparison was supported by the U.S. Forest Service, making Bowdoin College one of just 10 institutions to receive agency funding to bring sustainable change to the nation’s working forests and forest-reliant communities.

In addition to receiving this New England regional honor, Consigli also received ENR New York’s top award in the K-12 Education category for its work on the Bronx High School of Science – Stanley Manne ’52 Institute of Science.

Project teams recognized by ENR’s panel of judges as regional Best Project winners were evaluated on how they were able to overcome challenges, contribute to industry innovation and benefit the community, as well as overall excellence in design, construction and safety execution.

Read more about the project in ENR’s November issue here.

View the full list of ENR New England’s 2023 honorees here.