Millbrae, California– Last month, the City of Millbrae was honored alongside partners Blach Construction (Blach), ELS Architecture and Urban Design (ELS), and Swinerton Management & Consulting (SMC) with three Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA) awards for its Millbrae Recreation Center (MRC) project. Presented at the 2024 Design-Build Conference & Expo in Dallas, the project was initially bestowed the National Award of Merit in the
Civic/Assembly category and went on to also receive the National Award of Excellence in the Civic/Assembly category and Best in Teaming at the ceremony.
“It is always an honor to be recognized for our work, particularly by an organization as prestigious as the DBIA,” said Blach President Dan Rogers. “Design-Build is a highly collaborative delivery method. The early team integration it allows ensures greater efficiencies and improved control over project budgets, schedules and quality. Our Millbrae Recreation Center project epitomizes the benefits of Design-Build, as these awards clearly attest.”
After the devastating loss of its original recreation center to arson in 2016, the City of Millbrae embarked on an ambitious journey to rebuild a central hub for the community. Construction of the new 24,000-square-foot MRC commenced and was completed during the global
pandemic. Thanks to the nature of Design-Build delivery, it exceeded expectations with its cutting-edge sustainable design and enhanced community-focused amenities, while remaining on both budget and schedule.
“Delivering a Design-Build project with long-time partners Blach and SMC always produces a highly collaborative and successful outcome. Add a visionary client that includes the Millbrae City Council and City Manager, Tom Williams, and the results are this exciting, new multigenerational resource for the richly diverse and vibrant Millbrae community,” said ELS
President Clarence D. Mamuyac, Jr., FAIA, LEED AP BD+C. “It was an honor to participate on such an important community endeavor.”
The long-awaited MRC is a flexible, vibrant two-story community resource that was delivered ahead of schedule during the global pandemic using an innovative, efficient structural hybrid of cross-laminated timber and steel. It features copious space for recreation/fitness, cultural and educational activities, senior events, a licensed pre-school with secure outdoor play area, and an expansive community room, called the Great Hall, complete with commercial grade kitchen, independent access and ample parking. It is bordered by a large terrace with outdoor seating, a fire pit and pathways that connect to Millbrae’s Central Park. With great emphasis on occupant wellness and reducing carbon footprint, the all-electric MRC is highly sustainable and designed to meet net-zero emissions standards.
“Our teams were welcomed and supported by the community of Millbrae throughout the course of this project. We were regularly greeted by neighbors gathered outside the fence line, holding handmade signs of welcome and thanks for building their new community center, remembers Linda Rizzoli, CCM, DBIA, LEED AP, senior project manager at SMC. “We took great pride in this project, knowing how much the community would welcome and enjoy their new MRC.”
An exemplary Design-Build project, the MRC project team adds these three national DBIA Awards to the 2023 Distinction Award presented by the Design Build Institute of America, Western Pacific Region.
“The Millbrae Recreation Center stands as a symbol of resilience and innovation,” said Mayor Anders Fung. “We are honored to receive these accolades, which reflect the hard work and dedication of everyone involved in bringing this project to life.”
About the City of Millbrae
Centrally located on the San Francisco Peninsula in San Mateo County, Millbrae has approximately 23,000 people and is the Transportation Hub of the Bay Area. Connected through San Francisco International Airport, BART, SamTrans, and Caltrain providing easy and direct access to the region as well as foreign and domestic destinations. The Millbrae Station Area has two approved transit-orient developments designed to include retail, office, hotel and market-rate and affordable residential housing to further compliment the area and provide additional housing, shopping, dining, and entertainment options. The strong pedestrian scale connections and vibrant sidewalk activity areas will make these mixed-use high-density developments a great place for residents, workers, visitors, and commuters to live, work, shop, and play.
About Blach Construction
Founded in 1970, Blach Construction builds structures of enduring quality and value throughout California. The firm’s experience encompasses a broad cross section of education, housing, institutional, mixed-use and workplace building types, translating into a diverse portfolio that includes civic/community, healthcare, K-12 and higher education, hospitality, life sciences, professional services and technology facilities, as well as affordable, supportive and market-rate housing developments. With fluency in traditional and collaborative delivery methods – and true to their Silicon Valley roots – Blach continually incorporates advanced, innovative construction techniques, leveraging in-house prefabrication, self-perform and virtual design, and construction expertise to offer greater efficiencies to projects and increased value to clients.
The firm consistently wins awards across the construction industry and general business community for projects, innovation, employee engagement and community service. Quality and safety are at Blach’s core. As a result, the company is continually ranked as a “Top Contractor in California” by Engineering News-Record and has received multiple “Construction Safety Excellence Awards” from the Associated General Contractors of California. Additionally, and as
a testament to its company culture, Blach has been recognized repeatedly since 2009 as a “Best Place to Work” in the Bay Area by the Silicon Valley Business Journal/San Francisco Business Times. Blach is headquartered in San Jose with offices in Monterey and Southern California. To learn more, please visit blach.com and engage via LinkedIn.
About ELS Architecture and Urban Design
ELS Architecture and Urban Design is an award-winning architectural practice with a 50-plus year tradition in the design of extraordinary buildings and spaces that enhance the experience of urban life. The firm’s portfolio represents a diverse array of projects, including education, recreation and sports, community and civic, historic renovation, performing arts, mixed use, retail, sustainable design, and planning and urban design. ELS is ranked among the Top 50 firms in the U.S. for Business and Sustainability by Architect magazine, is listed among the 2022 Architectural Record Top 300 Architecture Firms and honored to be the first firm in California to be awarded the JUST 2.0 label which represents their commitment to transparency, equity, and stewardship practices. For more information, please visit elsarch.com.
About Swinerton Management & Consulting
In 1994, as construction projects were becoming more complex and expensive, clients needed to ensure projects were planned, designed, and executed efficiently. In response, Swinerton consolidated all Program, Project, and Construction Management services into one Division. That Division has evolved into Swinerton Management & Consulting (SMC), a full-service PM/CM firm.
For 30 years, SMC has been delivering high level management services including programming, design management, contractor procurement, budget and schedule management, and financial management. As a member of the Swinerton family of companies, SMC is part of one of the largest general contractors in the country and has unparalleled access to subject matter experts in real estate, risk management, surety, safety and construction.
Swinerton has been consecutively ranked as “#1 Top Contractor in California” by Engineering News-Record since 2014 and recognized as a winner of the 2024 Bay Area Best Places to Work, an awards program presented by the San Francisco Business Times and the Silicon Valley Business Journal. Learn more about SMC’s services at swinertonmc.com.
About Design-Build Institute of America
The Design-Build Institute of America is the nation’s expert on design-build project delivery. Members –– including architects, engineers, Owners, contractors, manufacturers and more –– are shaping the future, one successful collaboration at a time by practicing Design-Build Done Right®.
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