2022 Forrester Construction Industry Awards & Recognition

At Forrester Construction, our team’s considerable experience, commitment to building partnerships, and attention to detail results in high-quality, award-winning projects each year. In 2022, Forrester Construction has been honored with over ten award wins across several industry associations, including two national awards. Discover new theatre, community, healthcare, and other award-winning projects that recently opened in the Washington Metropolitan Area below.

Corpus Christi Catholic Church

Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) National – Excellence in Construction – Eagle Award

The Corpus Christi Catholic Church is a traditional cruciform design of 20,000 square feet, including a choir loft over the main entrance. The project involved extensive development of the 18-acre site, including site clearing and grading, new access roads, parking, new utilities, stormwater management facilities, sidewalks, and landscaping.

The church has a traditional Gothic style design, with pointed-arch windows, a stucco exterior system with brick buttresses, a rose window on the West façade, and a decorative flèche above the crossing, which reaches a height of over 106 feet. Canamould “ribs” run the length of the nave with decorative capital and finial caps, which contribute to the ornate Gothic style. The bold colors and thoughtful attention to detail throughout the finish trades’ work, including millwork, paint, tile, and miscellaneous metals, contribute to the stunning interior. The church will serve as a space for Catholics to gather to celebrate mass and other Sacraments.

Client: Catholic Diocese of Arlington

Architect: McCrery Architects

Euro Motorcars Bethesda – Mercedes Benz Dealership and Showroom

Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) National – Excellence in Construction – Eagle Award

The Euro Motorcars Bethesda project involved the phased demolition and renovation of the main showroom, totaling 26,000 SF, and renovation of the service garage, including a new mechanical system and finishes in the garage encompassing 37,000 SF. The main facility remained a single story and occupied while renovated.

The main showroom has a structural steel frame and was clad in curtain wall and composite aluminum panels. In addition, the project included a green roof, upgraded interior finishes, and a partial improvement of the site and parking lot. Forrester also upgraded HVAC through a rooftop unit / VAV system.

Client: Euro Motorcars-Realty Holdings

Architect: Penney Design Group

Studio Theatre

NAIOP DC | MD – Award of Merit – Best Renovation/ Building Renovation

Engineering News-Record (ENR) MidAtlantic – Award of Merit – Cultural/Worship

Associated General Contractors (AGC) of DC– Award of Merit – Renovation/Restoration

Studio Theatre encompasses 53,532 SF and consists of three buildings that were joined together over the years as the theatre expanded (last renovated in 2014). Our team renovated the theater in the North Building into a black box space theater that can be reconfigured to accommodate up to 300 patrons. A completely new audiovisual and theatrical lighting system and a new tension wire grid were built in the theater.

The box office was relocated to the front of the building, just behind the new vibrant and dramatic two-story atrium and entry. The interior reflects the lively culture of the local neighborhood and consists of exposed brick walls and bleached wood floors paired with sleek white countertops. A new 1,100 SF café, refreshment bar, lounge spaces, and rehearsal space for the actors were provided. The offices, restrooms, and public spaces were renovated throughout all three buildings.

Extensive restorative work was performed on the exterior facades along 14th and P Street, transforming the building with six-foot-tall letters in bright yellow and custom murals that welcome patrons into the building. Large windows showcase the surrounding buildings, and a 60-seat patio provides outdoor seating.

Client: Studio Theatre

Architect: Hickok Cole

Owner’s Representative: JM Zell Partners

Theatre & Acoustic Consultant: Charcoal Blue

Tucker Road Ice Rink

Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) of Metro Washington & VA – Excellence in Construction – Institutional

American Institute of Architects (AIA) Maryland – Local Potomac Valley Chapter – Institutional Architecture Excellence in Design

Forrester provided preconstruction and construction services for a new 47,000 SF, single-story ice rink. The project involved the demolition of the existing ice rink on site that was damaged by fire and included all existing utilities, parking, and maintenance/support areas.

Main features include a National Hockey League-sized ice rink, heated bleacher seating for 300+ spectators, skate rental and sharpening areas, a lobby/vestibule area, a dance studio, two multi-purpose / party, warm-up room, a cafe and kitchen, seating area, six locker rooms, storage rooms for the rink’s two new clean-energy electric Zambonis, administrative offices, and mechanical and electrical rooms.

The rink and dance studio include a ceiling-mounted dual-rotation training skate jump harness to assist figure skaters with jumping on the ice. The design of the building was inspired by the Northern Lights and the first African American to travel to the North Pole, a Maryland resident named Matthew Henson.

Client: Maryland National Capital Park and Planning Commission

Architect: Grimm + Parker Architects

BECxA: SK&A Engineers

Sterling Community Center

Associated General Contractors (AGC) of DC – Award of Merit – Public/Government/Institutional

Sterling Community Center was a multi-phase project which included the renovation of an existing building, the demolition of an adjacent facility, and the expansion of the parking lot with utility tie-ins.

The first phase of the project involved an 18,000 SF, split-level, single-story masonry building that was raised to one contiguous level. The gymnasium was expanded on two sides and received a higher roof structure. The second and third phases of the project included the installation of the mechanical rooftop unit and lighting salvage operations, subsequent demolition of the adjacent building, completion of the installation of new stormwater structures including an underground stormwater detention system, and construction of a new parking lot and vehicular entrance to the site.

The renovated building now provides a modernized public lobby, teen recreation area, gymnasium, fitness room, computer room, kitchen, classrooms, administrative space, and art room.

The exterior was upgraded with a new storefront, curtainwall and glazing, exterior brick and metal panels, and membrane roofing. The outdoor spaces include a new patio area, a lawn area, a renovated pavilion, and an outdoor amphitheater.

Client: Loudoun County Government

Architect: Grimm + Parker Architects

Nexstar Broadcast Studio

Associated General Contractors (AGC) of DC – Washington Contractor Award – Specialty Contracting

The Nexstar Broadcast Studio project consisted of a 23,000 SF renovation and expansion on two floors located within Nexstar’s WDCW headquarters in Washington, DC.

The third floor of the facility received a full renovation and expansion of the Owner’s current office space and a partial renovation to the employee break room, green room, reception, and other common areas. The renovation involved the demolition of a demising wall, the construction of new walls and offices, and the installation of new finishes, fixtures, and HVAC equipment. The tech core on this floor included two CRAC units, a UPS cabinet, and raised access flooring, which houses the TV transmission equipment, servers, and telecom equipment. The existing studio space on the third floor was renovated into a new studio with acoustical treatments on the walls and ceilings, epoxy floors, and electrical to support the studio equipment.

The first floor, which was previously a gym, now features a newsroom, news studio, makeup rooms, and audio and computer support rooms. Additional phases of the renovation, including the build-out of an existing generator pad, placement of a new generator, and surrounding landscaping, as well as structural steel for two new satellite dishes on the roof, took place after the tenant fit-out was complete.

Client: Nexstar Media

Architect: OTJ Architects

Structural Engineer: SK&A Engineers

MEP Engineer: GHT Limited

Community of Hope Family Health and Birthing Center

Associated General Contractors (AGC) of DC – Award of Merit – Healthcare

NAIOP DC | MD – Award of Merit – Best Institutional Facility (Submitted by Gensler)

Community of Hope (COH) is a non-profit organization whose mission is to improve the health and quality of life of under-served, low-income, homeless families, and individuals in the District of Columbia by providing quality healthcare, education, housing, and quality-of-life services.

For the Community of Hope Family Health and Birthing Center project, our team performed a complete interior and exterior renovation of an existing 3-story, 14,500 SF office building built in 1963 and converted the facility into a primary care and birth center with administrative office space and pharmaceutical office addition. The work included a vertical expansion to add a new 7,000 SF third floor, a green roof, and a new one-story addition at the ground level.

Client: Community of Hope

Architect: Gensler

Alethia Tanner Park

Potomac Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects – Design Built Honor (Awarded to NBWLA)

Alethia Tanner Park brings the first large green space to the NoMa neighborhood in Washington, DC. A substantial portion of the site is dedicated to a half-acre turf lawn designed for community gatherings, summer movie screenings, informal sports, and passive recreation. It features a large open lawn, a stage and screen, a children’s playground, an interactive spray fountain, and a dog park. The park also includes a café and seating area, a picnic area, and a wide meadow boardwalk with integrated seating.

In addition, the project softened the S-curve on the Metropolitan Branch Trail at R Street NE, something area cyclists viewed as a key upgrade to a widely used trail. A diverse array of trees, perennial landscaping, and bioretention facilities provide seasonal interest and help to define the different areas of the park. The site is complemented by new lighting, benches, movable tables and chairs, bike racks, and other site furnishings.

Client: NoMa Parks Foundation (NoMa Business Improvement District)

Architect: Nelson Byrd Woltz (NBW)

Architect: Studio 27 Architecture

Architect: HNTB Architecture

Conclusion

A big thank you to all our building partners who helped play a part in transforming the DMV this year! Forrester Construction could not KEEP BUILDING the Washington Metropolitan area without your creativity, hard work, and dedication. We are so grateful for all our valued partnerships and can’t wait to see what we will build together next!