Linbeck Nabholz Wins the Alliant Build America Award for Crystal Bridges Museum

The Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art was one of the most outstanding construction projects of 2012, the Associated General Contractors of America recently announced. As a result, the project’s contractor, the Linbeck Nabholtz Joint Venture, led by the Houston-based Linbeck Group, was one of seven building division companies to receive the association’s Alliant Build America Award.

"This is one of the most complex and challenging projects in our company’s history, and we are honored to be recognized for our part in its success. We want to thank the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art for their leadership, vision, and support,” said David Stueckler, President and CEO for the Linbeck Group.

The Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, located in Bentonville, Arkansas, was funded by the Walton Family Foundation. The museum, designed by world-renowned Safdie Architects, includes 60,000 square feet of gallery space, classrooms, a lecture hall, library, Great Hall, and more spread among eight separate connected buildings and outdoor areas surrounding two creek-fed reflecting pools. The project has a number of unique features that required expert planning, management, and coordination by all members of the project team, which included Linbeck and Nabholz in Joint Venture, Safdie Architects, and the structural and mechanical engineering firm  Buro Happold. “We are especially thankful for the outstanding performance of our specialty contractors, who worked closely together to successfully deliver the project on-time,” added George Vavrek, Executive Vice President for the Linbeck Group.

About the Build America Award

As the construction industry’s “Oscars,” the Alliant Build America Awards are given for excellence in the construction industry and recognize the nation’s most significant construction projects. This year’s panel of judges, representing all areas of construction, evaluated over 100 projects, assessing each project’s complexity, use of innovative construction techniques, and coordination among partners, among other criteria. The awards, which were announced during the association’s annual convention in Palm Springs, California, are considered by many to be the most prestigious recognition of construction accomplishments in the United States.