Boston, Mass – Boston’s Suffolk University Modern Theatre renovation project is one of the most significant construction projects of 2011, the Associated General Contractors of America announced today. As a result, the locally-based construction manager, Suffolk Construction, was one of 16 firms to receive the association’s Alliant Build America Award.
“These projects demonstrate the qualities that have made the construction industry great: hard work, ingenuity and world-class skill,” said Kristine Young, the association’s president and the CEO of Des Moines, Iowa-based Miller the Driller. “Contractors like these are not only building exceptional projects, they’re building a better, more prosperous America.”
Before Suffolk Construction’s renovation, the facility – Boston’s first-ever motion picture venue – was
in complete disrepair. Because only the façade could be saved, the team built an entirely new stage and
auditorium. In addition, they added 10 stories of student residential space above the theater. Enhancing the façade and preserving the limestone exterior was one of the greatest challenges, but Suffolk Construction used
Total Laser Scanning and Building Information Modeling to dismantle and reassemble the façade piece by
piece. The project was completed on time and under budget, with no scheduling disruptions.
The Alliant Build America Awards recognize the nation’s most significant construction projects. A panel of judges, representing all areas of construction, evaluated a record number of submissions this year, assessing each project’s complexity, use of innovative construction techniques and coordination with partners, among
other criteria. The awards, which were announced during the association’s annual convention in Honolulu, are considered by many to be the most prestigious recognition of construction accomplishments in the U.S.