Awards
Recognition for Engineering Excellence
GBA has been nationally recognized for its work, having received Energy Innovation Awards from the United States Department of Energy and numerous regional and international Technology Awards from ASHRAE. Since 1981, GBA has also received 83 Excellence in Engineering Awards from the ASHRAE Illinois Chapter alone.
GBA is proud to have earned several special awards:
- In 2010, R&D Magazine named the Daniel F. and Ada L. Rice Plant Conservation Science Center at Chicago Botanic Garden as its Laboratory of the Year; GBA was honored as a member of the award-winning architectural and MEP design team.
- From 2013 to 2016, GBA received the Champion for Change Award from Practice Greenhealth. This award was presented to allied organizations responsible for “improved environmental performance and promotion of environmentally responsible health care.” (Practice Greenheath discontinued the program after 2016.)
- In 2014, Nexant honored the firm with its RCx Cup Award, recognizing the top energy-saving project verified during 2013-14 for work at Ascension Saint Joseph – Joliet. GBA also received Nexant recognition in 2019 (Building Tune-Up Project of the Year / Highest Savings, for the AMITA Health Cancer Institute, Hinsdale, IL) and in 2020 (RCxpress Program / Highest Savings, for Motorola Solutions, Schaumburg, IL).
- In 2014, Hospitality Design magazine honored the Hyatt Regency Chicago lobby renovation project as a finalist in its 2014 design competition (Best Midscale/Economy Hotel category). The project, for which GBA provided MEP services, was one of only three out of 400 entries to be chosen for recognition in the category.
- In 2015, Building Design + Construction magazine honored the Johnson Center for Science and Community at North Park University, Chicago, with a Gold-level Building Team Award. GBA was the commissioning provider for the project, working with VOA Associates, The Boldt Company, Primera Engineers, Hill Mechanical, and W.B. Olson.
- In 2017, ENR Midwest cited the LEED Platinum Legacy Charter School, Chicago, as its Best Project – K12 Education category. GBA provided engineering design services. Other team members included Lothan Van Hook Destefano, Rubinos & Mesia Engineers, and W.B. Olson.
- In 2018, ENR Midwest named the Northwestern University Ryan Fieldhouse and Walter Athletics Center, Evanston, IL, as its Project of the Year, as well as the Best Project – Sports. GBA provided commissioning services, working with Perkins&Will, WSP, SmithGroup JJR, Affiliated Engineers, and Barton Malow/Walsh Construction.
- In 2019, GBA’s client Universal Health Services (UHS) was recognized by the Smart Energy Analytics Campaign (U.S. Dept. of Energy, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory) for its New Installation of a Fault Detection and Diagnostics System, Healthcare Category.
- In 2019 and 2020, the firm received back-to-back ASHRAE Society-level Technology Awards for its work at 801 Grand in Des Moines (First Place, Commercial Buildings, Existing Building Commissioning) and at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign’s Materials Research Laboratory (First Place, Educational Facilities, Existing), respectively. A third Society-level Technology Award was bestowed in 2022 for the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign’s Holonyak Micro & Nanotechnology Laboratory (Honorable Mention, Educational Facilities, Existing).
- In 2020, AIA Chicago bestowed an Honor Award for Interior Architecture on the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab Pediatric & DayRehab Center in Glenview, IL. This adaptive reuse project marked an unusual degree of design collaboration between design architect HDR and GBA (MEP/FP design).
- In 2022, the International Institute for Sustainable Laboratories provided Sustainable Laboratory Awards for the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign’s Materials Research Laboratory and Holonyak Micro & Nanotechnology Laboratory renovation projects.
- In 2023, the ComEd Energy Efficiency Program recognized GBA as Energy Efficiency Service Provider of the Year for 2022, and also honored the firm with the Most Savings of the Year Award for cumulative projects in 2022.
Download our – Awards List