Construction projects spanning higher education, aviation, life sciences, corrections, renewable energy and water infrastructure received 2026 regional recognition, highlighting the range of project delivery and technical challenges facing contractors across the U.S.
In the ENR West region, McCarthy received an Award of Merit for the 424,000-square-foot UC Riverside North District Phase 2 housing project in Riverside, California. The project provides housing for students from both the University of California, Riverside and Riverside Community College District.
Hangar One at Moffett Federal Airfield in Mountain View, California, received Best Project recognition in the Renovation/Restoration category. The rehabilitation involved environmental abatement, structural improvements, updated building systems and a new exterior skin designed to preserve the historic structure's appearance.
The 330,000-square-foot Spur Phase I life sciences facility in South San Francisco received an Award of Merit in the Office/Retail/Mixed-Use category. The eight-story, all-electric building includes laboratory-ready floors and four levels of below-grade parking.
McCarthy's San Quentin Learning Center in California received Best Project recognition for Government/Public Building and an Award of Merit for Excellence in Safety. The 81,000-square-foot campus includes classrooms, a library, media and technology laboratories, meeting areas and outdoor learning spaces. The project was completed in 18 months and recorded more than 162,000 exposure hours without a recordable or lost-time incident.
The Tilden Solar facility in Illinois was named a Best Project in ENR Midwest's Energy/Industrial category. The 150-megawatt AC, 186-megawatt DC facility was built on reclaimed mining land and forms part of a larger dual-use solar portfolio.
In Arizona, the ASU Interdisciplinary Science and Technology Building 12 received Best Project recognition in Higher Education/Research. The Mesa facility supports manufacturing education and research and was constructed over 22 months as part of Arizona State University's Polytechnic campus expansion.
The Kurt R. Segler Water Reclamation Facility Phase 4 Improvements in Henderson, Nevada, earned an Award of Merit in Water/Environment. The project expands and modernizes a regional wastewater treatment facility serving a rapidly growing area of the Las Vegas Valley.
In Texas, the Stoneridge Solar & Battery Energy Storage System project in Thorndale received Best Project recognition for Excellence in Sustainability. The facility combines a 200-megawatt AC, 270-megawatt DC solar installation with a 200-megawatt-hour battery energy storage system.
The range of recognized projects reflects continued construction demand across specialized markets, including higher education, advanced manufacturing, renewable energy, water infrastructure and public facilities. For owners and contractors, the projects also demonstrate the need to manage complex renovations, specialized building systems, safety requirements and infrastructure capacity while meeting schedule and performance requirements.
Source: McCarthy.
