Major institutional and public infrastructure projects increasingly require construction teams to address complex site conditions, resilience requirements and long-term operational needs. Three projects delivered by Sundt across California have received recognition in the 2026 ENR California’s Best Projects program, highlighting work in higher education, wastewater treatment and student housing.
The SDSU Imperial Valley Sciences and Engineering Laboratories in Brawley received a Best Project designation in the Higher Education/Research category for Southern California. The 66,000-square-foot STEM facility was constructed on former agricultural land with several site constraints, including arsenic-affected soil, the absence of a gravity sewer connection and potential habitat for protected burrowing owls.
The project required replacement of more than 7 feet of soil beneath the building, construction of a forced-main sewer extending more than 2 miles to Brawley and installation of vegetated stormwater swales.
In Northern California, the SFPUC Southeast Water Pollution Control Plant New Headworks Facility received recognition in the Water/Environment category. Sundt delivered the project in a joint venture with Walsh Construction, with Carollo Engineers serving as design engineer.
The facility replaced headworks systems dating to the 1950s and was designed to process as much as 250 million gallons of wastewater per day. The upgraded system incorporates Hydro HeadCell grit-removal technology and was designed for seismic resilience and future sea-level-rise conditions.
Cal Poly Humboldt's Hinarr Hu Moulik Student Housing received an Award of Merit in the Northern California Higher Education/Research category.
Sundt and architect SCB delivered the approximately 305,000-square-foot housing complex, which provides 964 beds across 243 apartments. The project increased the university's housing capacity by nearly 50%.
The seven-story concrete structure was selected to provide durability in the coastal environment. Construction required approximately 18,000 cubic yards of concrete, with Sundt's self-perform concrete team supporting the work from the Arcata campus.
The three projects demonstrate the range of construction requirements facing owners of higher education and public infrastructure facilities. The work involved specialized site remediation, utility extensions, seismic and climate resilience, wastewater treatment upgrades and large-scale student housing.
For owners and contractors, the projects also underscore the importance of incorporating site conditions, durability and infrastructure capacity into project planning, particularly for institutional facilities expected to operate for decades.
Source: Sundt.
