Design Firm of the Year
In attendance at the ENR Southwest awards banquet luncheon to accept our award for ENR Southwest Design Firm of the Year! Congrats team!
DWL PARTNER, SANDRA KUKLA, HONORED WITH CORPORATE MEMBER OF THE YEAR AT THE 2018 AZAA SPRING CONFERENCE
Sandra Kukla, a Partner at DWL Architects + Planners, was honored with Corporate Member of the Year at the Arizona Airports Association (AzAA) Annual “Dutch Bertholf” Spring Conference last week in Tucson, Arizona. The Corporate Member of the Year is a new award, given to honor a Corporate or Associate Member for their dedication and support of aviation in Arizona during the last year. Sandra was previously recognized by AzAA in 2016 and 2012 with the President’s Award and has been actively involved with the organization for several years.
Falcon Field Honored as One of ENR’s Best Projects in the Southwest
The City of Mesa Falcon Field Airport Terminal Upgrades project has been selected as the Best Project in the Renovation/Restoration category for the 2016 Engineering News-Record (ENR) Regional Best Projects awards competition for the Southwest region.
The annual awards program is dedicated to honoring the best construction projects and companies in the U.S. and Puerto Rico with the Southwest region consisting of Arizona, New Mexico and Nevada. Among the 20 categories, ranging from airports to sports and entertainment venues, each project is judged using five criteria: safety; overcoming challenges and teamwork; innovation and contribution to the industry; construction quality and craftsmanship; and functionality of design and aesthetic quality.
Falcon Field opened in September 1941 as a military airport to train British Royal Air Force and U.S. Army Air Corps pilots. Today it is among the top 10 most active general aviation airports in the United States, serving corporate, military, public safety, recreational and instructional aviation uses.
“The design took to heart the overarching goal for this project: to send a strong message that this airport is at the center of Mesa’s aerospace and high-tech industry. The new terminal is contemporary both inside and out, but elements of the design evoke memories of the airport’s past as a World War II pilot training base,” said Sandra Kukla of DWL Architects + Planners, principal in charge for the project.
The renovation resulted in a $1.8 million comprehensive remodel and expanded the terminal from 3,560 square feet to 4,734 square feet. The new terminal includes enhanced public waiting and pilot briefing space, a meeting room, upgraded restrooms, new airside and landside patios and public aircraft viewing areas as well as other interior improvements and an upgraded arrival experience.
“Falcon Field is a regional hub for aviation business and recreational activity, and these improvements not only reflect the continuous improvements that we make to the airport’s infrastructure, but also will help us remain competitive in our efforts to attract businesses and continue to be financially self-sustaining,” said Corinne Nystrom, Airport Director.
The City of Mesa Falcon Field Airport Terminal Upgrades project will automatically compete in the Best of the Best Projects 2016, a national juried competition and will be a featured project at the ENR Southwest Best Projects Awards Event on November 10, 2016 at the Renaissance Phoenix Hotel in downtown Phoenix.
Renovation/Restoration
- Best Project — City of Mesa Falcon Field Airport Terminal Upgrades
- Lead Design Firm: DWL Architects
- General Contractor: Builders Guild Inc.
- Owner/Developer: City of Mesa / Falcon Field Airport
North Scottsdale Park & Ride wins ENR Southwest Award
The North Scottsdale Park has been honored once again in 2014 – this time by Engineering News-Record magazine. The project was awarded Best Project in the Green Category, does sizegenetics really work?. The park and ride lot qualifies as a net-zero facility, with the photovoltaic panel system producing more energy than the site consumes.
Judges were impressed with the effort spent designing and constructing a project type that is often overlooked, with one suggesting this facility could serve as a prototype for other owners. Judges also hailed the project’s canopy “wing” design, which features metal shingles-coated with a special finish that can gently bend, producing an effect that mimics a bird’s flashing feathers
Read full article: Best Green Project: North Scottsdale Park and Ride
source: Author Unknown. “Best Green Project: North Scottsdale Park and Ride.” ENR Southwest Nov. 10, 2015. Print & Online.
DWL’s Sandra Kukla is among ENR Southwest’s Top 20 Under 40
A licensed pilot who helped her father build an aerobatic biplane, Kukla’s passion for aviation informed her career choices from an early age. She became the youngest principal at DWL in 2005 and is the only female architect among the firm’s managing partners.
Read full article: ENR Southwest’s Top 20 Under 40
source: Blair Scott, Sapakie Polly. “ENR Southwest’s Top 20 Under 40” ENR Engineering News-Record Jan. 17, 2011: Pages 8,9, 11. Print & Online.
