Consigli Construction Co., Inc. receives Best Project awards from Engineering News-Record

Boylston, MA In recognition of its outstanding work to overcome design and structural complexities to build the Trailhead House at the Summer Star Wildlife Sanctuary in Boylston and to restore The Parish of All Saints, Ashmont in Dorchester, Engineering News-Record (ENR) presented Consigli Construction Co., Inc. with two “Best Project” awards. Work on The Parish of All Saints was also recognized as “Best Safety Project.”

The Summer Star Wildlife Sanctuary sits in the middle of a 45-acre section of forest and features 1.5 miles of trails. The 5,700 s/f Trailhead House serves as an educational and information center for visitors.

Trailhead House at Summer Star Wildlife Sanctuary - Boylston, MA

Given the limitations of a 3,000 s/f layout and the desire to protect the surrounding forest, the house’s design twists and turns with the landscape and its construction required customized details, including handcrafted timber framing and custom-cut cedar detail installation inside and out.

To understand how these complex structural details and framing patterns would work, Consigli engineers used laser scanning to create 3D models for review and study. Additionally, the site’s terrain sat at different levels and created several different, unsafe conditions for workers - some areas dropped as much as 60 feet. Crews used special standing seam clamps when working on the Trailhead House’s sloped roofs and lifts instead of scaffolding helped to complete the high-elevation work.

The LEED Gold Certified building was designed to minimize its impact on the environment and incorporates sustainable features that include photovoltaic panels, green roofs, thermal shutters, composting toilets, waterless urinals, reclaimed wood harvested from the site and a rain-water pool. The site design also incorporated many low-impact, sustainable techniques, including permeable pavement and roof runoff used in both underground fire protection and irrigation tanks.

Since Summer Star Wildlife Sanctuary opened in the fall of 2014, it has garnered a number of building and design industry awards. In addition to Consigli and The Green Engineers, Inc., the project team included building design by Dewing Schmid Kearns Architects + Planners, landscape design by Klopfer Martin Design Group, civil engineering by Outback Engineering, Inc., structural engineering by Simpson Gumpertz & Heger Inc. and mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineering by Allied Engineering, Inc.

The project was awarded the Green Building of the Year award by the U.S. Green Building Council of Massachusetts.

The Parish of All Saints, Ashmont is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Designed in 1892 by Ralph Adams Cram, this Episcopal church became the prototype for 20th-century American church building in the Gothic Revival style.

Supported by a devoted congregation, the parish launched an extensive campaign in 2013 to restore the beauty of Cram’s original vision, as well as to update building systems and improve accessibility. A community-wide fundraising effort resulted in a $2 million capital repairs endowment to preserve the buildings for future generations. Architect for the restoration was John G. Waite Associates, Architects.

Much of the project focused on the exterior renovation of over 23,000 s/f of highly visible granite. Upon completion of the exterior, the interior renovation followed with major renovations throughout the parish house and sacristy, including an addition housing a new elevator and reconfigured stairwell to better accommodate people visiting this historic landmark or attending Sunday Mass. All work through this two-phased project was managed around ongoing parish operations of the weekend/weekday services and daily functions.

Restoring century-old stained glass windows, making masonry repairs by hand, and stripping stone arches to expose original sandstone are a few examples of the painstaking detail and quality craftsmanship that went into this unique project. The beautifully restored building with modern amenities was unveiled to parishioners and the public in the spring of 2015.

In addition to the restoration of The Parish of All Saints, Ashmont, Consigli has restored and updated a number of prominent Boston landmarks, including Old South Church, Trinity Church and the Boston Public Library in Copley Sq.

Consigli Construction Co., Inc. is a leading construction manager and general contractor with offices in Boston and Milford, Mass., Washington, D.C., Portland, Maine and Hartford, Conn. serving clients throughout the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions. A fourth-generation family-owned business, Consigli is recognized by the Boston Business Journal as the second-largest construction company in Massachusetts and by Engineering News-Record as one of the 100-largest in the country, and has received numerous awards and recognition for its work and employment practices.