Boise honors organizations for building excellence

The city of Boise has recognized six businesses, organizations and building owners whose projects represent the best of the city’s built environment.

Mayor David Bieter was among the presenters at a luncheon hosted by the Building Owners and Managers Association of Idaho on May 16, the 12^th year the city has joined with BOMA in handing out the Building Excellence Awards.

The awards ceremony was held on the 17th floor of the Zions Bank Building in downtown Boise during the regularly scheduled BOMA Idaho general membership luncheon.

The following projects were recognized for showcasing a diverse array of architecture, design, safety and creative collaboration. A Mayor’s Choice and Best Overall project awards were also given out.

Excellence in Accessibility & Fire Life-Safety: Immanuel Lutheran Church (707 W. Fort St.)

To enhance the overall design and promote fire safety and ADA compliance, the existing church structure was slightly modified. Fire wall upgrades and fire sprinkler systems were installed and integrated throughout the building, preserving the original church design while also promoting a modern feel with enhanced lighting and open, usable space.

Excellence in Sustainability: indieDwell Inc. (833 N. 32^nd St)

The company manufactures sustainable, high-performance modular homes from up-cycled intermodal shipping containers that are nearly waste-free to construct. This project consisted of two units on the same parcel: a 960-square-foot home and a 480-square-foot accessory dwelling unit. Both dwellings feature highly durable siding, fixtures and hardware that promote greater energy efficiency and enhanced sustainability for the environment.

Excellence in Architecture Design: Identity Student Housing (1825 W. Beacon St.)

At the south-central edge of Boise State University’s campus sits the triangular-shaped student housing community known as “Identity.” The one-acre site holds 95 units and nearly 300 beds and 80 parking spaces for students. The building also features unique corners, canopies, sun shades, green-screens, stucco detailing, and an open rooftop outdoor gathering space with an excellent view of the university and the foothills.

Excellence in Creative Collaboration: New Path Community Housing (2200 W. Fairview Ave)

New Path is a new housing development with 40 apartments for the chronically homeless, as well as on-site rehabilitation services and a live-in manager. The project, which opened early this year, required significant collaboration between private developers, Idaho Health and Welfare, Housing and Urban Development, CATCH and the City of Boise, among many others. It is the first building of its kind in Boise and the state of Idaho.

Mayor’s Choice: Tenth and Main Revitalization (1005 W. Main St.)

This 100-year old building at the corner of Tenth and Main was once a part of Boise’s historic Mercantile District but later sat empty for many years. The renovation included modernized mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems, as well as a reinvigorated interior and exterior that highlights and exposes the historic beauty of the building. The building houses office space on the top levels, mostly notably Kount. It also opens the ground level up to the public with multiple retail spaces including a coffee shop, bodega, deli, beer bar and restaurant, wine tasting room and salon.

Best Overall: J.R. Simplot Company headquarters (1099 W. Front St.) 

The Simplot family created the nine-story, 306,345-square-foot office and annex building adjacent to Jack’s Urban Meeting Place (JUMP) as a space to centralize operations for the agricultural company. The site houses multiple open office spaces for work and collaboration for its 800 employees, as well as a laboratory, greenhouse and expansive employee cafeteria with open exterior patio areas that offer views of downtown. The site also features a large underground parking garage for employees and the public, as well as additional space for a future restaurant at ground level. The building exterior includes unique custom designed precast concrete that emulates crop rows made in part from soils at Simplot sites in Idaho.

According to the city’s department of planning and development services, these six projects represented a little under $165 million in total building costs, required 155 permits and 35 planning department approvals.