2020 has been a year of challenge. The COVID-19 global pandemic, social and economic upheaval, and climate emergencies have cracked every crystal ball, upending our notions of what the future holds.

But architects, engineers, and construction professionals are, above all, problem solvers. When challenges arise, the building industry responds with ingenuity. This is a field full of big thinkers and big doers, with the ability and will to make plans at a global scale and along generational timelines—without the need for a crystal ball.

Autodesk, along with our co-sponsors Informed Infrastructure and Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS), is honored to reveal the winners of the Autodesk 2020 AEC Excellence Awards. From a field of more than 260 entries spanning 35 countries, these projects stood out to our independent panel of judges as exemplars of the AEC industry’s ability to respond to adversity with resilience and initiative. They are stories of challenge, solutions, and insight.

We’re also excited to announce the winner of this year’s Innovator of the Year award, which honors AEC practitioners reimagining the design and construction practice through the use of technology. The 2020 Innovator of the Year, Wajdi Mereb, leads digital transformation at Dubai’s Road and Transport Authority (Dubai RTA), using BIM to plan and design massive projects including a 15-km-long extension of the Dubai Metro to the Expo 2020 site.

Join us virtually at Autodesk University on November 17 to celebrate this year’s winners and to learn more about their stories.

Register here to join the virtual celebration at AU.

And now: on to the winners! Here are the projects and teams taking on the challenge of reimagination during extraordinary times.

INFRASTRUCTURE DESIGN

Infrastructure Design – Small Project (less than $100 Million) 

Winning project: Chandrawal Water Supply Project – 477 MLD Advanced Water Treatment Plant

RWS & UWWM-EDRC, WWW SBG, WET-IC, L&T Construction, India

This 477 MLD plant utilizes modern technologies including ozonation and granular activated carbon dual media filters.

Infrastructure Design – Medium Project ($100 Million – $500 Million) 

Winning project:  Route E39, The Coastal Highway

Norconsult, Norway

This $490-million-dollar transportation project includes the largest balanced concrete cantilever bridge in the world.

Infrastructure Design – Large Project (over $500 Million) 

Winning project: City Rail Link

Link Alliance, New Zealand

This rail project allows twice as many people to live within 30 minutes of Auckland’s Central Business District.

BUILDING DESIGN 

Building Design – Small Project (Less than $20 Million) 

Winning project: Vigentina 9

Lombardini22 S.p.A, Italy

This project is a refurbishment of an existing building in a dense urban area in the city center of Milan, Italy.

Building Design – Medium Project ($20 Million – $200 Million) 

Winning project: WILD

Katrina Urbanik AS, Norway

The core of this ambitious development is three living units on a floating island, with farms and green public spaces.

Building Design – Large Project (over $200 Million) 

Winning project: South Beach Psychiatric Center New In-patient Building

STV – Architectural Resources, United States

This new 221,000-square-foot, 262-bed behavioral health facility was rapidly adapted for emergency COVID-19 support.

CONSTRUCTION 

Construction – Small Project (Less than $100 million) 

Winning project: Kallang Polyclinic and Long Term Care Facility

Tiong Seng Contractors Pte Ltd, Singapore

A hybrid healthcare development, this complex includes a wide range of clinical centers and a long-term care facility.

Construction – Medium Project ($100 Million – $500 Million) 

Winning project: Multinational Data Center, Malmo

John Sisk & Son, Sweden

Supported by complex underground infrastructure, this large-scale data center project is built for future expansion.

Construction – Large Project (Over $500 Million) 

Winning project: Chengdu Phoenix Mountain Sports Park

China Construction Eighth Engineering Division Corp. Ltd, China

This modern sports complex is a new landmark, occupying 43.67 hectares with 2 stadiums, landscape and buildings.

INNOVATOR OF THE YEAR

Wajdi Mereb, BIM Manager, RTA, United Arab Emirates 

Wajdi Mereb, leads digital transformation at Dubai’s Road and Transport Authority (Dubai RTA), using BIM to plan and design massive projects including a 15-km-long extension of the Dubai Metro to the Expo 2020 site.