Primera is pleased to announce that one of our projects was honored yesterday at the American Council for Engineering Companies of Illinois (ACEC-IL) Engineering Excellence Awards Luncheon held at the Marriott in Normal, Illinois. The Morrill Elementary Sustainable Schoolyard project was recognized with a Special Achievement Award, which recognizes those projects worthy of special recognition of the engineer and the owner/client for achieving engineering excellence.

The Morrill Elementary School Sustainable Schoolyard is one of the four elementary schools identified as part of the Space to Grow: Greening Chicago Schoolyards Program. This program, led by Openlands and the Healthy Schools Campaign, and supported by the Chicago Public Schools, is an innovative program set to transform Chicago schoolyards into spaces that provide students and the broader community with the opportunity for active play, space for physical education classes, opportunities for outdoor learning, gardening and environmental literacy, and engagement with art.

Primera Engineers provided civil and drainage design for this project and focused on preventing and reducing the effects of stormwater in the area. Using various green infrastructure techniques, including: permeable surfaces, poured-in-place rubber surfacing for the playground, artificial turf, permeable pavers, rain gardens, and downspout disconnections on the fieldhouse, Primera was able to significantly reduce stormwater runoff in the neighborhood.

While the main objective of the Space to Grow Program is to build schoolyards that meet the needs of students, the Morrill Sustainable Schoolyard project also had the added benefit of reconnecting its community with the school, while providing much-needed green space in a heavily urbanized neighborhood.

Each year, the ACEC-IL Engineering Excellence Awards Competition recognizes projects of engineering achievement by Illinois consulting engineering firms. ACEC-IL is the only statewide association dedicated solely to the interests of consulting engineering firms. Entries are judged on the basis of engineering excellence, the degree to which the client’s needs are met, and the benefits to the public welfare and private practice of engineering.

See all of the winners here: http://acec.mys1cloud.com/2016BrochureWinners.pdf.