As a woman-owned engineering (WBE) firm, Primera fully embraces the ‘women supporting women’ movement. So, when Principal and Head of Design at Rada Architects Rada Doytcheva reached out to Primera about joining an all-women-led design team for a new project, we jumped at the opportunity. Rada spearheaded the collaboration efforts between her firm and 11 other consultants to partner on the Capital Development Board’s (CDB) Illinois State Police New Crime Lab facility in Joliet, Illinois.

What is even more noteworthy is that the entire design team is 100% WBE, MBE (Minority Business Enterprise), or VBE (Veteran-owned Business Enterprise), and women professionals make up nearly 75% of the final team members consulting on this project. The crime lab will consist of a new 105,000-square-foot combined Forensic Lab and District 5 Headquarters for the Illinois State Police and will be designed with specifications to meet at minimum LEED Silver certification. The facility includes approximately 65,000 square feet of lab space and about 40,000 square feet of office and administrative space for various units.

“We’re so grateful to Rada for the effort she put in to developing this inspirational team,” explains Erin Inman, Primera’s President & CEO. “The selection of this all-women-led team can be viewed as a celebration of female empowerment in the AEC industry,” she continues. Primera is excited to join forces with this powerhouse team and to continue our efforts in inspiring more women to pursue STEM careers.

Primera, led by our Mechanical Group Manager Rina Vidri, will provide mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire protection, AV, IT, and lighting design services. The project officially kicked off on March 8^th, perfectly coinciding with International Women’s Day, and will be completed in multiple phases.