BOSTON, MA AND MILLERSVILLE, PA :The American Council of Engineering Companies of Massachusetts (ACEC/MA) has named AKF as a finalist of their 2020 Engineering Excellence Award for their work on Lombardo Welcome Center at Millersville University.
The 2020 Engineering Excellence Awards were recently announced and will be celebrated at the 2021 ACEC/MA Engineering Excellence and Awards Gala. The awards celebrate innovation, ingenuity, and excellence in engineering achievement.
Boston firm AKF provided Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing and Fire Protection Engineering & Renewable Energy Design, Energy Modeling, Net Zero Energy Consulting, and Commissioning for Millersville University’s new 14,600 SF building that is now the home to the University’s admissions, marketing, sustainability, and student housing departments. The Lombardo Welcome Center is helping Millersville University achieve carbon neutrality by 2040 and is a showcase of sustainability for students, staff, and over 10,000 prospective students that visit the University annually. The first Zero Energy Certified building in Pennsylvania, Lombardo Welcome Center actually achieved net positive energy in its first year, regularly generating over 200% of its annual energy needs, making it one of the top five most positive energy buildings in the country. While most building systems were designed to be “invisible,” a solar PV array serves as a physical reminder of the building’s purpose, further encouraging energy-conscious behavior.
“The Engineering Excellence Awards program recognizes engineering firms for projects that demonstrate a high degree of achievement, value and ingenuity,” said Jennifer Howe, President of the American Council of Engineering Companies of Massachusetts and Principal and Vice President at SMMA, Symmes Maini & McKee Associates. “Entrants are rated by an independent panel of judges from the architectural community, the construction industry, academia, the media, and the public sector on the basis of uniqueness and originality; future value to the profession and perception by the public; social, economic and sustainable development considerations; complexity; and successful fulfillment of the client/owner’s need, including schedule and budget. We congratulate them and thank them for their contributions to improving the quality of our everyday lives.”