July 5, 2002—The commercial real estate industry honored 14 buildings with two of its most coveted and prestigious awards Tuesday night, The Office Building of the Year “TOBY” Award and the Earth Award. The 2001/2002 TOBY winners were recognized for excellence in office building management and operations, and the Earth Award winner was recognized for excellence in environmentally sound office building management. The buildings were honored at the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) International’s 95th Annual Convention in Chicago, Illinois. The Awards Banquet, sponsored by Barton Protective Services, marked the third time the buildings had won; prior to advancing to the International competition, all entries had to first win at local and regional competitions.
The winner of the 2001/2002 Earth Award is Canada Post Place in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The building is owned and managed by the Standard Life Assurance Company and designed by Desmarais, Pilon, Cousineau, Yaghjian, St- Jean & Rogers.
The winners of the 2001/2002 TOBY Award and their categories are:
- In the Renovated Building Category, the winner is One Hudson Square in New York, New York. The building is owned by the Parish of Trinity Church and managed by Trinity Real Estate. The original architect was Ely Jacques Kahn, and the renovation was designed by Rosen Johnson Associates.
- In the Historical Building Category, the winner is the Exchange Building in Seattle, Washington. The building is owned by Walton Exchange Investors II, managed by Trammell Crow Company, and designed by John Graham, Sr.
- In the Corporate Facility Category, the winner is Samsung Life Insurance Headquarters Building in Seoul, Korea. The building is owned by Samsung Insurance Co. and managed by Samsung Everland. The architect was Samsung Corporation.
- In the Medical Office Building Category, the winner is Baptist Medical Arts Building East Tower in Miami, Fla. The building is owned by BMAB East Tower and managed by Baptist Outpatient Services Real Estate Management. The architect was Ritchie Organization.
- In the Government Building Category, the winner is the Texas State Capitol and Extension in Austin, Texas. The building is owned by the state of Texas, managed by the State Preservation Board, and designed by Elijah E. Myers.
- In the Suburban Office Park Low-Rise Category, the winner is 4411 The 25 Way in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The office park is owned by AGB Twenty-Five, managed by Canyon Gate Real Estate Services and designed by Dekker/Perich/Sabatini.
- In the Suburban Office Park Mid-Rise Category, the winner is Inverness Center in Birmingham, Alabama. The office park is owned by Metropolitan Life Insurance Company and managed by Taylor & Mathis. The architect was Barrett & Associates.
- In the Industrial Office Park Category, the winner is Alliance in Fort Worth, Texas. The industrial office park is owned and managed by Hillwood, and designed by Gromatzky Dupree and Carter & Burgess.
- In the Under 100,000 Square Feet Category, the winner is Waterloo City Centre in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. The building is owned by the Corporation of the City of Waterloo and managed by S&R Asset Management. The architect was Crang & Boake Inc.
- In the 100,000 to 249,999 Square Feet Category, the winner is Metropoint II in Denver, Colorado. The building is owned and managed by Equity Office Properties Trust and the architect was Michael Barber Architecture.
- In the 250,000 to 499,999 Square Feet Category, the winner is 1555 Poydras in New Orleans, Louisiana. The building is owned by East Skelly and managed by Jones Lang LaSalle Americas. The architects were Hebeisen Associates and Howard Montgomery Steger Performance Architecture.
- In the 500,000 to 1 Million Square Feet Category, the winner is SunAmerica Center in Century City, California. The building is owned by 1999 Stars, managed by Equity Office, and designed by Johnson, Fain & Pereira.
- In the Over 1 Million Square Feet Category, the winner is 311 South Wacker Drive in Chicago, Illinois. The building is owned by TIAA Realty, managed by Insignia/ESG, and designed by Adamson & Associates.
Each building was subject to a vigorous judging process, during which a team of industry professionals conducted building tours and examined entry portfolios that outlined building standards, impact on community, tenant, and employee relations programs, energy management systems, compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, emergency evacuation procedures, and training programs for building personnel. The buildings participating in the Earth Award program were examined on hazardous communications standards programs, management of environment risks, emergency response plans, water and energy conservation, indoor air quality, green purchasing policies, and tenant communications.
