Engineering News-Record, the leading trade publication for engineering and construction professionals, has announced the winners of its 18th annual Best Projects awards competition — and Raleigh-based Firstfloor Energy Positive earned the “Best Project” award in the K-12 Education category for its energy-positive K-12 Horry County Schools project.
Located in Myrtle Beach, the project’s five newly designed buildings — one of them an elementary school and four of them middle schools — provide teachers and students an advantage, as the facilities allow them to work and learn in a visually and technologically progressive environment. Firstfloor’s energy-positive facilities aim to provide creative, cost-effective solutions, all while greatly benefiting students and teachers alike with modernized and sustainable buildings.
Features of the schools include a patio for outdoor learning, an iBar, a project pod, a brainstorm room, a flex class, a lecture hall, common areas and much more. By providing children with open learning environments, the designs promote an enhanced sense of community, a creative atmosphere, sustainability and more flexibility. The various landscapes for learning also help teachers cater to all students and their different learning needs.
The annual ENR Southeast “Best Projects” awards are given to teams that complete the best architectural projects exemplifying teamwork, safety, problem-solving, innovation and quality. This year’s winners include impressive projects from across the Southeast, including Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. Selection for this award means Firstfloor Energy Positive and its Horry County Schools project will be profiled in the Oct. 29 print edition of ENR Southeast. Additionally, ENR Southeast will honor each winning project at a Nov. 1 awards luncheon, to be held this year at the Renaissance Orlando at SeaWorld. For more information on the event, or to register, click here.