Stewart Contractors, based in Galway and Dublin, has been named Contractor of the Year at the 2014 Irish Building & Design Awards.
The long-established Galway company also won two other awards, BIM Initiative of the Year, and the Retrofit Project of the Year.
The event, now in its fourth year, was attended by 300 of the country’s top architects, designers, engineers,building contractors and manufacturers with 17 categories winners, including the prestigious Contractor of the Year, Engineering Practice of the Year, and House Builder of the Year.
The Contractor of the Year award was given Stewart for demonstrating a unique ability to win and complete projects on budget and within deadline during tough market conditions, and for the ability to position itself for growth through innovative solutions to challenges.
Stewart also won BIM Initiative of the Year for pioneering new ways of working a BIM enabled environment to make project design, delivery and operationmoreeffective.
And finally, Stewart Contractors, founded more than 100 years ago, won Retrofit Project of the Year for the new design and build of the post primary school in Claregalway.
This interesting project, to accommodate the new 350 pupil post-primary school in Claregalway, was designed and constructed within an existing abandonedwarehouseunit in an operational retail and business park and within a rapid build construction period of only 22 weeks.
The school was opened for the first time on August 27.
Stewart accredits its significant success to a “very talented and committedbodyofstaff ”. The company is bucking the trend, recording a steady increase in turnover and a welcome accompanying increase in personnel.
The Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Phil Hogan, gave the opening address at the awards ceremony with master of cermonies performed by Ivan Yates. The judging panel consisted of senior management from the major associations and organisations including Engineers Ireland, RIBA, SEAI, Enterprise Ireland, International Contractors and Project Managers Association, ICE, IHBA, DIT, as well as independent operators and industry experts.
