Three venue projects with building systems designed by Henderson Engineers are honorees in the 2024 Best Projects competition by Engineering-News Record (ENR) magazine, a notable trade magazine. The annual competition celebrates the best construction projects nationwide across a variety of building types. The Henderson projects that received accolades this year include:

1. Baird Center Expansion – Milwaukee

Award of Merit, Sports/Entertainment

Baird Center, Wisconsin’s largest convention center, underwent a groundbreaking $456 million expansion, doubling its footprint to 1.3 million square feet and adding a variety of state-of-the-art amenities. As the project’s Engineer of Record, Henderson helped incorporate numerous sustainable design approaches in accordance with LEED Silver building standards. Standouts include a solar roof, low-flow plumbing fixtures, LED lighting, and using the city’s existing downtown district steam loop to generate hot water and provide heating.

2. Bicentennial Unity Plaza – Indianapolis

Award of Merit, Landscape/Urban Development

Bicentennial Unity Plaza was part of a three-year, $360 million modernization of Gainbridge Fieldhouse, the shared home of the Indiana Pacers NBA team and the Indiana Fever WNBA team. The 1.5-acre plaza, which replaced a parking garage, serves as an outdoor community space for the neighborhood, offering public art, gathering spaces, and a basketball court that transforms into a winter skating rink. Henderson served as the Engineer of Record for the entire modernization project.

3. CPKC Stadium – Kansas City, Mo.

Award of Merit, Sports/Entertainment

KC Current’s CPKC Stadium made history as the world’s first stadium purpose-built for a professional women’s sports team. A women-led design team from Henderson, which served as Engineer of Record, helped bring the $125 million project to life. The LEED Gold venue holds a capacity of 11,500 and is a core catalyst for ongoing transformation of Kansas City, Mo’s long neglected riverfront.