Cornice Construction LLC of Warren, Oregon was awarded the American Buildings 2023 Building of the Year Excellence in Design Award in the Manufacturing/Industrial category for the Ryerson Steel project in Centralia, WA. This 212,000 sq. ft. structure is home to Ryerson Steel's newest state-of-the-art metal distribution and steel processing facility.

A high-end office occupies 12,000 sq. ft., with the remaining 200,000 sq. ft. dedicated to warehousing and manufacturing. The warehouse floor incorporates multiple large pits, a thickened slab, equipment foundations with steel embeds, and a railroad. The facility has four 100’ x 500’ bays with three cranes per bay. There are six 25-ton cranes and six 35-ton cranes. American Buildings provided eight auxiliary crane columns at each end wall for support of the crane runway beams. These crane columns are tied and flange braced to the shear walls for lateral support. Notable design elements include full height pre-cast tilt walls with parapets on each endwall, and prismatic skylights that provide energy-efficient, bright daylighting throughout the facility.

The highly anticipated Excellence in Design Awards competition is open to all American Authorized Builders. The awards recognize Builders for their innovation, diverse application, and distinction in design in the metal buildings industry. Winners are selected by an independent panel of judges.

This year, judges chose from over 100 entries and selected the best projects in each of the following categories: Agriculture; Auto Dealership; Church/Religious Centers; Commercial; Government/Institutional; Manufacturing/Industrial; Office; Recreation; Retail; Special Projects; Transportation; and Warehouse/Distribution.

Winners were announced for each category and were eligible to compete for the Excellence in Design top award: 2023 Building of the Year.

“The Excellence in Design Awards highlight the diverse application and expanding boundaries of metal systems construction,” said Carlie Smith, Marketing Director for Nucor Buildings Group. “Each year we are impressed by the talented professionals in our industry and the quality of projects submitted. We are proud of the partnerships with our Builders and the inspiring, innovative metal building projects that come to life. We are honored to award the 2023 Building of the Year to Cornice Construction for the Ryerson Steel project.”