Awarded every two years, CertainTeed Gypsum’s North American Trophy Awards recognizes contractors that have demonstrated excellence in gypsum design. The North American Trophy Awards are part of the larger Saint-Gobain International Trophy Event, honoring projects that used CertainTeed’s gypsum products to create a project that exceeds high-performance standards and exemplifies innovation.

Specific projects and their contractors are nominated in North America based on their work in a variety of categories, including gypsum board craftsmanship and design, innovation and sustainability, residential and mixed-commercial uses, and applications in hospitals, hotels and education settings.

Projects that won the CertainTeed Gypsum North American Trophy Awards in November move on to compete in the greater International Awards Event, which will take place in March in Lisbon, Portugal. In 2016, 89 projects from 35 different countries competed internationally, 27 of those submissions being from North America. This year, there were nine nominees from the United States and seven from Canada competing to advance.

Fourteen projects are honored on an international scale, including the coveted Grand Prix Award that goes to one project that exemplifies technical gypsum superiority with stunning visual appeals. The Philharmonie de Paris by Ile de France Platrerie received the Grand Prix Award at Prague in 2016.

United States Nominees:

• URL Harborside Multi-Family high-rise by AJD Construction – Jersey City, New Jersey

• River Watch residential home by Michael’s Homes, LLC – Soddy Daisy, Tennessee

• Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral by Clancy & Theys Construction Co. – Raleigh, North Carolina

• The Griff student-housing complex by Metro Properties – Columbus, Ohio

• Manor at Stella Lane custom home by Matt Edwards – St. Louis, Missouri

• MCC at Washington University by ClayCo – St. Louis, Missouri

• Silver Oak Winery by Cello & Maudru Construction Co. – Healdsburg, California

• Aria Convention Center by Penta – Las Vegas, Nevada

• Ilani Casino by Swinerton Builders – Portland, Oregon

Canada Nominees:

• Alexander Multi-Family high-rise by Pomerlau – Halifax, Nova Scotia

• Floréa Retirement Community by Dinamo – Terrebonne, Quebec

• Oculo Vision by Geratek – Sherbrooke, Quebec

• W.F. Mitchell Athletics Centre Expansion by Aquicon Construction – Guelph, Ontario

• St. Mary & St. Samuel Coptic Orthodox Church by Clancy & Theys Construction Co. – Toronto, Ontario

• Calgary International Airport by Ellis Don – Calgary, Alberta

• Parq Casino by Clayco – Vancouver, British Columbia

THE WINNERS:

• Sears Contract, Inc. – Raleigh, North Carolina

• Michael’s Homes – Mufreesboro, Tennessee

• Smith Brothers Contracting Corp. –  Ancaster, Ontario

• DonMor Drywall –  Bolton, Ontario

WINNER/PROJECT DETAILS:

U.S Winners:

Sears Contract, Inc.:

Representing the South-East U.S. division, Raleigh, North Carolina-based Sears Contract, Inc. was selected for its outstanding craftsmanship and artistry the firm brought to the Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral in Raleigh, NC. The cathedral features a unique Romanesque design built with modern construction materials. This project required careful attention to detail with its challenging vast open spaces and specialized ornamentation. Despite the seemingly basic steel stud and drywall construction, this project utilized creative applications of innovative, durable CertainTeed products, including: GlasRoc Sheathing, GlasRoc Diamondback TileBacker, Type X, M2Tech, 1/4” Flex and CertainTeed Insulation.

Michael’s Homes:

Michael’s Homes was selected based on the strength of its outstanding work building the River Watch home in Soddy Daisy, Tenn. This custom 2,900 square foot single family home is a great showcase of not only quality construction and attention to detail but how home builders like Michael’s Homes look beyond the aesthetic to build their homes with features that run deeper than the surface aesthetics. The River Watch home utilized AirRenew, SilentFX, Habito and No-Coat corners to create a living space that improves the quality of life for the occupant in the areas of indoor air quality, noise transmission and lasting durability. AirRenew is standard on all Michael’s Homes projects.

Canadian Winners:

Smith Brothers Contracting Corp.:

St. Mary & St. Samuel Coptic Orthodox Church, a 32,000-square foot single-story church in Markham, Ontario required a high level of drywall craftsmanship and skill to achieve the ambitious interior space this church demands. Ancaster, Ontario’s Smith Brothers Contracting Corp. were required to produce the highest quality drywall finishes to the church's domes and high ceiling with severe, critical lighting due to massive windows. To meet the needs of this challenging project, Smith Brothers selected quality drywall products from CertainTeed, including: Type X, M2Tech, Extreme Abuse, GlasRoc Sheathing, No-Coat Corners and CertainTeed Finishing products.

DonMor Drywall:

Based in Bolton, Ontario, DonMor Drywall won the right to represent Canada by applying expert drywall techniques to a project under a tight construction schedule: the W.F. Mitchell Athletic Centre Expansion Phase 1B, consisting of a new fitness center, two gymnasiums, exercise class, locker rooms, meeting rooms, a climbing wall and student lounge.