Stellar Wins 2018 Design Excellence Award from American Institute of Architects Jacksonville Chapter

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (April 30, 2018) — Stellar, a fully integrated firm focused on design, engineering, construction and mechanical services worldwide, has been awarded a Design Excellence Award from the Jacksonville Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA).

The firm was recognized at the 2018 AIA Jacksonville Design Awards gala on April 27.

“It truly is an honor to receive this recognition from AIA Jacksonville,” said Tony Lamell, Vice President, Business Development at Stellar. “I’m proud of our team for designing a remarkable, state-of-the-art facility for Nestle that delivered on our client’s vision and showcased our unique capabilities.”

Stellar received the award for the Product Technology & Development Center it designed and built for Nestle USA in Solon, Ohio. The three-story, 144,000 square-foot research and development facility features:

A cutting-edge research lab
Office, consumer and culinary space
A 16,440-square-foot professional kitchen for interaction with vendors and clients
A 34,346-square-foot pilot plant with a process line for testing mass produced recipes

The building’s glass façade reflects its environment during the day and “disappears” at night, revealing a colorful platform. The choice and use of materials align with the following criteria: reflectivity, texture and contrasting finishes, hygiene and cleanability, and sustainability, among others.

The use of natural light, both direct and indirect, was a major element in the design of the building. To reduce the need for artificial light, sky lighting elements were integrated into the atrium and solar light tubes deliver sunlight into the heart of the building, helping to reduce energy consumption.

Open plan areas increase visibility across the floor and contain no “preferred” offices, encouraging better collaboration and communication between employees. The project achieved Green Globes (GBI) - One Globe Certification, New Construction.

The facility was planned, designed and constructed by Stellar, and was completed in August 2015. Construction Documents were developed in association with Concept Consult Architectes (Lausanne, Switzerland).

About Stellar

Stellar is a fully integrated design, engineering, construction and mechanical services firm that provides the industry’s most comprehensive range of self-performed services, including planning, design, pre-construction, construction, refrigeration, mechanical and utility, building envelope, and total operations and maintenance services. More than 750 Stellar employees worldwide create award-winning food processing plants, refrigerated warehouses, distribution centers, commercial buildings and military facilities. In addition to its Jacksonville, Florida, headquarters, Stellar operates nearly 50 support locations and offices throughout the United States, China and in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. The company also serves Central and South America, Europe and India. For more information, visit www.stellar.net.