2026 LCI Engineering Design Award Announcement

Congratulations to Advocate Aurora Health and Team!

The Lean Construction Institute (LCI) is pleased to recognize the awardee of the fourth annual LCI Engineering Design Award:

Advocate Aurora Health Chicago Webster
Ambulatory Outpatient Center + Ambulatory Surgery Center, Chicago, Illinois

The interior scope of work was delivered through the Advocate Outpatient Collaborative Program:

• Advocate Aurora Health – Owner
• HDR – Architect and Interior Design
• The Boldt Company – Construction Partner
• IMEG – MEP FP Engineer
• Martin Peterson Company – Mechanical

The core and shell scope of work was delivered by Novak Construction and Gensler.

About the Winning Project

Advocate Aurora Health Chicago Webster transformed an aging multi-use retail building into Advocate’s first ambulatory surgery center, built above an active bank and below a movie theater while both stayed operational. HDR led tenant improvement with Boldt and IMEG (core and shell by Gensler/Novak). A Big Room approach, Target Value Design, Last Planner System ®, BIM, and using 44 prefabricated PODs turned structural, occupancy, and financial constraints into solvable design problems. The result was 59,000 SF of outpatient and surgical care delivered in time for care teams to transition from an expiring lease.

The project team displayed incredible collaborative problem solving by using Lean practices on the project, which was delivered five months ahead of schedule:

• The team created an inclusive, respectful environment on the project by utilizing a big room and onboarding Lean culture training to new team members.
• Target Value Delivery and Choosing by Advantages analysis allowed parallel problem solving to overcome unforeseen conditions and structural limitations.
• The team utilized A3 Thinking to solve technical challenges.
• Through PDCA, the team produced updated standards for PODS that are being implemented for the client’s projects going forward.
• Through Value Stream Mapping, the team added additional procedure rooms and a GI suite to provide service to patients in the community and improve value/revenue generation.

About the Award

The Lean Construction Institute (LCI) Engineering Design Award recognizes delivering excellence in fit for use and engineering design while advancing the industry through collaborative Lean Project Delivery. The purpose of this award is to encourage Lean in design and recognize the architects, engineers, designers, clients, and constructors who work together to improve the design and construction process and produce design excellence in the built environment.

Submissions were scored by factor:

• Generation of Value Fit for Use (50%)
• How Lean tenets were used to achieve the final project (50%)
  • Respect for People
  • Optimize the Whole
  • Continuous Improvement
  • Removal of Waste
  • Process/Flow
  • Cost and Schedule Approach

Thank you to the 2026 Engineering Design Award Jury Facilitators and Committee for their dedicated work:

2026 Engineering Design Award Jury Facilitators: Monica Steele, SSOE, and Annmarie Thurnquist, Jacobs

2026 Engineering Design Award Jury Committee: Greg Davis, Procter & Gamble; Bill O’Brien, Integrated Project Services; and Marcus Sanchez, Southland Industries

Honoring the Awardees at the 2026 LCI Congress

LCI received many impressive submissions and would like to extend our appreciation to all those who submitted.

Awardees will be recognized on Thursday, October 15, at the 2026 LCI Congress Award Ceremony in Atlanta, Georgia!