As we embark on one of the busiest travel weeks of the year, #MagnificentMetalMonday takes to the seas. According to PortMiami, “the Cruise Capital of the World, is poised for yet another exceptionally strong cruise season as it welcomes a host of new cruise brands and new build ships that rank among the most innovative vessels on the seas. PortMiami welcomed over 4 million cruise vacationers in 2022, with plans to exceed that number thanks, in part, to new state-of-the-art cruise terminals built with innovative funding by the cruise lines.” A standout among these terminals is Terminal F, which received the prestigious Metal Building Contractors & Erectors Association (MBCEA) 2023 Building of the Year award earlier this year.
MBCEA 2023 Building of the Year
Miami-based, Lemartec Corp., was honored by the MBCEA for its exceptional work on the Port’s Terminal F roof retrofit. Notably, this marks the first time a project in the renovation and reroof category has claimed the coveted Project of the Year title. Maira Suarez, Vice President of Strategic Partnerships at Lemartec, commented, “This is Lemartec’s 2022 signature project, and we are extremely proud of the work our team has achieved. We are also delighted to share in this accomplishment with our sub-contractors – many of which are minority-owned businesses, just like us.”
Project Highlights
Cruise Terminal F’s expansion incorporated an existing facility with expansion building elements that define a new facility with its own character and identity. These expansion components include both exterior building components and interior design components that aim to enhance the cruise passenger experience. Exterior building components contrast with the adjacent cruise terminal architecture and create their own presence: metal wall cladding, a continuous and undulating metallic roof profile visible from the ship, light and airy entrance and bus canopies, and a tropical landscape. (Source: Lemartec)
Memphis, Tenn.-based Varco Pruden’s slope build-up system provided the new height of the existing structure to match the new building to form one large structure. The standing seam roof covers parallel ridges, and the east side roof transitions over the eave and clads the wall.
Lemartec provided design-build services that included general demolition, new steel structures, exterior metal panels, custom gutter systems and custom trims, glazing, mechanical, electrical, elevators/escalators, plumbing and fixtures, fire protection, interior finishes, and furnishings.
PortMiami Terminal F Roof Retrofit Team
The success of the Terminal F retrofit can be attributed to the collaboration of key players in the industry:
- Architect: Perez and Perez Architects Planners Inc., Miami,
- General contractor: Lemartec Corp., Miami,
- Steel Erector: Details City Construction, Hialeah, Fla.,
- Metal building system: Varco Pruden Buildings, Memphis, Tenn.
PortMiami’s Terminal F stands as a shining example of excellence in architectural innovation and sustainable design. As it continues to draw attention and accolades, the terminal symbolizes the commitment to providing an exceptional experience for cruise vacationers while setting new standards in the industry.
MBCEA Building of the Year Criteria
The MBCEA’s rigorous judging criteria for the Building of the Year award include considerations of aesthetics, unusual or interesting features, quality, complexity, and green building elements.
Other members earned wins in the Building of the Year awards including APX Construction Group, Mankato, Minn.; Crossland Construction, Springfield, Mo.; Span Construction & Engineering, Madera, Calif.; Thomas Phoenix International, Eastampton, N.J.; Design Systems Builders LLC, Nashville, Tenn.; Bahnmiller Construction Inc., Everett, Wash.; and Scott Steel Erectors, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
For more information and the full list of winners, click HERE.
