Ajax Building Company’s Earns Three Excellence in Construction Awards from the Associated Builders and Contractors North Florida Chapter
Ajax Building Company, LLC earned two Eagle Awards for their Florida State University Student Union and the Santa Rosa County Judicial Complex and one Pyramid Award for the HCA Healthcare Tallahassee build-out in the most recent ABC North Florida Excellence in Construction competition.
Florida State University partnered with Ajax Building Company to create a new Student Union that not only would accommodate their larger student population but would also set the pace for constructing a modern, engaging campus image.
While Ajax is a frequent builder in the higher education sector, few projects have included the variety of spaces under one roof that the new FSU Student Union has to offer. Amenities include a Bowling and Billiards Center, the FSU Bookstore, a five-restaurant food court, and an art center equipped with a pottery studio. The building also includes a large ballroom that can be used as one 15,000sf meeting area or divided with 30ft operable partitions into five separate meeting spaces. Technology is more present than ever, including areas for plug-and-play devices and in-house screens and projectors.
With an occupied campus, complicated geotechnical conditions, a global pandemic, and a ripple effect of material delays, the team was able to realize the vision of the FSU community, confirming it was all worth the effort.
At 115,000sf, the Santa Rosa County Judicial Center Complex was constructed on 19 acres of land and now includes seven courtrooms, seven judges’ suites, and secure holding areas for inmates. The three-story county courthouse hosts hearing rooms, a law library, evidence rooms, jury selection, and deliberation spaces. Related departments, such as the clerks of courts and court administration, are also incorporated.
The project brought together a unique collaboration between the Ajax team, HOK, and Sam Marshall Architects—and a process that dates back to 1995. The Ajax project team has been involved with this project for 12 years, diligently helping the client to ensure their needs were put first throughout the project’s duration. After over 25 years in the marking, the project broke ground in November 2019 and was opened to the county and community in January of 2023.
When it came time for HCA Healthcare to move their North Florida Division’s operations, they partnered with Ajax Building Company to bring the brand’s new and improved Tallahassee office to life. The 25,000sf workspace spans three levels in the building—floors 6, 7, and 8—and was designed to accommodate the HCA North Florida Division’s executive management team. Featuring brand-new offices, a massive conference room, and an interconnecting stair joining the sixth and seventh floors, HCA’s new North Florida office is the perfect space for collaboration.
Although this tenant fit-out might seem straightforward, the site’s location and the base building’s existing limitations created a few challenging opportunities for the construction team. Building so close to such a popular 24-acre park (Cascades) certainly had its challenges so Ajax carefully developed a site logistics strategy that prioritized the safety and wellbeing of the park’s visitors. Also, the base building elevators were too small to fit construction materials, or even bring personnel up and down the building efficiently. The solution? Ajax thought outside of the box—literally. The team erected a material hoist assembly for personnel and materials on the exterior of the building, which involved removing the existing glass façade and creating a temporary, dried-in opening to gain access. All of which was put back together, sealing the façade, at the end of the project.
About Our Company: Ajax Building Company, LLC founded in 1958, is an employee owned and third generation family operated construction management firm. During the past 65 years, Ajax has steadily grown to become one of the Southeast’s premier contractors. As a part of the STO Building Group family, Ajax’s project experience now extends throughout the United States, into Canada and the UK, and Ireland. Regardless of the complexity or size of a project, Ajax brings innovative solutions to construction challenges and always strives to exceed their client’s expectations. Ajax prides itself on delivering projects that are on time, within budget and possess the highest level of safety, customer service and quality. Ajax is an equal opportunity employer. We evaluate qualified employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, and other legally protected characteristics.