NAPERVILLE, IL (July 7, 2008)—The Wisconsin Concrete Masonry Association (WCMA) has recognized Ryan Companies US, Inc. as a winner of its 2008 Excellence in Masonry Awards program for the design and construction of the North Hills Medical Centre in Menomonee Falls, WI.

Projects were judged on creativity, design excellence and concrete masonry’s relationship to the overall structure.

North Hills Medical Centre is a multiple-building medical office complex that presently totals more than 120,000 square feet of space in the rapidly expanding Menomonee Falls area. The Chicago office of Ryan Companies, based in Naperville, IL, began construction and development of the complex in mid 2006. Two buildings have been completed to date and are fully leased to Froedtert & Community Health.

In describing the North Hills Medical Centre project, the MCA’s program stated, “This is a truly distinguished design which includes load-bearing masonry, midnight prairie stone and contemporary glass.”

Other segments of the review in the Awards program included:

“These key components (load-bearing masonry, midnight prairie stone and contemporary glass) are combined with aesthetic materials to make this a very functional and extraordinary office complex.

“In particular, the lobby space, which features a two-story atrium, granite and leather panels along with marble and wood materials, create quite an entryway into the building.”

According to Ron Danner, Architectural Services Manager, Ryan Companies US, Inc., “This is a Class A complex, so certain elements had to be visually oriented.  At the same time, functionality and efficiency were critical elements in designing, selecting materials and constructing North Hills Medical Centre.”

Danner said Ryan constructed the buildings with load-bearing brick on the perimeter, which saved considerable money by not needing to use perimeter steel.

“In the end,” Danner said, “all the goals were met. We have very attractive and stylized buildings without the costs associated with other buildings materials.

North Hills Medical Center was designed with an emphasis on quality of architecture and building materials. Architectural features encourage an integration of traditional and contemporary design and a preference toward native materials rather than prescribing a particular style.

“The buildings have been designed to make a crisp, distinct impression, allowing easy identification from several directions and at a distance,” Danner said. “The image will be welcoming, healing and in keeping with the impression medical service professionals and related firms seek to portray.”

Menomonee Falls, located just northwest of Milwaukee, is the fastest growing suburb and is located within the fastest growing county (Waukesha) in Wisconsin.

About Ryan Companies US, Inc.

Ryan Companies US, Inc. is a leading national contractor currently ranked 54th in the ENR Top 400 Contractors List. Over the past 70 years, Ryan has developed a strong reputation for providing fully integrated design build, preconstruction, construction and development services to its clients. Ryan construction professionals offer expertise in the planning and construction of office, industrial, retail, healthcare, senior housing, multi-family, hotel/hospitality, higher education and sports facilities. In addition to its Chicago office, Ryan has offices in Minneapolis, Minnesota; Phoenix, Arizona; San Diego, California; Orlando, Florida; and Cedar Rapids, Davenport and Des Moines, Iowa.