County of San Mateo Office Building 3 Wins National ENR Award

Industry experts have selected Engineering News Record’s Best of the Best Awards, showcasing design and construction excellence across the United States. Out of 800 contenders, only 20 projects earned a spot in this distinguished group. Truebeck is thrilled to announce the County of San Mateo Office Building 3 (COB3) was recognized with the Excellence in Sustainability award.The project previously won two awards from ENR California’s 2024 Regional Best Projects: Best Government/Public Building and Excellence in Sustainability, advancing to the national competition. The Excellence in Sustainability award was chosen by green building experts Yayu Lin from Sares Regis Group of Northern California and Shefali H. Sanghvi of Dattner Architects. Their selection criteria focused on the project’s level of innovation, the rigor of its sustainability strategy, and the effectiveness of its results. Click here to see the complete list of Best of the Best honorees, and here to read ENR’s full COB3 feature.The iconic 208,000sf, five-story COB3 consists of a unique mass timber structure—glulam columns/beams and CLT flooring—and includes flexible office space, a gym, café, multi-purpose rooms, and board chambers for the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors.

The interior features many areas of exposed wood, while the facade compliments with copper anodized aluminum panels alongside sizable glass segments, inviting natural light throughout the building. A new 368,000sf, seven-story parking structure includes 1,200 stalls, including 124 EV chargers and will meet the parking needs of the new COB3 and the other facilities in the County Government Center. Prioritizing best sustainable design practices and performance optimization, including solar panels on both structures, supports the project’s goal of Net Zero Energy and LEED Platinum.Truebeck extends congratulations to our client, project team, and partners including: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (Architecture and Structural Engineering), Critchfield Mechanical (Mechanical Design Build Trade Partner), JW McClenahan (Plumbing Design Build Trade Partner), CSI Electrical Contractors (Electrical Design Build Trade Partner), Telamon (Civil Engineer), Cosco Fire Protection Inc. (Fire Protection Design Build Trade Partner), Architectural Glass and Aluminum (Exterior Enclosure), Western Wood Structures (Mass Timber Trade Partner), and Cobalt (Owners Representative).