Scott Blair

California, Phoenix, Troy

Editor-in-Chief at Engineering News-Record (ENR)

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Articles

Award of Excellence Winner Mark Pestrella: Public Service Savant Leads in Time of Crisis

4 weeks ago | enr.com | Scott Blair

Pestrella has spent his entire 38-year career at LA County Public Works, making his way up from field hydrologist to director. Photo courtesy LA County Public Works "Okay, fire. I give up. You win." It was just a fleeting thought after exhaustion had set in from around-the-clock work during the Eaton and Palisades fire emergencies in January. As Los Angeles County Public Works Director Mark Pestrella crested a hill on his drive home toward Ventura County, he saw yet another out-of-control fire.
Bridge District Brings Nation’s Largest Net Zero Carbon Residential Project to DC

1 month ago | enr.com | Scott Blair

East Construction NewsSustainabilityBuildings Crews are wrapping up phase one of Bridge District, a 757-unit multifamily project nestled on the southern shore of the Anacostia River near the foot of the Frederick Douglass Bridge in Washington, D.C.. Three connected but distinct towers contain different levels of finishes, from premium to market rate to affordable housing. The project began construction in 2023, with ZGF Architects as the designer and HITT Contracting as contractor.
Finalists Selected for ENR's 2024 US Project of the Year

2 months ago | enr.com | Scott Blair

After a year-long effort that began with more than 800 entries, ENR has selected a trio of challenging and impressively delivered projects as Project of the Year finalists in ENR’s 2024 Best of the Best competition. Earlier this month, the 20 BOTB category winners were announced, selected by multiple rounds of judging.
ENR 2024 Year in Construction Photo Contest: A Window to the Work

2 months ago | enr.com | Scott Blair

Judges (L to R) Pendergast, Keller, Moran, Ditoro and Gerstung assembled in New York City to pick winning photos. Photo by Scott Hilling/ENR Readers again came out in force to submit their finest photographic work capturing the action, drama, artistry and effort that goes into designing and constructing the built environment. We received just over 1,000 photos from around the world for ENR’s annual Year in Construction Photo Contest issue.
LA County Begins Arduous Cleanup, Rebuild Effort in Altadena

Jan 22, 2025 | enr.com | Scott Blair

During a survey of fire-damaged neighborhoods and business districts in Altadena, LA County Public Works Director Mark Pestrella highlighted to ENR the Herculean effort to come in order to mitigate hazards, clean up debris and rebuild entire neighborhoods lost in the Eaton and Paradise fires. See the exclusive video tour below. Even as crews have begun rebuilding utility backbones in the impacted communities, new fires have formed in San Diego and LA County.
LA County Begins Arduous Cleanup, Rebuild Effort in Altadena as New Fire Flares

Jan 22, 2025 | enr.com | Scott Blair

During a survey of fire-damaged neighborhoods and business districts in Altadena, Calif., LA County Public Works Director Mark Pestrella highlighted to ENR the Herculean effort to come to mitigate hazards, clean up debris and rebuild entire neighborhoods lost in the Eaton and Paradise fires. See the exclusive video tour below. Even as crews have begun rebuilding utility backbones in the impacted communities, new fires have formed in the county and in San Diego. As of Jan.
Mark Pestrella: Originated InfrastructureLA Group to Boost Project Coordination, Maximize Funding and Prep for Calamities

Jan 16, 2025 | enr.com | Scott Blair

Mark Pestrella wasn’t born with a passion for public service, but, as in a proverbial coming-of-age story, fire transformed him at the age of 17. In 1980, he and his family lost their home and humble possessions to the Panorama wildfire, sparked by an unknown arsonist in San Bernardino County, Calif. While still overcoming his loss and anger, he went to college and became a civil engineer.
Los Angeles' Rebuilding Efforts Wait as Wildfires Continue to Burn

Jan 15, 2025 | enr.com | Scott Blair |Aileen Cho |C.J. Schexnayder

More than a week since wildfires broke out in the Los Angeles area stoked by hurricane force Santa Ana winds, officials are hoping the a change in the weather will soon allow the long process of recovery to begin. For now, federal, state and local emergency response teams remain focused on controlling the blazes that continue to threaten the region. As of Jan. 15, approximately 40,600 acres have burned and more than 12,300 structures have been destroyed. Twenty-four fatalities have been confirmed.
Los Angeles Recovery Crews Begin to Mobilize as Wildfires Continue to Burn

Jan 15, 2025 | enr.com | Scott Blair

More than a week since wildfires broke out in the Los Angeles area stoked by hurricane-force Santa Ana winds, officials are hoping that a change in the weather will soon allow the long process of recovery to begin. For now, federal, state and local emergency response teams remain focused on controlling the blazes that continue to threaten the region. As of Jan. 15, approximately 40,600 acres have burned and more than 12,300 structures have been destroyed. Twenty-four fatalities have been confirmed.
Judges Pick 20 Best in Class Project Teams for National Competition

Nov 26, 2024 | enr.com | Scott Blair

After many hours of review, discussion and debate, industry judges have chosen 20 projects as ENR’s Best of the Best, representing the pinnacle of design and construction achievement in their respective categories from across the U.S.The competition began last March with a call for entries, which resulted in more than 800 project teams submitting their best work to regional Best Projects competitions.