NEW YORK, NY – April 17, 2008 - Syska Hennessy Group was the recipient of a Diamond Award from the American Council of Engineering Companies of New York (ACECNY) as part of the organization's 2008 Engineering Excellence Awards competition.

The firm received the award for its design work on the National History Museum of the Adirondacks in Tupper Lake, NY. Called the Wild Center, the museum is a 35,000 square foot facility that showcases the natural environment and resources of the Adirondacks Park. It features exceptional live indoor exhibits, a panoramic theater, educational facilities, a restaurant, and retail areas. Additionally, there is a manmade pond outside with wetland marshes designed to integrate with one side of the building as well as related outdoor exhibits and hiking trails.

The museum’s creators envisioned a center which would chronicle the wonders of and educate visitors about the “largest Park in the lower 48 states…bigger than Yosemite, Glacier, Grand Canyon, Yellowstone and Great Smokey National Parks combined.” Syska Hennessy Group was commissioned as part of the design team working with architects HOK and exhibit designer Charles P. Reay to engineer and design an environment replicating the natural wilderness. The firm was responsible for all the mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire protection and life safety support systems (aquariums) as well as the audio visual, information technology.

The project has received a LEED Silver New Construction certification from the US Green Building Council, the first museum in New York State to achieve a LEED® rating.

SH Group, Inc. and its subsidiaries, Syska Hennessy Group, Inc. and Syska Hennessy Group Construction, Inc. (www.syska.com) is a national leader in consulting, engineering, technology and construction. The firm has helped engineer and construct some of the world's most innovative, technically sophisticated, and energy efficient buildings. Clients include leading corporations, fast-growing and high-tech companies, educational institutions, architectural and interior designers, and commercial developers, as well as state, local and federal government agencies. With offices in 16 cities throughout the U.S. and projects around the world, Syska’s market specific solutions are based on local knowledge and access, supported by national staff resources and specialized expertise.

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