GROVE CITY, Pa. – For the second time in two years, one of Grove City College’s newest buildings, Colonial Hall Apartments, has been awarded a Golden Trowel Award for excellence in masonry design and construction from the International Masonry Institute. The Breen Student Union received the same award two years ago.

The apartments, along with the Duda World Culture Building at California University of Pennsylvania, were judged the best in the higher education category. Overall, more than 60 entries were submitted for the western Pennsylvania regional contest, which features 10 categories.

In its second year of operation, Colonial Hall Apartments offers apartment-style housing primarily for senior students. The $13 million building is located on lower campus and houses about 208 upperclassmen. TEDCO Construction Corp. of Carnegie, Pa., managed construction for the project.

The Golden Trowel Awards recognize those involved in a project: architects, owners, general contractors, construction managers, masonry contractors and craft workers. Awards are presented for design in various building markets and in all of the trowel trades, including brick and block, stone, restoration, tile and more. Projects are judged by juries of noted architects, contractors, educators and craft workers.

Projects must use masonry materials – brick, stone, tile, terrazzo, concrete or glass block, marble, mosaic and plaster – as dominant exterior and/or interior components. The competition is free and open to registered architects, mason contractors, general contractors, masonry manufacturers and suppliers.

The awards will be presented on Oct. 23 at the Hilton Pittsburgh.