Shawmut Design and Construction's luxury retail unit, located at 3 East 54th St., was recently honored by the Association of Retail Environments (A.R.E.) with its Outstanding Merit Award for construction of the LACOSTE Fifth Ave. Flagship Store. Shawmut received the honor in the category Softline Specialty Store 3,001 to 7,500 s/f in the Association's 2012 A.R.E. Design Awards. The design features a floating, illuminated concrete staircase in the center of the store. The staircase features polished stainless steel, low-iron star fire clear glass balustrades, inset concrete treads, illuminated metal pans, and leather-wrapped hand rails. Other key design elements include a faux crocodile upholstered wall treatment and custom chandelier fixtures. More than 1,000 s/f was added to the retail floor by redesigning wall units and fixtures, and relocating an elevator. The store also features 30 LCD screens and a new sound system. "Shawmut's ability to continuously deliver high-end retail spaces both on time and on budget has helped us earn our reputation as the nation's trusted leader in luxury retail construction," said William Pisani, vice president of retail. "We are honored to accept this award." The A.R.E. Design Awards is an international competition which honors all aspects of retail design from across the globe. 2012 winning projects were located in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, U.K., France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Austria, India, Singapore and Brazil. Shawmut Design and Construction, located in New York City, is a national construction management firm that builds exciting projects for distinguished clients. As an ESOP (employee-owned) company, Shawmut's main objective is delivering exceptional, personalized service to clients. Project teams take the time to truly listen to clients' goals and concerns while implementing comprehensive tools and services. Shawmut's unique business model allows project teams to better service clients by focusing their specialized expertise within one of the following areas: academic, commercial, corporate interiors, cultural and historic, gaming, healthcare and science, hotels, restaurants, retail, and spas and health clubs. Shawmut has offices located in Boston, New York, Las Vegas, Providence, and New Haven.