Some projects change your resume.
This one changed us.
When the Alice L. Walton School of Medicine project landed on our radar, it wasn’t by chance, it was by reputation. Bentonville’s parks had already done the talking. From Lake Atlanta Park to Centennial Park in Fayetteville, to Osage Park and Kohler Park, each project pushed our crews to deliver bigger, more complex work, and people took notice. So, when interviews began, the design team already understood what Crossland would bring to the table: “we move earth, we pour concrete, we set steel, we’re real builders with real versatility, a combination that’s rare in our market,” states Chris Schnurbusch, VP of South East Region.
When we got the call, the excitement was real, but so was the pressure. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, a project unlike anything we had tackled before, and everyone on the team knew the bar had just been raised.
A Landmark Project in Arkansas
The moment the plans hit our desks, reality set in. There were no right angles. Lighting came up from the floor. Angles, curves, and an 80-foot cantilever reaching past its last support, holding three floors, a green roof, dirt, concrete, and stone. Nothing about this building was simple. Nothing about it was standard. You don’t just “figure that out” you fight through it.
Before work could even begin, the team had to understand the building at a fundamental level. The Dewey DAG anchor system, which secured the backside of the cantilever, was one of the biggest engineering challenges. The structural steel was another, heavier, more complex, and far less forgiving than anything our crews had erected before. John Dye and his steel team carried that responsibility, and the expectations that came with it.
And then came the rooftop garden: over 1,000 plants, hills, swales, and landscaping that demanded coordination and logistics on a scale rarely seen in commercial construction. It was complex, no question. But impossible? Not for this team.
“There Will Be No Plan B.”
As the schedule tightened, the owner asked the question no construction team wants to hear: “Do we need a Plan B?”
Brad Hamilton, the senior superintendent, didn’t hesitate. “No. There will be no Plan B.”
That moment shifted everything. The team locked in, held the line, held the plan, and committed to finishing the job without excuses or backup options. Doubt never came from anyone wearing a Crossland hard hat. The team believed they would make it, and they did.
A Build That Redefined What’s Possible
Today, the Alice L. Walton School of Medicine stands as a world-class facility that blends architecture, nature, and well-being. And behind it is a Crossland team that poured everything they had into making it happen.
During the grand opening, the praise was abundant:
- “Their quality and execution were incredible.”
- “This is the best combination of architect and constructor we’ve ever worked with.”
- “The way Crossland worked within my expectations was exceptional.”
- “Working with the Crossland team was magical—they understood our mission from day one.”
- “It was the honor of a lifetime.”
This project demanded creativity, endurance, emotional resilience, deep technical skill, and a culture strong enough to withstand the pressure. Every discipline, earthwork, steel, concrete, landscaping, coordination, leadership, showed up at full force. This build didn’t just push Crossland. It recalibrated what we know we can do.
The Legacy
Ask anyone who worked on this job, and you’ll hear the same energy in their voice. They drive their families by the site. They talk about the engineering challenges, the relationships forged, the stressful days, the breakthroughs, and the pride that still shows up when they tell the story.
And they’ll all say it plainly: after a project like this, there’s not much we can’t accomplish.
That’s what makes this project worthy of the Legacy Award, not just the complexity, not just the scale, not just the architecture, but the people behind it. Their grit, their commitment to each other, and their refusal to accept Plan B are what brought this project to life.
Congratulations to the entire team behind the Alice L. Walton School of Medicine.
This project will stand for generations—because of you.
