TEMPLE, TX

The Hemingway Medical Office Building in Temple, TX, recently completed by DPR, has been recognized for having one of the flattest and most level floor slabs placed anywhere in the world in 2010. In fact, the slab was just 1/100th of an inch away from the world record for flatness in the “Unshored Elevated Slab” category of the Golden Trowel Awards at the World of Concrete convention in Las Vegas. The Golden Trowel Award is the most prestigious and sought-after award in the concrete flooring industry.

SAN DIEGO, CA

Leaders from business and government, including the mayor of San Diego, gathered at DPR’s net-zero energy office building in March for an event showcasing the findings of a new report issued by The San Diego Foundation. “Economic Vitality: Clean Jobs in the San Diego Region” includes a regional climate change study, greenhouse gas emissions inventory, threat analysis to coastal infrastructure, and a public opinion survey. The event also featured a panel discussion on how private investment, public policy and philanthropy can drive clean jobs.

MESA, AZ

In July, Hospice of Arizona hosted the grand opening of its new freestanding “Greenfield House” inpatient unit located in Mesa, AZ. DPR completed construction of the 12,064-sq.-ft., one-story renovation and related site work. The interior build-out included 13 resident/patient suites, staff support and administrative spaces, family gathering areas, a café, a commercial kitchen, and an outdoor courtyard and healing garden. The Greenfield Comfort Garden, a feature element of the exterior site, honors former Arizona governor and 2011 Arizona Woman of the Year, Rose Mofford, for her life’s work and dedication to hospice services. The new facility is the first project for DPR and Hospice of Arizona.

ATLANTA, GA

This one time…at DPR…the Atlanta office got a taste of stardom. The cast of “American Reunion,” the latest in the “American Pie” franchise, used DPR’s open office environment over the Memorial Day weekend as a backdrop for filming. The film is expected to be released in spring 2012.

COSTA MESA, CA

Seven-year-old Julian has been battling a brain tumor for over two years. When DPR heard that his old playhouse was full of mold and was unsafe, employees jumped into action, designing and building a new two-story playhouse. The walls were assembled off site and lifted into place as Julian watched from inside his home. Half of the fun for Julian was the construction event that required a forklift and approximately 10 workers.

SAN DIEGO, CA

DPR’s San Diego office is officially a net-zero energy facility. On Earth Day, April 22, a year’s worth of energy usage information was analyzed. The office, which is targeting LEED-NC Platinum certification, more than met its lofty goal, generating on-site nearly 12,000 kilowatt-hours more than it consumed over the course of the year. The passive strategies, such as daylighting, stack effect and natural ventilation, reduced the energy consumption for HVAC and lighting by more than 50 percent than a typical office. The photovoltaic panels helped the energy meter run backward for the majority of the year, offsetting the heating demand during the cooler winter months.

AUSTIN, TX

In the Live Music Capital of the World, DPR helped local nonprofit CapCityKids organize its Read Write Rock! fundraiser at the legendary Antone’s Nightclub. More than 300 attendees enjoyed music, ranging from big-name headliners to winners of the high school battle of the bands competition. Hand screen-printed gig posters, reminiscent of early Antone’s shows, were given to guests. CapCityKids, which receives support from the DPR Foundation, funds programs that assist homeless children in the Austin school district to stay in school and succeed.

REDWOOD CITY, CA

In an effort to be more energy efficient and to beta test new technologies for customers, DPR has transformed its Redwood City office into a showroom of lighting technologies. With the installation of light-emitting diode (LED) fixtures and occupancy sensors, including wireless systems, the office is seeing energy savings of nearly 40 percent.

ORANGE COUNTY, CA

Rebuilding Together Orange County honored DPR with its “Founders House Award.” After seven consecutive years of Rebuilding Together to renovate local Boys & Girls Clubs, DPR was presented the award for an individual or organization that has made a profound impact on the quality of life for families in the community. In 2012, DPR will have the privilege to present the award to another community-minded organization.

SAN DIEGO, CA

At the Associated General Contractor’s Winter 2011 BIMForum event in San Diego, industry leaders gathered to discuss the adoption of BIM. DPR Project Engineer Nathan Wood described several of the advanced coordination strategies being used on the Sutter Medical Center Castro Valley project, including the use of detailed fabrication models, which were crucial to the success of coordinating the project’s building envelope around the large amounts of rebar and steel required for the seismically compliant hospital. By generating a 3D model out of the?skin fabricator’s 2D shop drawings using Tekla Structures, Wood was able to?directly compare the architect’s 3D Autodesk® Revit® model to the fabricator model and identify constructability issues prior to fabrication.

ATLANTA, GA

When construction began on the Georgia Institute of Technology School of Applied Physiology and Student Competition Center project in August 2010, the project already had its share of challenges with an aggressive schedule, budget constraints and a highly critical acoustical design within the laboratory spaces. Then, one month prior to the original completion date, the owner and design team approached DPR with a significant design change: The Student Competition Center, a separate space adjacent to the laboratory and research facilities, required a robust 200-ft.-long demising sound wall to be constructed. DPR’s self-perform work crews took on the challenge, laboring long hours to complete the wall in time to allow the installation of a prefabricated mezzanine and other trades to complete their work.

PHOENIX, AZ

DPR, in conjunction with the Arizona Diamondbacks, Major League Baseball, Magical Builders, Encompass Builders and numerous subcontractors, are renovating a Boys & Girls Club into a revitalized, Diamondbacks-inspired youth facility. Built in 1958, the club serves more than 500 kids daily in the southwest Phoenix community. Plans call for a new entrance canopy, new Solatubes to let in natural light, updated interior finishes, and updated mechanical and electrical systems for better efficiency.

WASHINGTON, DC

DPR’s Chris Gorthy participated in a roundtable discussion, hosted by the Associated General Contractors of America, on green construction at the National Building Museum with other leading architectural, construction, engineering and public policy officials. Moderated by Roger Lewis, architect and Washington Post columnist, panelists discussed the best techniques and practices for improving the efficiency and environmental performance of our built environment. Visit http://visiond.com/AGCwebcast/ to view the webcast.

SAN FRANCISCO, CA

In December 2010, DPR commenced physical work on one of its largest projects to date. DPR’s concrete division began installing the auger cast piles and concrete foundations for the $1.5 billion University of California, San Francisco, Medical Center at Mission Bay. The integrated hospital complex, which is targeting LEED-NC Gold certification, spans 878,000 gross sq. ft. and is scheduled to be completed in 2014

NATIONAL

Along with the hard work that goes into becoming a LEED Accredited Professional (AP), there are now stringent standards to maintain credentials. To ensure DPR’s more than 375 LEED APs stay accredited, as well as pursue a specialty (Building Design and Construction or Interior Design and Construction), DPR created a credentialing maintenance plan. In addition to equipping its own LEED APs with self-study materials and subscriptions to education platforms, DPR has submitted several courses to the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) for professional development approval. DPR currently has two approved courses that are available on the USGBC Course Catalog. Contact [email protected] to learn more.

AUSTIN, TX

Just across the street from the University of Texas Longhorns football stadium, DPR’s Special Services Group is underway on the Etter-Harbin Texas Exes Alumni Center addition & renovation project. The approximately $5 million project broke ground just days after the last football game of 2010 and will be completed just in time for the first football game of 2011.

CHANDLER, AZ

Digital Realty Trust selected DPR to construct its two-story shell and powered base building addition and expansion. The project consists of the development of approximately 238,000 sq. ft. of an existing 315,000-sq.-ft. operational data facility, built by DPR for a different customer in 2007. The project schedule, originally set for a May completion, has been extended into the fall due to additional scope awards. This is the fourth project on the Digital Realty Trust site that DPR has been awarded in less than a year.