Delivering a new landmark, DPR Construction celebrated the completion of its Domain 11 project. The project is part of what many consider to be Austin’s “second downtown” within the growing Domain North development.

In just over 17 months, DPR’s team, including a robust self-perform work (SPW) crew, constructed a 16-story office building and parking garage that contains a 338,900-sq.-ft., nine-level office core/shell and a 560,000-sq.-ft., seven-level parking structure. The ground floor includes parking, lobby, occupied office space and 8,100 sq. ft. of retail space. Targeting LEED® Silver certification, Domain 11 can be seen from miles away as the tallest office tower within the whole development.

“It’s pretty sweet, and Domain 11 was definitely the tallest Class A office tower to come to the Domain. It has made a visual statement as much as anything. You can see the Domain 11 & Domain 12 office towers from downtown’s {Austin} office towers,” says Brett Bickford, Project Manager in Austin.

Innovation Leads to Savings

DPR’s preconstruction team tapped into the SPW team’s concrete and formwork expertise to adapt the overall structure to better suit the customer. Originally, plans called for a concrete pan joist slab structure, which often requires extra labor and more time to construct the formwork system. SPW concrete crews instead used the Doka formwork table system, with tables up to 48’x 28’ in size, that could be quickly transferred to the next level, reducing the overall duration required to form the concrete frame structure.

Using the Doka formwork table system led to increased productivity and a tighter schedule. The method saved money and increased productivity on top of saving four weeks on the construction schedule.

Additionally, the formwork system provided a better concrete finish on the underside of the elevated decks. Exceeding expectations of a Class C finish, the customer was impressed when the concrete was close to a Class B finish, providing higher quality and featuring exposed structure in the design.

"We were consistent in DPR's values and goals for customer service. This was the second project with TIER REIT (developer). Client satisfaction was always top priority for our project team," said Brett.

Embracing the DPR culture on the jobsite with SPW

The Domain 11 team consciously worked to build a culture that made every worker feel like an integral part of construction. All of the SPW trade partners and the project management team worked in the same jobsite field office, fostering collaboration and inclusion between different partners. With a unified team, the relationship with the customer grew as everyone rallied for the same goal—the team finished concrete work a month early, translating to savings for the customer, and with clear communication, predictable outcomes were ensured.

“We had amazing SPW partnerships. This project team has strived to perform work as one team, eliminating the labels in the office (i.e. GC team, Concrete team, etc.). We are just DPR,” says Brett.

Above It All

Rising high above its surroundings, Domain 11 leaves its mark on the northern Austin skyline and gives people a new perspective of the city.

“This was a very exciting project to be a part of! The Tier Reit, Endeavor Real Estate Group, Gensler, DPR Construction team was one of the best I have worked with. This collaborative team produced a top-notch project and had fun doing it. Currently, the Domain 11 office building is the tallest building in North Austin. As the building was constructed, the higher the structure went the better you could see Austin’s downtown skyline. It was cool to see this new perspective of Austin. Soon, Domain will have its own skyline,” says Brandon Murphy, Project Executive.

DPR is looking forward to being a part of the “new downtown” as northern Austin continues to grow and innovate.