DPR Construction, one of the nation’s leading technical builders focused on highly complex and sustainable projects, today celebrates the ribbon-cutting of The David and Lucile Packard Foundation’s new Bay Area office building, which joins a growing trend of net-zero energy facilities in the United States. Designed to use less energy as well as generate its own power on-site, the new building, which is also targeting LEED® Platinum certification, offers a replicable model for attaining the highest level of sustainable development in a commercial office building setting and is one of the first of its size and type in the nation.

“Today marks the celebration of a traditional milestone for what has been anything but a traditional project,” said Mike Humphrey, project executive for DPR Construction. “A lot of people think and act green, but we commend the Packard Foundation for its leadership in taking sustainability to the next level. The project is not only targeting 95 LEED points—well above the minimum 80 required for Platinum level certification—but also includes some of the most advanced and efficient systems and materials available today.”

The 50,000-square-foot, two-story wood and steel structure, designed by architect EHDD, seamlessly blends into the surrounding natural environment, presenting an understated yet elegant aesthetic that belies the complexity of the design components and construction processes that went into the project. From the diverse array of exterior building materials, including aluminum, glazing, copper panels, stone, stone veneer and wood siding—all carefully overlaid to form a highly thermal rated exterior skin—to the highly energy efficient mechanical and electrical systems, to the rooftop photovoltaic panels that generate on-site energy, every building component contributes to the net-zero energy goal.

DPR began the project in early 2010 with the deconstruction of six existing structures and diverting 98 percent of the waste from landfill. According to DPR Project Manager Mike Messick, the team also worked closely with major trade contractors to correctly sequence the construction of the exterior skin.

“The waterproofing system as well as the thermal insulation of the exterior skin were really crucial and extremely complicated, because there were so many different materials and intersections coming together,” he said. To accomplish that, DPR first constructed a full-sized mock-up section. “We were able to ferret out a lot of the sequencing issues of putting together such a complex skin system designed specifically to help achieve the zero-energy goal,” Messick noted.

In addition to the Packard Foundation project, DPR has completed construction of two other net-zero energy buildings: DPR’s San Diego office and DPR’s Phoenix office. “By building and operating our own net-zero buildings, we can better understand what goes into achieving net zero on projects for our clients,” said Humphrey.

DPR’s 33,600-square-foot San Diego office, completed in 2010, is the first and only commercial office in San Diego to achieve both LEED-NC Platinum certification and net-zero energy status. DPR’s 16,000-square-foot Phoenix facility, completed in fall of last year, is targeting Platinum certification and is on track to be the first net-zero energy private office building in Arizona.

About DPR Construction

DPR Construction, currently ranked No. 13 on FORTUNE’s “100 Best Companies to Work For” list, is a forward-thinking national general contractor and construction manager specializing in technically complex and sustainable projects for the advanced technology/mission critical, life sciences, healthcare, higher education and corporate office markets. Founded in 1990, DPR is a privately held, employee-owned company that has grown to a multi-billion-dollar organization with 17 offices around the country, making it one of the largest general contractors in the nation and a great story of entrepreneurial success.