DPR Construction (DPR), a national builder specializing in highly technical and sustainable projects, announced today the opening of its new San Francisco Bay Area Regional Office to honor their commitment to environmental responsibility and innovation. Previously located at 1050 Sansome Street, the new location at 945 Front Street will house the company’s existing full-time employees while also allowing for future growth. DPR’s San Francisco office, one of three integrated Bay Area offices, has been open for 18 years.

Producing as much or more energy than it consumes, DPR’s San Francisco office aims to achieve official Net-Zero Energy Building (NZEB) certification by the International Living Future Institute (ILFI) through its Living Building Challenge program. The San Francisco office will be the third DPR office to serve as a living lab for sustainability – the Phoenix office achieved net-zero energy certification in 2013 and the San Diego office should receive certification in late 2014. There are currently 12 buildings in the U.S. that have been certified as net zero energy by the International Living Future Institute's Living Building Challenge. The Los Altos-based David and Lucile Packard Foundation Headquarters is the closest net zero energy building to San Francisco, a project on which DPR served as the general contractor.

“We continue to see both our client base and work force expand in the Bay Area and to accommodate that growth, we sought a larger work space that would also allow us to renovate and incorporate cost-saving and environmentally-friendly features,” said Mike Humphrey, Regional Manager, DPR Construction. “We intend for our San Francisco office to become the third DPR office to achieve net zero energy certification and serve as a ‘living lab’ to test the newest and most intelligent energy efficient products on the market for others to see firsthand.”

The design team included San Francisco-based design firm FME Architecture + Design, Oakland-based consulting firm Integral Group and 58 other essential partners. “Through my experiences designing their Phoenix and Raleigh-Durham offices, I was well acquainted with DPR’s innovative spirit and thrilled to, once again, be part of a team willing to challenge convention in the pursuit of doing something extraordinary. There’s a contagious excitement that comes from being a part of something larger than ourselves,” said Jennifer Harding, AIA of FME Architecture + Design.

In five months, the team researched, designed, permitted and built the highly-efficient, 24,000-square-foot modern workplace with a number of sustainability features including:

• Targeting LEED NC v4 Platinum Certification
• 118kw photovoltaic (PV) system to produce renewable energy and provide power throughout the office, reducing the cost of electricity
• Complete structural renovation and roof replacement to support the PV system
• Rooftop solar thermal water heating system
• 19 Solatube750 DS Daylighting System
• Eight Velux solar-powered, automated operable skylights over the atrium
• Nine eight-foot Essence and four Haiku® Big Ass® Fans that efficiently promote air flow within the office
• Three living walls installed by Habitat Horticulture in addition to a living wine bar – live plants growing beneath the glass bar top
• Reclaimed redwood from the deconstructed Moffett Field Hangar One in Mountain View, Calif. and reclaimed Douglas Fir from piles salvaged from the San Francisco Transbay Transit Center Project
• Shared learning lab, fitness center and restrooms with subtenant

With intentional room for growth, DPR will not occupy the whole space on day one. “DPR is thrilled to be in sublease negotiations with another sustainable thought leader, Environmental Building Strategies (EBS). We share a common vision for responsibility in construction,” says Humphrey.

About DPR Construction

DPR Construction 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 offices around the country, making it one of the largest general contractors in the nation and a great story of entrepreneurial success. It is currently ranked No. 10 on FORTUNE’s “100 Best Companies to Work For” list and was recently identified as Largest Private Company in Silicon Valley Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal's list of the 75 largest private companies in Silicon Valley.