Rising from the remains of the former Castle Boutique on 44th Street and Van Buren, DPR Construction’s new Phoenix headquarters – the DPR Boutique – opened today as a living laboratory for how to live and work sustainably in our desert environment.

Located in the heart of the Discovery Triangle development zone, the DPR Boutique is on track to be the first Net Zero building in Arizona, where on-site renewable energy generation is equal to or greater than consumption. It is a short walk from the 44th Street light rail stop and incorporates numerous green building features and systems to inspire, educate and encourage clients and the community on green building design.

“We’re proud of our new office and how it physically, environmentally and visibly represents our core values and culture,” said Dave Elrod, regional manager of DPR Phoenix. “While many building owners may think it’s impossible to turn a 30-year-plus old building at the end of its intended life cycle into something forward-thinking and sustainable, that is precisely what we’ve achieved for our new home.”

To help celebrate the building’s opening, Councilman Michael Johnson and the Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center's (SARRC) GardenWorks program will participate in a ceremonial planting and ribbon cutting.

DPR Construction has built its reputation in green construction through excellence in client projects. The company wanted its Phoenix headquarters to reflect its commitment to innovative construction practices and sustainable design. DPR took on the challenge to turn an existing structure into a completely net-zero building that is also a comfortable and efficient workspace for its employees. Using prior experiences, the team was able to reduce design time and sustainability consulting fees by 75 percent.

“SmithGroup is excited to be a part of part this visionary project undertaken by DPR,” said Mike Medici, AIA, managing director SmithGroup. “Their innovative approach will be a leading example of sustainable urban development for the Greater Phoenix area.”

Examples of the building’s sustainable design:

• Clad in zinc, the roof's solar chimney is an integral part of the building’s passive heating and cooling design. The zinc used for this solar chimney is extra material from a previous project, making good use of existing resources.
• Other features of the natural ventilation system include automatically adjusting windows, shower towers and tubular daylighting.
• Four shower towers provide up to four tons of cooling at peak operating conditions.
• The towers feature inexpensive plastic tubing and dual shower heads to create air flow pulling water up and dispersing it back through the shower heads and misting heads to provide evaporative cooling effect.
• 79-kilowatt solar array offsets 100 percent of power demand while providing shaded parking.
• The xeriscape landscaping is designed to provide shade and provide additional passive cooling.

"We are excited to open our new office to the public and share the numerous green building features and systems,” said Elrod. “People will be able to see for themselves that it is possible to live and work sustainably in this desert environment. We hope our visitors will be informed, educated, and most of all inspired to think about changes they can make in their own projects, at work and at home.”