As a company, DPR Construction has a deep-seated commitment to sustainability, its employees, and the communities it serves. A couple of years ago, when the lease for its Phoenix office came up, the firm seized the opportunity to create an ultra-green environment for its 101-person Phoenix office and field staff.
Working with A/E firm SmithGroupJJR, DPR converted a vacant 16,533-sf one-time “adult-themed boutique” in the city’s reemerging Discovery Triangle into a LEED-NC Platinum office, one that is on target to be the first net-zero commercial office building in Arizona.
The Building Team—including sustainability consultant DNV KEMA and consulting structural engineer PK Associates—forged numerous paths to energy reduction. They used an 87-foot zinc-clad solar chimney to create a convection current that draws air into the building through four evaporative cooling “shower towers” equipped with internal misters and showerheads. The pre-cooled air then flows through the open office space, and hot air exhausts back through the chimney.
PROJECT SUMMARY
DPR CONSTRUCTION, PHOENIX REGIONAL OFFICE
Phoenix, Ariz.Building Team
Submitting firm: SmithGroupJJR (architect/MEP engineer), in conjunction with DPR Construction (owner/developer/GC)
Structural engineer: PK Associates Consulting Structural Engineers
Sustainability consultant: DNV KEMA Energy & SustainabilityGeneral Information
Size: 16,533 sf
Construction cost: $3,762,000
Construction time: February 2011 to October 2011
Delivery method: Design-build
Twelve eight-foot-diameter fans, three oversized roll-up doors, and 87 operable windows installed along the east and north façades further support the building’s passive cooling system. Eighty-two solar optical tubes bring additional daylight into the workspace, helping to cut artificial lighting by 70%.
LEDs provide exterior site lighting, but the team decided against using LEDs on the interior because they did not meet the project goal of a maximum 10-year return on investment. A phantom-load reduction “vampire” switch cuts off 90% of plug loads at night.
The tally: Net energy use intensity was cut to 28.85 kBtu/sf/year; lighting power density was reduced to 0.96 watts/sf. Net-zero energy was achieved through the installation of a 79.6 kW PV-covered canopy over half the parking lot.
To further its commitment to the community, DPR has opened its building to host meetings for local business groups, students, and nonprofit organizations. +
Related Stories
Architects | Apr 2, 2024
AE Works announces strategic acquisition of WTW Architects
AE Works, an award-winning building design and consulting firm is excited to announce that WTW Architects, a national leader in higher education design, has joined the firm.
Office Buildings | Apr 2, 2024
SOM designs pleated façade for Star River Headquarters for optimal daylighting and views
In Guangzhou, China, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) has designed the recently completed Star River Headquarters to minimize embodied carbon, reduce energy consumption, and create a healthy work environment. The 48-story tower is located in the business district on Guangzhou’s Pazhou Island.
K-12 Schools | Apr 1, 2024
High school includes YMCA to share facilities and connect with the broader community
In Omaha, Neb., a public high school and a YMCA come together in one facility, connecting the school with the broader community. The 285,000-sf Westview High School, programmed and designed by the team of Perkins&Will and architect of record BCDM Architects, has its own athletic facilities but shares a pool, weight room, and more with the 30,000-sf YMCA.
Market Data | Apr 1, 2024
Nonresidential construction spending dips 1.0% in February, reaches $1.179 trillion
National nonresidential construction spending declined 1.0% in February, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of data published today by the U.S. Census Bureau. On a seasonally adjusted annualized basis, nonresidential spending totaled $1.179 trillion.
Affordable Housing | Apr 1, 2024
Biden Administration considers ways to influence local housing regulations
The Biden Administration is considering how to spur more affordable housing construction with strategies to influence reform of local housing regulations.
Affordable Housing | Apr 1, 2024
Chicago voters nix ‘mansion tax’ to fund efforts to reduce homelessness
Chicago voters in March rejected a proposed “mansion tax” that would have funded efforts to reduce homelessness in the city.
Standards | Apr 1, 2024
New technical bulletin covers window opening control devices
A new technical bulletin clarifies the definition of a window opening control device (WOCD) to promote greater understanding of the role of WOCDs and provide an understanding of a WOCD’s function.
Adaptive Reuse | Mar 30, 2024
Hotel vs. office: Different challenges in commercial to residential conversions
In the midst of a national housing shortage, developers are examining the viability of commercial to residential conversions as a solution to both problems.
Sustainability | Mar 29, 2024
Demystifying carbon offsets vs direct reductions
Chris Forney, Principal, Brightworks Sustainability, and Rob Atkinson, Senior Project Manager, IA Interior Architects, share the misconceptions about carbon offsets and identify opportunities for realizing a carbon-neutral building portfolio.
Reconstruction & Renovation | Mar 28, 2024
Longwood Gardens reimagines its horticulture experience with 17-acre conservatory
Longwood Gardens announced this week that Longwood Reimagined: A New Garden Experience, the most ambitious revitalization in a century of America’s greatest center for horticultural display, will open to the public on November 22, 2024.
