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DPR Construction GREEN BUILDING
Green building is what this firm does, not just promotes. Forging a new path in the area of green building, DPR Construction has been ranked in the top 50 of general contractors for over a decade.
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national | green building
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green building | nationby Rebecca Rodriguez
Not only has DPR Construction been ranked in the top 50 of general contractors across the country for the past 14 years, but it is forging a path toward a new age in green building. “Our vision has been that it (green building) is something we do rather than something we promote. In less than five years it will be intrinsic to our process,” said Ted van der Linden, Director of Sustainability for DPR. Van der Linden went on to say that green building in some respects is still in its infancy. He likened the growing prevalence of green building code changes to that of the government requiring buildings to be handicapped (ADA) compliant. At first the process can be perplexing, but as markets are educated and allowed to explore the notion of green building design, it soon becomes easily accomplished and the status quo. More often, DPR clients are asking about the first costs and strategies for creating a green building. Growing exponentially, the company’s project awards this year are about 80 percent green. Currently 60 DPR projects are LEED-certified and 10 of those are LEED platinum, the highest of LEED rankings. DPR has 17 offices across the country focusing on projects ranging from Life Sciences, Mission Critical, Corporate Office, and Health care. Throughout the various offices are 375 LEED accredited professionals (LEED APs) helping customers develop the best green strategies for their projects. The majority of DPR’s green projects focus on energy and water consumption. Natural ventilation by way of windows is also focused on where climate permits. “Instead of a dungeon approach we have these wonderful design parameters where the employees are connected to the outdoors and are then ultimately more productive,” he said. Indoor air quality is also very important. The building products and materials should have a low VOC content. A building should not smell like a new building, he said. If a building has that new smell then that’s bad and likely off gassing of VOCs, he said. One of the company’s first green projects in 1998 was cutting edge in that it included an early installation of under floor air distribution. “The lungs of the building were below your feet in a plenum instead of above your head in ductwork,” van der Linden said. After 1998 until around 2003, van der Linden said the company spent much time convincing clients that building green was a good idea. Today, clients want more from their design and construction team. DPR is poised to assist and drive innovation as it relates to providing proven energy and water reduction strategies. Summer 2010 5
national | green building “We just want to build the most energy efficient, high performance building possible,” van der Linden said. Building sensible green projects means building what makes the most economically viable sense for the client, he said. “We want to provide budgets and ultimately construct the most energy efficient, high performance building they can afford,” he said, adding that it might not always mean aiming for platinum level. Understanding what the payback periods are is a focus for DPR, and providing that level of information really helps the team in making the best decisions for the sustainable strategies. Each company we work for is motivated towards sustainability in different ways. Some companies are highly interested in a LEED platinum rating for that status, and others want to do everything they can do for the environment, regardless of certification. Van der Linden said they are proud to be able serve either approach. The Carnegie Institute of Washington’s Global Ecology Center was completed by DPR and stands out as a model of green construction and design and did not seek to be LEED certified. The building was naturally ventilated with little air conditioning needed. From a storage tank on the roof 55 degree water, cooled from the night air, was piped through radiant slabs throughout the building. In addition to the radiant slab heating and cooling, the building features low flow water fixtures, thermal storage, and storm water recovery and reuse. Two of the building’s most notable sustainable elements are the Night Sky cooling system and a 45-ft. katabatic cooling tower. The cooling system, which features a roof irrigation system on a metal panel roof, is activated in the evenings to provide cold water that is funneled through the roof gutters and rainwater leaders, and is stored in a thermal storage tank for the building’s radiant cooling system. The katabatic cooling tower has a structural steel “wind catcher” that captures wind driven by the downward movement of cold air. The air descends through the tower, passing through a cold water mister about a third of the way down, and into the main lobby. The center also features sunshades, high-performance glazing, efficient ventilation with heat recovery, light shelves, a naturally ventilated top floor, rainwater catchments, spectrally selective roofing, and a fully daylight interior with lighting controls. Van der linden agreed that DPR, because of its focus and commitment to environmental responsibility, has landed them in a leadership position in the green building industry. Part of that role has been taking green building to a deeper level such 6 Construction Leaders Today
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green building | nationas focusing on regional materials (within 500 miles to job site) and not shipping in materials from too far away and attempting to provide a job to an employee that is closer to where he lives to reduce environmental footprint of their employees. For most LEED projects the overall cost is about 1 percent to 3 percent. Projects aimed at the basic LEED certification have nearly a zero first cost impact, he said. But for those requiring more complex and energy efficient mechanical and water reduction systems, costs can rise depending on those selections. A majority of the green projects have a cost payback in the two to four year range, he said. At DPR nearly forty percent of the professional staff are LEED APs. “Our staff is very well versed,” van der Linden said. We have a continuing education program in place for staff and much training is being focused on energy and water systems. All employees at DPR require 80 hours of continuing education and 15 to 20 of those hours are being targeted towards green building. Van der Linden’s vision for five years down the road is not 80 percent of DPR projects being constructed energy efficient and high performance, but 100 percent. He explained that green building touches all DPR employees involved in the building process, including the superintendent and project manager. “Our goal is for green building to be intrinsic to each role that DPR has today,” van der Linden said. With green building being such an integral part of DPR Construction it can only grow stronger over the years bringing the company closer to that goal. CLT 1. Sacred Heart Schools, Atherton, Calif. The newly constructed Michael J. Homer Science and Student Life Center earned the first Platinum-level LEED certification for a school in the nation. Photo courtesy of DPR Construction, Inc. 2-3. Carnegie Institution of Washington Global Ecology Center, Stanford, Calif. This high-energy efficiency building consists of a 10,890 sq. ft. research and office building and a 3,530 sq. ft. warehouse. Two of the building’s sustainable elements are the Night Sky cooling system and a 45-ft. katabatic cooling tower. Photo courtesy of DPR Construction, Inc. 4-5. Arizona State University Polytechnic Academic Buildings, Mesa, Ariz. This 248,000 sq. ft. three-building campus includes 14 teaching laboratories, 44 academic classrooms, 273 faculty offices and space for growth. Sustainable features of the buildings include low-E exterior glass, which provides natural daylight and views, and perforated metal screens that shade the buildings. Photos courtesy of DPR Construction, Inc. Summer 2010 7
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