DPR Construction Honored with 'Orchid' Award for Sustainable Design by the San Diego Architectural Foundation

SAN DIEGO, CA, November 20, 2010 (Press-News.org) DPR Construction was honored with an Orchid for the sustainable design of its San Diego regional headquarters. The Orchids and Onions Awards, produced by the San Diego Architecture Foundation, annually recognizes the good and the bad of San Diego urban design and planning projects.

"Our San Diego office is a forward thinking, sustainable and vibrant office," said Jay Leopold, regional manager of DPR Construction. "We brought the outside in by creating a space that uses natural lighting and ventilation systems that not only promotes a quality work environment but also greatly reduces energy consumption. We are honored that our new office has been recognized by our industry peers."

The 24,000 square-foot DPR regional headquarters was designed to be Net Zero Energy and is pursuing LEED Platinum certification through the U.S. Green Building Council. The office incorporates natural ventilation, day lighting systems, low-flow plumbing fixtures, skylights, glass roll-up doors and roof monitors. In addition to utilizing high recycled content materials in its framework, the building's 64 kilowatt photovoltaic system was designed to generate enough power to offset its annual energy consumption.

The DPR office was acknowledged with an Orchid for creating a space expressive of DPR's corporate culture while upholding its commitment to sustainability. Each year, a jury of design professionals and artists judge projects in a variety of categories nominated by the public. Categories include architecture, interior design, landscape architecture, historic preservation, sustainable design, urban design, planning policies and public art.

DPR Construction's project team was comprised of Elizabeth Barrie, Jeff Cole, Jerry McElfresh and Mark Seidl. In addition, Jonathan Wood of Seattle-based Callison served as the architect of the project and KEMA provided LEED consultation.

About DPR Construction
DPR Construction, named by FORTUNE as one of the "100 Best Companies to Work For," is a forward-thinking national general contractor and construction manager specializing in technically complex and sustainable projects. A privately held, employee-owned company, DPR has grown to more than $1 billion in annual revenue, making it one of the largest general contractors in the nation. Locally, DPR is a perennial Top 5 general contractor with annual revenue averaging over $200 million. DPR's San Diego office is located at 5010 Shoreham Place. For more information about DPR, visit http://www.dpr.com.