Austin office features “look and feel” of DPR with a Texas flair

While the rest of the country was celebrating a new millennium, the gang in DPR’s Austin office marked the start of 2000 with a January move to a 13,335-sq.-ft. office - more than double the size of DPR’s previous digs.

The new space features DPR’s hallmark bright-colored, open-office look but adds a Texas twist, including an inlaid Texas Lone Star emblem on the reception area floor, as well as conference rooms and ‘pods’ named with a Texan theme or after places in Austin. For example, the training room was named the Hill Country Training Room, and the large conference room is called Lone Star.

Despite the name, there were no “lone stars” when it came to creating the look and feel of the Austin office. “All decisions about the design were made as a group,” said Jim Yauger, area manager for DPR. “The whole office contributed to the direction of the design theme, and we worked together to create a space that not only reflects the DPR philosophy but gives clients a taste of Texas the moment they walk in the door.”

The architect, Waddill Group of Dallas, visited DPR’s San Diego, Seattle and Redwood City offices (where conference rooms are named after dearly departed rock stars) to get an idea of what other DPR offices were like and incorporated such common design themes as wavy carpet patterns that correspond with patterns in the ceiling and open-office cubicles with low partitions. However, the traditional DPR wine bar, which can be found in all offices, serves beer and features Marmoleum flooring, colored and pieced together to look like tanned cow hides. And, rather than a break room, the Austin office has a back porch.

“Despite the rumors, we promise that there are no gun racks,” said Yauger. “We are tremendously proud of our new office, especially since it also represents DPR’s growth in the Austin Area.”

The office was opened in 1994 with a total of five employees (including Yauger). Two years and many projects later, DPR expanded and rented an additional suite across the hall from the original office to house the growing staff. And now, the new office is home to DPR’s 62 employees in Austin with options to lease additional space in years to come - giving DPR plenty of room to grow.