Building Better, Safer and Smarter: A Culture That Puts People First

Vantage Data Center CA2 Campus

Owner: Vantage Data Centers
Location: Santa Clara, CA
Completion Date: January 2025
Partners: Sheehan Nagle Hartray Architects

The Center CA2 campus was a multi-year, phased site re-development for Vantage Data Centers (Vantage) in the heart of Silicon Valley. DPR delivered 600,000 sq. ft. of mission-critical facilities across the nine-acre campus. In total, CA2 provides 541,000. sq. ft. of data hall space and 77 megawatts of computer power to Vantage's tenants.

Vantage’s Vision Zero program aims to drive EHS incidents to zero. Adopting this strategy required the project team to create a culture in support of this shared vision. The team also established a Safety Recognition Program to incentivize and reward team members for going above and beyond. The CA2 project was awarded the Vision Award for North America, which celebrates partners who establish an exemplary safety culture, for two consecutive years.

Vantage measures safety inspection completion across all their projects and then ranks projects based on their total completed inspections. DPR's projects with Vantage in the Northwest secured spots among the top performers in North America, placing first, second, third and fifth. In 2024, Vantage awarded the CA2 project, in addition to the WA13 and CA31 projects, the NSC Perfect Record for executing twelve consecutive months without a lost-time injury.

Mayo Clinic West Expansion

Owner: Mayo Clinic
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Completion Date: June 2024
Partners: HKS, Inc., PK Associates, Kimley Horn, WSP

Developed in phases, the Mayo Clinic West Expansion added a new 583,000-sq.-ft., seven-story patient tower, included the demolition and rebuilding of the emergency department, a new structural core-and-shell for an ICU connection to the existing operating rooms, more than 75,000 sq. ft. of TI space, and reconfiguring parking, a helipad and active staff and patient entrances. The project was part of “Arizona. Bold. Forward.”, a larger $748-million campus expansion to double the size of the Phoenix campus over five years.

While the technical complexity of the project was significant, DPR’s top priority was protecting the people who brought it to life. To foster a people-first safety culture, the team introduced a “buddy walk” system--two team members walking the site together, approximately a dozen times a week to perform safety inspections, reviewing pre-task plans and fostering relationships with craft professionals. This approach encouraged mentorship, collaboration and accountability. Special emphasis was placed on protecting tradespeople working in Arizona’s extreme heat. Multiple cool-down tents were placed throughout the site and wherever possible, activities were shifted to night-time hours, reducing the amount of time workers were exposed to sun. Twice daily, teams distributed electrolytes and reinforced hydration and extra breaks and shifted lunch breaks from outdoor tents to cooler spaces inside the building.

20 Massachusetts Avenue

Owner: RMR Group
Location: Washington, DC
Completion Date: September 2023
Partners: Leo A Daly, Mark G. Anderson Consultants, Inc.

The 20 Mass project transformed an aging seven-story office building into a vibrant mixed-use destination near Capitol Hill. The team’s innovative use of prefabrication and detailed planning ensured that the project was completed on schedule and within budget, setting a new standard for safety and efficiency in construction.

Due to its location, the project encountered significant challenges, including a narrow alleyway that served as an active loading dock and garage, while also functioning as a pedestrian walkway for the community. One of the most significant safety measures was the use of prefabricated panels, recommended by DPR’s self-perform teams, which reduced on-site construction activities, significantly reducing potential hazards and ensuring that the alleyway remained safe and accessible for pedestrians. Other prefabrication techniques applied on this project include SurePods bathroom installations, which further streamlined construction and minimized waste.

Additionally, the team streamlined work and reduced rework through a detailed logistics plan and constructability reviews. A full-time EHS manager led a safety committee of trade partner professionals, promoting safety through regular communication and training.

Indeed Office Tower

Owner: Indeed, Inc.
Location: Austin, TX
Completion Date: August 2023
Designer: Perkins & Will

The Indeed office tower, a 39-story Class A tower in downtown Austin, features a 330,000-sq.-ft. first-generation interior fit-out across levels 27-36. The EHS program was implemented with a comprehensive approach, emphasizing safety and empowering craft workers through proactive initiatives like detailed onboarding, adapting plans to site conditions, and feedback during meetings.

From the start, safety was embedded into the project culture through comprehensive onboarding, including kickoff meetings and Incident-Free Environment (IFE) training that brought trade partners and workers into a shared mindset. Digital tools like HammerTech and SmartTagIt supported this culture by enabling real-time safety audits, pre-task planning, and coaching—turning everyday practices into opportunities for learning, accountability and continuous improvement.

In addition to prioritizing safety, the team embraced smart building strategies that streamlined processes and improved overall efficiency on site. Prefabrication reduced waste, debris removal, and manual hours while speeding up installation. Innovations like Dusty Robotics enabled precise layouts five times faster than traditional methods, saving time and improving workflow. The combined strategies enhanced safety, efficiency and project outcomes.

Phase 5 cGMP Warehouse

Owner: United Therapeutics
Location: Durham, NC
Completion Date: June 2023
Partners: Hanbury, AEI, NV5, Cornerstone Commissioning, Inc.

United Therapeutics’ Phase 5 cGMP warehouse is a state-of-the-art facility dedicated to the production and distribution of Tyvaso DPI, a new inhalation device for treating pulmonary arterial hypertension and interstitial lung disease.

Safety was at the core of the project team's success, which included more than 750 skilled craftworkers. The project involved more than 125,000 on-site hours, all achieved with zero recordable or lost time incidents. Safety planning began in the early stages of the design-build process, with extensive discussions on constructability and sequencing to streamline work and eliminate re-work, leave-out areas, or trade stacking.

DPR utilized short interval planning through BIM360 and weekly work plans to ensure alignment among trade partners regarding work areas, crew counts, durations and site conditions. This approach facilitated collaboration and conversation among trade partners, ensuring alignment for safe and efficient execution of work. A phased logistics plan provided staging and workflow for each phase, and an offsite storage building within a mile of the site allowed for material prefabrication and storage, keeping the job site free of excess materials.