Prepping for Hospital Projects

DPR is providing preconstruction services for two major hospital projects: an expansion and renovation of VacaValley Hospital in Vacaville and a new patient wing addition and central plant for Fremont–Rideout Medical Center in Yuba City. Both being designed and built to meet California’s Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development (OSHPD) standards, the two projects, totaling some $40 million, are expected to break ground in December 2004 and mid 2005, respectively. The VacaValley project includes a 10,000-sq.-ft. expansion of the emergency department, creation of a new main hospital entry and 2,500-sq.-ft. waiting area, and renovations of an existing 1,000-sq.-ft. patient registration, parking lot and central plant—all while the hospital remains fully operational. For the Fremont Medical Center, the new 85,000-sq.-ft. patient wing and central plant represent the first major construction on the campus in more than 18 years. Once the new facilities are complete, DPR will demolish all other existing buildings, except for the South Tower that will undergo a 19,000-sq.-ft. remodel.

DPR Builds Carnegie Global Ecology Center

A leader in the “green” building movement and member of the U.S. Green Building Council since 1999, DPR is currently constructing its latest environmentally sustainable project for the Carnegie Institution of Washington. Designed by architect Esherick Homsey Dodge & Davis, the $4.5 million Global Ecology Center, the new home for the Carnegie Department of Global Ecology on the Stanford University campus, includes an 11,000-sq.-ft. research building and 3,500-sq.-ft. warehouse. In keeping with the purpose of the new facility—to provide a new standard for combining science and sustainability—the new resource center will minimize environmental impacts, maximize energy efficiency and incorporate sustainable materials. Drawing upon its extensive green building and technical construction expertise, DPR will incorporate many environmentally friendly elements into the project, including a “Night Sky” spray radiant cooling system with thermal storage, sunshades, high-performance glazing, operable windows, efficient ventilation with heat recovery, radiant slab heating and cooling, light shelves and a fully day-lit interior with lighting controls. The project is scheduled to be completed January 2004.

Sacramento Named Office of the Year

DPR’s Sacramento office was recently honored with the company’s annual “Best-of-the Best” award. Each year, every DPR office builds a strategic business plan around four primary areas: employee satisfaction, customer satisfaction, critical success factor performance and financial performance. At the end of the year, the results are evaluated against the goals presented in the business plan, and based on overall performance in the four equally weighted areas, one office is recognized as the best-in-class winner. According to DPR’s Peter Nosler, “The real benefit of the awards process is the creation of tangible measurements of each office’s success in reaching its goals. There were great achievements by each office, but Sacramento’s performance in 2002 was a cut above.” Congratulations to all the Sacramento project managers, estimators, superintendents, foremen, project engineers, and all other administrative staff for outstanding total performance in 2002.