DPR presented with one of the most prestigious environmental honors available

The leaders of DPR have always set Big Hairy Audacious Goals for the company, and the current mission of being a most admired company by the year 2030 is no exception. Recently, DPR pushed closer to this goal by picking up a number of accolades for its work across the country.

In December, DPR was presented with one of the most prestigious environmental honors available—the California Governor’s Environmental and Economic Leadership Award (GEELA), which salutes individuals, organizations and businesses that demonstrate exceptional leadership in building public-private partnerships while conserving the environment. Among those to receive recognition in the sustainable facilities category was DPR for its 53,000-sq.-ft. Sacramento, CA, office building, which achieved Silver Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification for new construction and Gold LEED certification for commercial interiors, and is the first privately held LEED certified building in California’s Central Valley. Along with DPR, the city of San Jose, CA, for its West Valley Branch Library and Thomas Properties Group for the Joe Serna Jr. Cal/EPA Headquarters also were recognized in the sustainable facilities category.

“Each of these recipients has shown a deep commitment to balancing environmental preservation and protection with the need to keep California’s economy growing. I commend them for their efforts,” said Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger of the award.

For DPR, GEELA is more than simply public recognition of the company’s demonstrated commitment to environmental responsibility—it furthers two hopes DPR has had for the Sacramento office project since the beginning, to increase awareness of green construction and serve as a model of affordable green building to private industry.

“As a builder of technically challenging and sustainable projects, we looked at our own office as an opportunity to provide a strong example of how private companies can contribute to the health of the environment while realizing a return on their investment within a short period of time,” said Brad DesJardin, regional manager for DPR. “When DPR decided to pursue LEED, the additional outlay was roughly 1.4 percent of the total project cost. We are already trending toward a full return in just under two years through water and energy savings—not to mention the positive effect green buildings have on employee health and safety,” continued DesJardin.

December also marked the announcement of Texas Construction magazine’s awards, of which DPR won two. Round Rock Medical Center Catheterization Laboratory and Caesarean-Section Suite and South Austin Hospital Expansion and Renovation were granted the magazine’s Best of Category in Healthcare Award and Merit Award, respectively. On the East Coast, DPR’s U.S. Green Building Council’s office project in Washington, DC, earned the Associated General Contractor’s 2004 Merit Award for Construction Excellence, as well as a 2004 Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) Excellence in Construction Award. The ABC also bestowed an Excellence in Construction Award on the Computer Sciences Corporation project in Falls Church, VA, and an Award of Merit on the Douglas Hill Business Park for APL Logistics in Douglasville, GA, completed by DPR’s Atlanta office.