DPR Construction, Inc., a forward-thinking commercial building contractor/construction manager, adds Farella Braun + Martel LLP's 15-floor, 135,000-sq.-ft. San Francisco office renovation to its growing list of recent law firm and investment house projects, totaling more than 650,000 sq. ft. Located in the Shorenstein Co./Swig Co.-owned Russ Building, a California State Historic Landmark and the firm's home since leasing 5,000 sq. ft. in 1970, the multi-phased project consists of the full buildout of four floors and interior improvements on 11 floors that, once completed, will make up the "Farella" tower.

"Our steady expansion over the years has resulted in attorneys being placed on various floors throughout the building. With the signing of our new lease, we are now able to centralize operations, showcase our firm image and plan for future growth," said William J. Schlinkert, the Chair of the firm's Executive Committee. "We're looking to DPR to bring the new design to life, utilizing its extensive experience in working with law firms to complete the project as quickly and efficiently as possible without disrupting our day-to-day operations."

Designed by RMW Architecture and Interiors, the renovation project includes an entire floor dedicated to conference rooms with a 1,500 -sq.-ft. multi-purpose space that can be divided into three smaller rooms through the use of removable walls, and a central reception area featuring custom millwork and stone flooring. DPR will also be adding private offices around the perimeter, areas for support staff and break rooms, as well as installing the latest audio/visual equipment and wiring for high-speed Internet connections.

Currently in the preplanning stages, with construction slated to begin in June, DPR has created a multi-phased schedule to minimize any inconvenience the construction may cause for the attorneys, as well as the building's other tenants.

"DPR specializes in challenging and demanding projects, and we approach every new job based on the customer's needs and expectations," said Jon Michael Johnson, project manager for DPR. "Our recent work on projects for an increasingly large number of law firms and other professional service organizations has added to our experience, helping us deliver even better service to our customers when building around their working office."

For example, according to Johnson, by re-sequencing the schedule into phases, DPR will be able to reduce the number of times attorneys and staff have to be relocated in the office during the 18-month project, which is scheduled to be completed by December, 2003.

In addition to Farella Braun + Martel, DPR is currently working on or has completed projects for several other law firms and legal organizations, including Covington & Burling, Foley & Lardner, Gary Cary Ware & Freidenrich, Gibson Dunn & Crutcher, Gunderson Dettmer, Latham & Watkins, the State Bar of California, and Practicing Law Institute. DPR has also recently finished up projects at Shorenstein-owned 555 California for such investment, financial service and consulting firms as McKinsey & Company Inc., UBS Warburg and Lehman Brothers Holding Inc.

A forward-thinking global commercial contractor/construction manager, DPR has been "building great things" since it was founded in 1990, including technically demanding projects in high-end corporate, education, biotech/pharmaceutical, healthcare, entertainment, energy, digital media, warehouse/distribution, mission critical (data/telecom) and semiconductors. In 12 years, the company has grown to more than $1.9 billion in annual revenue and 18 offices.

Founded by Doug Woods, Peter Nosler and Ron Davidowski (a.k.a. D, P and R or "the initials"), the company currently employs more than 2,200 professional staff and union crafts persons and has been recognized for its unique collaborative approach in both local and national markets.

Established in 1996, DPR San Francisco has more than 75 employees and is located at 1050 Sansome Street, Suite 600, San Francisco, Calif. DPR also has offices in Phoenix, Ariz.; Newport Beach, Pleasanton, Redwood City, Sacramento, San Jose and San Diego, Calif.; Denver, Colo.; Atlanta, Ga.; Portland, Ore.; Austin, Dallas, and Houston, Texas; Fairfax and Richmond, Va.; Seattle, Wash.; and Singapore. For more information, please contact DPR Construction, Inc., at 1-800-501-4DPR or visit the company's Website at http://www.dprinc.com.