DPR Construction, Inc., a forward-thinking commercial building contractor/construction manager, recently began 100,000 sq. ft. of tenant improvements for Latham & Watkins' San Francisco office at 505 Montgomery Street. Approaching the project in three phases, DPR will use the first phase to build out a new floor and renovate a half-floor space already occupied by the law firm. The remaining phases will include the reconfiguration of space on five additional floors of the 20-floor, Hines-owned building. DPR, which was recently ranked by ENR magazine as the 15th largest contractor in the country, has several other "legal" assignments getting started or underway in the Bay Area, including projects for Gibson Dunn & Crutcher, Foley & Lardner and Gray Cary Ware & Freidenrich.

According to Patrick Doyle, project manager for DPR, speed and keeping disturbances to a minimum are the biggest challenges of the project. "Lawyers are extremely busy people, and our goal is to get in, do our job and get out with as little disruption to their routine as possible," said Doyle. "While we are used to working in the confines of downtown San Francisco, each site presents its own challenges and each customer has its own requirements, and we do everything possible to accommodate those individual needs."

The 24,000-sq.-ft., first phase of the project includes seismic upgrades to accommodate a large rolling file system, changes in floor layout and new interior design elements, including custom, administrative work stations, a three-colored glass perimeter wall with wood frame and custom moldings, and floating ceilings for improved acoustics and added visual appeal. In addition, each floor will also have a gathering area where Latham employees can take breaks and relax while in the office. A "mini-village green" concept developed by Callison Architecture, these spaces, or "coffee stops," will include banquette seating and coffee bars equipped with wood and glass cabinetry.

Future phases of the project will include reconfiguring the top two floors of the building into a conference center for the firm and converting an additional three floors to reflect the design being implemented in the first phase. With work on Phase One scheduled for completion in August 2001, it is estimated the entire project will be finished in Fall 2002.

DPR is also taking steps to keep construction noise from disturbing other tenants. By using non-traditional shifts and planned overtime, DPR is able to minimize the construction sounds heard by the building's occupants. When working between the standard work hours, details, such as the use of pads on the bottom of ladders, are helping to reduce sound.

Doyle also noted that another challenge of the project includes the lack of staging space, another challenge common to high-rise tenant improvements.

"Resourcefulness is a necessary asset on any construction site in San Francisco. The downtown area is very compact, not leaving much room for construction materials. In order to alleviate our need for space, we scheduled our deliveries very precisely to correspond to our immediate construction materials requirements," said Doyle.

In addition to serving as the general contractor, DPR is providing preconstruction and construction management services, value analysis, preliminary budgeting and design-build mechanical, electric and plumbing. Other members of the project team include designer Callison Architecture and structural engineer SOM.

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 such high-growth industries as biotech/pharmaceutical, healthcare, entertainment, high-end corporate, warehouse/distribution, mission critical (data/telecom) and semiconductors. In 11 years, the company has grown to more than $1.9 billion in annual revenue and 17 offices. It has been recognized for its unique collaborative approach in both local and national markets and is a recipient of Arthur Andersen's 2001 Global Best Practices Award for its customer management. Founded by Doug Woods, Peter Nosler and Ron Davidowski (a.k.a. "the initials" or D, P and R), the company currently employs more than 1,300 professional staff and 1,600 union crafts persons.

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 Austin, Dallas and Houston, Texas; Denver, Colo.; Newport Beach, Pleasanton, Redwood City, Sacramento, San Jose and San Diego, Calif.; Phoenix, Ariz.; Portland, Ore.; 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.