DPR Construction, Inc., a forward-thinking commercial contractor and one of the nation's leading biotech builders, has been awarded the construction contract for the new four-story, fifth building for The Institute for Genomic Research (TIGR). Consisting of wet and dry laboratory space, as well as administrative support offices, the new facility will be located on a parcel adjacent to TIGR's existing campus in Rockville, Md. The recent award of the TIGR project reflects what is shaping up to be a great year for DPR's Fairfax location. The office has booked nearly three million sq. ft. of projects, totaling more than $180 million in value, for such customers as IKEA, Library of Congress, Alexandria Real Estate Equities, the National Institutes of Health and the U.S. Department of Transportation.

"Technically challenging projects are the cornerstone of DPR, whether it's a multi-million-dollar, ground-up facility or a laboratory remodel," said Herman Diebler, project executive for DPR, which builds facilities for such industries as healthcare, semiconductor, biotech/pharmaceutical and mission critical (data/telecom). "The key to building biotech is knowing the customer's science and processes and then applying our building experience to meet all the various facility requirements. Biotech is not a 'cookie cutter' industry. Each project is different and must be approached accordingly. Experience and upfront planning are critical for successful delivery."

With construction scheduled to begin in July, the new building's design will complement adjacent structures on TIGR's campus. Initial project requirements also consist of all requisite sitework, including but not limited to improvements and expansion of the existing on-site storm water management pond and a 400 plus vehicle parking lot.

Working towards a scheduled completion date of September 2003, the project team consists of the Staubach Company, development manager; Leo A. Daly, architect; SST, lab planner; Vanderweil, MEP engineer; and VIKA, civil engineer. Other consultants, such as construction testing and inspections and MEP systems commissioning, will be engaged as necessary.

As one of the nation's largest builders for the biopharmaceutical industry DPR has worked on more than 50 biotech projects throughout the nation this year and built out laboratory and office space for such biotech and biopharmaceutical companies as Alza, Bayer, COR Theraputics, Chiron, Cumbre, Genelogic, Genentech, IDEC Pharmaceuticals, Novartis and Zyomyx.

About TIGR:

Founded in 1992, The Institute for Genomic Research (TIGR) is a not-for-profit research institute whose primary research interests are in structural, functional and comparative analysis of genomes and gene products from a wide variety of organisms including viruses, eubacteria (both pathogens and non-pathogens, archaea (the so-called third domain of life), and eukaryotes (plants, animals, fungi and protists such as the malarial parasite).

About DPR:

A local builder with global capabilities, DPR's Fairfax County office has been "building great things" in the Northern Virginia/Greater Washington D.C. metropolitan area for more than three years, including projects for such notable companies as Aspect Communications, Gene Logic, IKEA Property, Inc., Inova Health System, The Staubach Company, Sibley Memorial Hospital, The Institute for Genomic Research and the U.S. Department of Transportation. Specializing in technically demanding projects in healthcare, biotechnology/pharmaceutical, education, corporate/speculative office, mission critical (data/telecom), digital media, entertainment and warehouse and distribution industries, DPR has been recognized for its unique collaborative approach in both local and national markets. DPR's Fairfax County office is located at 2941 Fairview Park Drive, Falls Church, Va. and can be reached by phone at 703.698.0100, or on the Web at http://www.dprinc.com.

In addition to Fairfax, DPR also has an office at 10900 Nuckols Road, Suite 200 in Glen Allen, Va., as well as in Phoenix, Ariz.; Newport Beach, Pleasanton, Redwood City, Sacramento, San Francisco, San Jose and San Diego, Calif.; Denver, Colo.; Atlanta, Ga.; Austin, Dallas and Houston, Texas; Portland, Ore.; Seattle, Wash.; and Singapore.