Delivering Advanced Cancer Research at Record Speed
Confidential Client | Torrey Heights Tenant Improvement | San Diego, California
DPR completed 230,000 rentable sq. ft. (RSF) of tenant improvements across eight floors in two newly constructed buildings for a leading global pharmaceutical company's oncology headquarters. The scope included specialized labs with gases, cold rooms, Group H occupancy labs, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) equipment rooms, a solvent delivery system, high-end offices, and two service yards along with a hazardous storage enclosure. The LEED Gold-certified project included 340,000 craft hours, with DPR self-performing framing, drywall, ceilings, and concrete.
Building at the Speed of Trust
The facility supports cancer research and treatment, making the timeline critical for this project. Leveraging the same A-Team that delivered Neurocrine Biosciences’ Del Mar campus, DPR completed construction in under 12 months. Despite last-minute changes on an active campus, the team collaborated closely with the client to integrate updates, finishing five weeks ahead of schedule. This commitment to planning and quality earned DPR an additional contract to remodel an Antibody-Drug Conjugate (ADC) lab, further advancing the client’s mission to fight cancer.
A Partnership Focused on the Client's Success
“DPR and DGA collaborated exceptionally well on this complex, fast-paced project. Once direct communication was established, DPR mobilized quickly and delivered a consistently high level of performance in both coordination and execution. Completing 230,000 RSF in just 20 months—from initial programming through substantial completion—was a significant achievement, particularly given the complexity of the client’s requirements. DPR proved to be a highly capable and trusted partner on the GC side.”
Vice President of Design & Construction
Confidential Client
Challenges and Solutions
The DPR team eliminated disruptions to surrounding campus operations by working off-hours and connecting utility systems to the existing occupied buildings through 30 individual shutdowns.
As the project scope evolved, DPR worked closely with the client to incorporate a solvent delivery system (SDS) that expanded laboratory capabilities for safe and efficient research objectives. Through strategic planning, permitting coordination, and proven expertise with similar systems, the team successfully integrated the new scope while preserving adjacent operations and maintaining the project schedule.
The team implemented a robust, multi-stream waste management program that achieved high diversion rates and supported key LEED Materials and Resources (MR) credits. DPR also developed and maintained a comprehensive indoor air quality management plan that included continuous air circulation, proactive work sequencing, rigorous housekeeping, and HVAC protection throughout construction. Together, these strategies helped create a healthy indoor environment, supported the client's sustainability goals, and contributed to achieving LEED Gold certification.
Challenges and
Solutions
The DPR team eliminated disruptions to surrounding campus operations by working off-hours and connecting utility systems to the existing occupied buildings through 30 individual shutdowns.
As the project scope evolved, DPR worked closely with the client to incorporate a solvent delivery system (SDS) that expanded laboratory capabilities for safe and efficient research objectives. Through strategic planning, permitting coordination, and proven expertise with similar systems, the team successfully integrated the new scope while preserving adjacent operations and maintaining the project schedule.
The team implemented a robust, multi-stream waste management program that achieved high diversion rates and supported key LEED Materials and Resources (MR) credits. DPR also developed and maintained a comprehensive indoor air quality management plan that included continuous air circulation, proactive work sequencing, rigorous housekeeping, and HVAC protection throughout construction. Together, these strategies helped create a healthy indoor environment, supported the client's sustainability goals, and contributed to achieving LEED Gold certification.
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