A significant contingency of DPR Construction’s self-perform work corps are laborers, who do everything from loading and unloading building materials, to building and tearing down scaffolding, to cleaning and preparing construction sites by removing possible hazards—work they perform with the core value of safety serving as a guide.

One such SPW Laborer is Annie Brown, who works out of DPR’s Richmond, Virginia office. Her personal commitment to safety is informed by the belief that safety is everyone’s job, and she weaves it into everything she does. Her path has been driven by hard work and determination to “not only get the job done, but get the job done the right way.” She shared some of her insights on doing great work while keeping those around her safe on the job.

Q: What do you love about construction/your job?

Brown: I love being a part of the great things DPR has constructed and continues to. But I also love connecting with the clients and staff at our project sites. When I worked on the Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Health PSR Operating Room Renovation, we used to pass out ice cream to the nightshift staff.

Q: What’s your favorite thing to build/type of project to work on?

Brown: I believe every project that I’ve been on has been and is a great experience, small or large, but I loved working on the VCU Health PSR Operating Room because I was able to see the transformation from start to finish. It made me feel great that I was able to contribute to the improvement of medical services, not only for the staff, but also for the patients.

Q: What are you most proud of?

Brown: I enjoy working for a company that continuously makes me feel like part of the team. Each one of DPR’s core values has not only projected into my career but also into my personal life. I’m reliable, a team player, a hard worker and very personable.

Q: What’s the most challenging part of your job?

Brown: Making sure that each project has a clean and safe work environment. Because I’ve been through OSHA 10, I look out for safety. If I see someone doing something with more risk, I correct them. I say, 'Just letting you know. Just keeping you safe.' It's everybody's job.

Q: Over the course of your career, what is the most important thing you have learned?

Brown: Each project has its own unique way of doing things. Each project has its own challenges. As long as you work together as a team, you can overcome those challenges.

Q: What would your advice be for the next generation of builders entering this field?

Brown: You need to work hard and be determined, but the most important thing is to be a team player. You absolutely have to work together to get the job done.

From ensuring jobsite safety to building relationships with colleagues and clients, Annie Brown imbues her work with the values DPR holds dear.

In Gloucester, Virginia, situated on the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay, Riverside Walter Reed Hospital (RWRH) celebrated the completed phases of its $55 million renovation and expansion with a ribbon cutting ceremony in January. Nearly 150 dignitaries, local officials and Riverside team members were in attendance to view the hospital’s new Surgical and Inpatient Services Building, which aims to better serve its patients and their loved ones.

The hospital’s Renovation and Expansion is the result of years of planning and is the most significant construction project in its more than 40-year history. It delivers a new two-story, 54,000-sq.-ft. surgical center with three new operating rooms, a more centrally located pharmacy, pre- and post-operative care, 36 new private patient rooms, and a new hospital entrance and lobby. The new emergency department will more than triple in size, expanding from 6,000 to 16,000 sq. ft. This creates room for seven more beds, three major treatment rooms, a trauma room, dedicated Family Care Room and a new waiting/lobby area to better service the more than 22,000 patients it sees each year.

The new Surgical Services Suite boasts features such as camera-equipped, advanced LED lighting for surgical video integration, as well as the ability to use any operating room for any surgical case, translating into greater scheduling flexibility. Each new pre-op room is fully private and is equipped with available music therapy. Thirteen post-surgery patient bays/rooms allow for increased patient privacy while supporting state-of-the-art infection prevention and monitoring. The new inpatient unit includes 36 next-generation, private inpatient rooms equipped with computer systems that can be monitored by nearby staff 24/7. With convertible sleeper sofas and additional seating for visitors and families, the renovation aims to improve the overall experience not only for patients, but for their loved ones as well.

According to Riverside, its services on the Middle Peninsula reflect the organizational mission of “caring for others as we would care for those we love.” That is a mission echoed by DPR Construction, general contractor on the Riverside Walter Reed Hospital campus project, as well as on two other campuses in the area—Riverside Regional Medical Center and Riverside Doctor’s Hospital Williamsburg. “For us, it’s not just about the project, it’s about the community,” said Greg Haldeman, a member of DPR’s Management Committee. DPR operated with decisions centered around concern for patient safety and with the goal of doing everything “to make sure the construction of the expansion and renovation of this active campus creates the least amount of impact possible for the patients of RWRH.”

The expansion and renovation of this vital medical facility is not just about adding more rooms and updating technology; it is about better serving the community. Riverside President and CEO Bill Downey summed up his view of the project by saying, “This is a great community and a great group of people, and we look forward to the next 40 years, as we continue to expand and grow further.”

Empowering women has been part of DPR Construction’s entrepreneurial spirit since the beginning. When the company developed its first mission in 1992, “to be a truly great construction company by the year 2000,” it cited a tangible image to have minorities and women in senior level estimator and project manager positions.

“We’ve always aspired to be a diverse and inclusive company,” said Jody Quinton, who serves on DPR’s Management Team. “It’s inspiring to see the progress that has been made, especially over the last few years as more and more companies focus on raising awareness, providing training and driving change.”

In a traditionally male-dominated industry, construction companies, like DPR, have an opportunity to set an example and help nudge the industry forward with increased unconscious bias training and dialogue around what diversity and inclusion looks like for the leading technical builder as it expands its operations internationally.

In that vein, the Women Who Build of DPR met in Amsterdam at the Women in Construction Europe conference late last year. The DPR team, consisting of members from DPR’s U.S. and Amsterdam offices, met over the course of two days to not only discuss the progress that women have made, but also the tangible steps can be taken to make the industry even more equitable.

“It helped spur conversations that I wouldn’t have participated in otherwise, and it helped me think about how I can be more proactive in my day-to-day work,” said Shelby Riddell, who currently works as the Southwest marketing lead but is transitioning into a new marketing leadership role for DPR’s Europe and Asia-Pacific operations.

Riddell found DPR when interviewing a woman for a class project who happened to be recruiting for the company. Upon learning more, she knew that DPR was a place where she could explore different roles.

“Having such diverse interests and limitless curiosity, this was hugely important to me,” Riddell said.

Mary Romeo happened upon construction in an introductory class in college and was drawn to DPR because of its reputation for operating differently and for pushing innovative efforts in construction. After volunteering with AmeriCorps after graduation, she knew DPR was the only company she wanted to work for and now serves as a preconstruction manager on a Data Center campus project near Amsterdam.

Many of the women who build at DPR stumbled upon it serendipitously and come from a variety of academic and professional backgrounds, but all found themselves drawn to the spirit and strong values that DPR upholds. Rachael Broad, who initially wanted to be an architect before pursuing engineering, works as a project engineer in the Amsterdam office. According to her, DPR gave her more purpose and meaning than where she had previously worked.

“I felt that I had found something I didn’t even know existed and aligned with many of my closely-held values,” Broad said.

As a sponsor of the Women in Construction Europe conference, DPR led a panel discussion about unconscious bias and gave a skills-based training presentation on negotiation. The panel discussion was especially powerful as it gave attendees the opportunity to speak frankly about the challenges they face as women in a still heavily male-dominated industry, such as a lack of female mentors and prevailing stereotypes.

“My drive and natural leadership have been misunderstood as ‘intense’ or ‘bitchy’,” Riddell said.

Lael Blum echoed a similar frustration, saying she often has a difficult time being heard.

“It’s a fine line to tread between being confident and driven, and being perceived as tough and bullish. This is not something men have to compete with in the same way,” she said.

Romeo added that she wishes there was a greater spirit of women helping other women.

“I think women work so hard to get where they are that sometimes they forget to look back and help other women in the industry,” Romeo said.

As DPR continues to establish a presence overseas, it continues its journey to actively support and promote women. Its operations in Europe reflect those values—within a year of operating from its base in Amsterdam, more than a third of its leadership positions are held by women.

Blum worked for a DPR competitor in the Bay Area before moving to Amsterdam with her family but found that she missed the construction career she had built.

“When I got a call that DPR was opening an office in Amsterdam I was absolutely thrilled to join a company I had long admired and get to continue in an industry and career I love while living in Amsterdam,” Blum said. She now serves as a project manager.

By DPR continuing to prioritize the advancement of women, it continues to lead and help change the field for the better. It is a business imperative to advance women both internally and externally, and DPR hopes that by providing more training, celebrating women who build, and participating in the conferences to create more open and honest dialogue, it will continue to help shape an industry where women are able to succeed no matter their position or employer.

“Working at DPR means you were part of an incredible team to make it happen. Construction doesn’t happen because of only one person, we’re only able to accomplish what we do because we work together so well,” Romeo said.

Being integral and indispensable to our communities has been part of DPR’s vision since its founding. One aspect of achieving this goal includes having offices that are representative of the communities where we work—offices where everyone feels included and diversity fuels creativity.

We asked employees, “what does diversity and inclusion mean to you?” and “how do you feel that your unique attributes, traits, characteristics, skills, experience and background are celebrated or valued at DPR?" We received answers from all genders, positions, and regions of the company; all were insightful and painted a promising picture of how a more diverse and inclusive world can flourish.

In celebration of International Women’s Day, we wanted to share a few of the responses—we hope they inspire you as much as they have inspired us.

People have been known to ask Scott Barron where he keeps his crystal ball—he seems to have a knack for predicting the future. Scott laughs and says it’s a part of his job as a drywall estimator in DPR’s San Diego office, nestled in the southern reaches of California’s Pacific Coast.

“We’re looking at the job holistically; we’re trying to look forward. [The project] may cost you more later if you don’t anticipate things now,” says Barron. Drywall teams are a critical segment of DPR’s SPW workforce, and not only for the reasons that typically spring to mind. Sure, they hang the walls in buildings, but they also function as a communications bridge, often identifying potential design gaps and making recommendations for alterations before a shovel even hits the ground. This proactive, upfront communication can translate into significant cost savings for the customer.

Q: What is your role at DPR and can you describe the path you took to get there?

Barron: I have a drywall background and I’ve been at DPR for 20 years now. I was a foreman, a field superintendent for drywall, and then there was a need for another drywall estimator, so I gave it a shot and liked it a lot. Before I started estimating, some people wondered if I would like being inside [the office] after being out in the field for so long. But I was always good at math, so putting numbers with the trade that I’ve done for years is great.

Q: How do you think SPW Drywall contributes to the work we’re doing overall at DPR?

Barron: We help control the schedule; that’s the main reason. Drywall is a big player on a project. We’re a coordinator between all trades. When we start framing a project, we have to know where the penetrations are for the other trades that are involved. We make sure everything needed is there so the job can keep moving forward, and we’re a huge conduit for information—we get it firsthand. Since we hear about it right away, we can tell the other trades what to be prepared for. We’re able to help expedite things when necessary.

Q: What project are you most proud of?

Barron: The Palomar Medical Center project in Escondido. The drywall portion was an 11-story, $45 million project. I was the general foreman for drywall, with 240 guys under me. When we first got up there, the drywall team was kind of nervous because of the size, but I was standing out in front of the building, and it hit me. I looked at the boss and said, “You know, this is just 11 different jobs in one building.” He paused and then said, “You know, you’re right.” So we treated it that way. The three main floors were the bulk of the work, and from the fourth floor up it was repetitive work. We spread out the foremen to work their way up the tower. I do the same thing at night when I walk my dog, Piper. You set a goal, work toward it, then set the next goal after that.

Q: What do you love about construction/your job?

Barron: In general, I like the challenge of figuring things out before we build—to take a 2D drawing and build it out to 3D or 4D in my head so I can visualize what’s missing before we start. That way there are fewer RFIs to write and we can keep the job running smoothly. People ask me a lot how my crystal ball works. I think because of my years in the field, I can foresee things happening.

Q: To be successful in your role, what skills does a person need?

Barron: A knowledge of building helps you progress quickly. Coming to this job after working in the field, you’ve been exposed to things. You know what is what when you’re doing a takeoff or a job. You know what details to look for.

Q: What’s your advice for the next generation of builders entering this field

Barron: Spend some time in the field so you get a good background of what you’re going to be estimating. When field guys call and talk to you, you can relate to them and understand what they’re saying because you’ve done it yourself.

While Scott might have a reputation as a clairvoyant, his real power comes down to expertise at his craft, setting and achieving goals, and being empowered to be a contributor. His method of communicating early to help create cost efficiencies for projects is very real and is an important way DPR forges lasting partnerships with its customers that are built on trust.

DPR Construction recently completed a series of complex electrical and power monitoring upgrades on Merck’s Kenilworth, New Jersey campus that will help ensure scientific work there will go on without interruption for years to come. The work, which included upgrading five existing primary substations and associated feeder systems, along with the demolition of three substations in their entirety, showcased how DPR’s MEP expertise and approach to planning can lead to exceptional results and the kinds of predictable results customers rely on.

“This location is the world corporate headquarters for Merck, with active research and development labs and critical data center operations. Any impact to this campus could have major implications,” said Michael Abbatiello, Director of Engineering for Merck.

Getting Out of Tight Spaces

The Merck EM1/EM2 Substation and Feeder Replacement Project was a three-year project performed under a design-build contract in conjunction with a teaming agreement with Forest Electric, the electrical subcontractor. The project upgraded 40-year-old systems that were no longer as reliable as a global corporate headquarters and mission critical lab required. Executed without interrupting work on the active campus, DPR relocated one 26 kV substation into an existing structure while prefabricating and building another new 5 kV substation across campus. Both existing substations were demolished and the 26kV and 5kV cables feeding the campus’s eight major buildings were replaced. Additional work included the replacement of electrical equipment at two outdated 5kV substations, the demolition of an existing decommissioned substation, and a brand new 5kV substation to feed the main corporate administrations building on campus.

“This was a very complex project with a high risk of injury to people and disruption to Merck’s operations,” said Abbatiello. “Planning and communication between site operations and the project team was critical. This project outperformed others in this regard and it was a major contributor to its success. The overall execution and performance on this project was outstanding.”

Much of this technical work, however, needed to be coordinated with various campus stakeholders to ensure switching service from old to new infrastructure did not affect research and development of life saving medications. Additionally, much work required access to systems through manholes, which required confined space permits and heightened safety supervision. To alleviate this safety hazard, crews employed remote control cable cutters.

“The remote control cable cutter was a practical and safe tool for cutting wires,” said DPR’s Brandon Bell. “The wireless remote communicates with the tool via a mutually exclusive connection, and a lineman can arm the cutter and move away from the area to perform the work safely.”

Winning Safety Performance

Indeed, safety was paramount throughout the project, with DPR’s team aligning with Merck’s existing safety culture. One key factor: customer involvement. Aided by the design-build approach, the entire team took safety to be its job, with the customer leading the way.

“It just goes to show how important owner and stakeholder involvement in safety is,” Bell said. “When we combine our own approach to safety with an owner that shares our safety value, it strongly reinforces our culture.”

The results speak for themselves: by March 2019, the project had amassed more than 200,000 worker-hours and one recordable incident. Merck recognized DPR for its efforts with one of its regional safety awards, highlighting its excellent safety practices.

Collaboration in Action

Ultimately, the use of a design-build contract in conjunction with a teaming agreement took what could have been just a successful project and turned it into an outperformer all around. The job was finished on schedule and under budget, aided by a collaborative approach that made delivery as seamless as possible.

“There were several instances where we had to deviate from the initial plan, such as moving away from fully prefabricated conduit racks because they wouldn’t work logistically,” Bell said. “In those instances, the integrated team was able to tackle the challenge together with no negative bearing to cost or schedule.”

In addition to safety, cost and schedule results, the high level of collaboration had a positive influence in building rapport with other project partners, as well.

“It was, easily, one of the best project experiences with subcontractors in several trades,” Bell said. “We were also able to train a variety of subs and partners in Lean techniques and associated systems, which means we can take the same approach to future work.”

Machines that spit out objects at the touch of a button. Robots that do our work for us. These concepts have long been the stuff of science fiction and Sunday morning cartoons—things the Jetsons took for granted but were out of our grasp. Today, innovators are changing this paradigm by creating new technologies aimed at ever increasing efficiency.

DPR is embracing this paradigm shift through its use of prefabrication, but not in the old cookie-cutter fashion. By using strategic partner Digital Building Components to transform computer models into precise-to-spec building assemblies, DPR uses prefab technology to create significant cost and schedule savings for clients, as well as improved safety and quality onsite. DPR’s self-perform corps is on the front lines of this movement. Joe Rogers, lead foreman on DPR’s SPW crew at the University of California Davis’s Webster Hall dormitory replacement, gets to see this firsthand as he and his team manage the install of fully custom, prefabricated panels on the 101,000-sq.-ft, four-story structure.

Q: What is your role at DPR and describe the path you took to get there?

Rogers: I’ve been working for DPR in Redwood City for the past four years, but I’ve been in construction since 1989. I’ve seen the industry change a lot for the better. I started out as a stocker and scrapper right out of high school. Then, I was offered an apprenticeship and worked my way up. I had heard about how good DPR was, so I reached out to them and they hired me on the spot.

Q: What’s your favorite thing to build/type of project to work on

Rogers: Honestly, I like all types. What I really like is that I’m not always on the same job or in the same place all the time. I get to meet different people and personalities on each project. I get to interact with other trades—we’re all working together. It’s never the same. I could be doing a hospital one year and a tenant improvement project the next. One thing about DPR, we have a lot of good people. Everyone communicates. Everyone gets to contribute to the success of the company.

Q: What’s the most technical thing you’ve worked on?

Rogers: Right now, I’m working on a four-story dorm with custom prefabricated panels. It’s pretty much one-of-a-kind; it’s 100% prefab. For this type of job, you have to follow all of the details exactly, right down to each individual screw, so there’s a lot of planning involved. Digital Building Components custom makes the prefabricated panels according to the plan model—they’re made robotically. They’re numbered and labeled, so I think of it as being kind of like a puzzle. The team really had to plan ahead, to discuss the flow and how to best stock, move and install. There’s a lot of collaboration between everyone. We’re shaping the best practices and constantly moving forward. We’re leaders out here.

Q: How have you grown since you started here?

Rogers: My DPR family has really helped me since I first started. This is the first company I’ve worked for that’s done BIM modeling and uses iPads and spool sheets, which are basically printouts of the length of the wall with the stud placement showing. DPR has helped me all the way throughout the process. They didn’t just throw me out there. I’m learning the new techniques that DPR already has in place and pushing them forward to always be better. And I want to do a good job because they have confidence in me.

Q: To be successful in your role, what skills does a person need?

Rogers: Planning! You need to be prepared to look out ahead for possible issues. You do your best to plan for everything, but there’s always the chance that there’ll be a hiccup. You just have to plan as much as you can, deal with hiccups, move on and try to be as efficient as you can.

It’s also important to keep taking any training opportunities that come your way. DPR is excellent at keeping up to date with new ways of doing things, and at giving you any training you need. When I first joined, I didn’t know the technology stuff, but everybody on the team helped me and showed me how to use the technology.

Q: What would your advice be for the next generation of builders entering this field?

Rogers: For the younger generation, just always do your best. Don’t worry about what the other person is doing or thinking. Keep your focus on what you want, on what you want to do in the future.

With an eye to the future and a drive to push himself ever forward, Joe Rogers embodies DPR’s purpose—building greatness within himself and utilizing it to build great buildings for his customers.

Delivering a new landmark, DPR Construction celebrated the completion of its Domain 11 project. The project is part of what many consider to be Austin’s “second downtown” within the growing Domain North development.

In just over 17 months, DPR’s team, including a robust self-perform work (SPW) crew, constructed a 16-story office building and parking garage that contains a 338,900-sq.-ft., nine-level office core/shell and a 560,000-sq.-ft., seven-level parking structure. The ground floor includes parking, lobby, occupied office space and 8,100 sq. ft. of retail space. Targeting LEED® Silver certification, Domain 11 can be seen from miles away as the tallest office tower within the whole development.

“It’s pretty sweet, and Domain 11 was definitely the tallest Class A office tower to come to the Domain. It has made a visual statement as much as anything. You can see the Domain 11 & Domain 12 office towers from downtown’s {Austin} office towers,” says Brett Bickford, Project Manager in Austin.

Innovation Leads to Savings

DPR’s preconstruction team tapped into the SPW team’s concrete and formwork expertise to adapt the overall structure to better suit the customer. Originally, plans called for a concrete pan joist slab structure, which often requires extra labor and more time to construct the formwork system. SPW concrete crews instead used the Doka formwork table system, with tables up to 48’x 28’ in size, that could be quickly transferred to the next level, reducing the overall duration required to form the concrete frame structure.

Using the Doka formwork table system led to increased productivity and a tighter schedule. The method saved money and increased productivity on top of saving four weeks on the construction schedule.

Additionally, the formwork system provided a better concrete finish on the underside of the elevated decks. Exceeding expectations of a Class C finish, the customer was impressed when the concrete was close to a Class B finish, providing higher quality and featuring exposed structure in the design.

"We were consistent in DPR's values and goals for customer service. This was the second project with TIER REIT (developer). Client satisfaction was always top priority for our project team," said Brett.

Embracing the DPR culture on the jobsite with SPW

The Domain 11 team consciously worked to build a culture that made every worker feel like an integral part of construction. All of the SPW trade partners and the project management team worked in the same jobsite field office, fostering collaboration and inclusion between different partners. With a unified team, the relationship with the customer grew as everyone rallied for the same goal—the team finished concrete work a month early, translating to savings for the customer, and with clear communication, predictable outcomes were ensured.

“We had amazing SPW partnerships. This project team has strived to perform work as one team, eliminating the labels in the office (i.e. GC team, Concrete team, etc.). We are just DPR,” says Brett.

Above It All

Rising high above its surroundings, Domain 11 leaves its mark on the northern Austin skyline and gives people a new perspective of the city.

“This was a very exciting project to be a part of! The Tier Reit, Endeavor Real Estate Group, Gensler, DPR Construction team was one of the best I have worked with. This collaborative team produced a top-notch project and had fun doing it. Currently, the Domain 11 office building is the tallest building in North Austin. As the building was constructed, the higher the structure went the better you could see Austin’s downtown skyline. It was cool to see this new perspective of Austin. Soon, Domain will have its own skyline,” says Brandon Murphy, Project Executive.

DPR is looking forward to being a part of the “new downtown” as northern Austin continues to grow and innovate.

Who we build is as important as what we build. The power of DPR has always been, and forever will be, our people…innovative, entrepreneurial, empowered, disciplined, caring, aggressive and bullet-smart.

This year for Mother’s Day, we want to pay tribute to the remarkable moms/mother figures of DPR employees. Thank you for helping to raise and nurture individuals who change the world we live in by building great things every day. Thank you for making a distinctive impact.

The response was overwhelming to the survey we sent out asking employees to provide images and answer the question, “What makes your mom/mother figure unique or special?” Following is a taste of the heartwarming and powerful stories. Happy Mother’s Day!

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Earlier this year, the University of Virginia Health System continued a rich tradition of innovation coupled with community service by completing an extensive renovation of its Children’s Hospital and Women’s Health floors at UVA Medical Center. The facility is a 600-bed teaching hospital that serves as the Regional Perinatal Center for Northwest and Central Virginia and is home to 6 ranked Pediatric programs by US News and World Report.

With the goal of improving its function, usefulness and appearance, this 58,000-sq.-ft. interior renovation project was a complex, three-year endeavor. DPR Construction, general contractor for the project, worked with architect HKS, Inc. to navigate the challenges of renovating this key area of the hospital, which remained operational throughout construction while prioritizing the safety of its patients. Since the renovations encompassed roughly half of the 7^th floor and nearly as much of the 8^th, it was necessary for the team to take a well-coordinated approach to design implementation, a process that was carried out in five phases. Robust communication between the teams and the Medical Center was vital to ensure this was a smooth process.

Fifteen post-partum rooms, several of which look out onto nearby Carter Mountain, were updated to make them more convenient and comfortable for new moms and their loved ones. Bathrooms and facilities were refreshed, and outdated furniture was replaced with more comfortable, updated pieces.

“The space really needed to be refreshed and updated from the 1980s,” said Dr. Christian Chisholm, UVA Health System Obstetrics Medical Director. Not only did the renovation deliver a cleaner look, it also improved hospital workflow. The medication area was expanded, making it easier for nurses to prepare medications. And with the renovated rooms being adjacent to the hospital’s delivery rooms, new moms are no longer required to switch floors after giving birth. There is also a central area from which nurses will monitor post-partum rooms, resulting in more privacy for patients and a more seamless process for hospital staff.

Included in the renovation was the 14-bed Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), which admits about 1,000 children each year and is one of the Southeast’s top referral centers. The project also featured a 4-bed pediatric bone marrow transplant unit (BMT), a 34-bed acute pediatric unit with both private and semi-private rooms, a new continuing care nursery and procedure area, women’s health triage and family waiting areas. To maintain continuity, the team incorporated the established Children’s Hospital graphics, finishes, theme, and millwork into the existing Level 7 West and Central Units and Level 8 East and Central patient units.

With a resolve to move ever forward, UVA Health System’s Women’s Health and Children’s Hospital renovation lives up to its community’s ideals of innovation in service to its people.

It’s not every day that you see a cultural landmark rolling down the street, but that’s exactly what happened to beachgoers in Oceanside, California earlier this month. The “Top Gun House,” a sky blue beach cottage made famous by the 1980s Hollywood blockbuster “Top Gun,” was relocated from its long-time home on palm-lined Pacific Street. It will be restored and prominently featured at a new independently branded beachfront destination resort being built in Oceanside. Developer SD Malkin Properties broke ground on the Oceanside Beach Resort in February.

Located at the hub of Oceanside’s booming renaissance, the 2.75-acre new-build project along Mission Avenue and N. Pacific Street will offer guests immediate beach access and 387 rooms, 85% of which will have water views. The resort will also feature restaurants, bars, pools, a luxury spa, event space and unique retail shops, including the “Top Gun House,” which will be publicly accessible and leased as a bespoke ice cream parlor. Already popular given its historical significance and feature in the classic 1980’s film, the house is expected to garner even more interest after the sequel, “Top Gun: Maverick,” featuring Tom Cruise and Val Kilmer. It is scheduled for release in Summer 2020.

DPR Construction, general contractor for the project, worked on the house to get it ready for its big move. “It’s amazing how much interest there is in this house,” said Project Executive Whitney Dorn. The project team nailed wood slats to the porch and braced some of the exterior before hoisting it onto the trailer that transported it to its temporary home two blocks away. The team plans to undertake basic structural restoration on the building before moving it back to its permanent home on the northern end of the resort, where the finishing touches will be completed.

Built in 1887, the cottage was originally known as The Graves House in honor of its original owner, a physician from Riverside. One of the oldest beach cottages in San Diego County, it boasts an unusual architectural style: Folk Victorian. Designed to evoke the more elaborate Victorian homes of the era, Folk Victorian found favor among homeowners in the late 19^th Century due to its ease and affordability. Spindlework detailing and cornice brackets were added to existing homes to create the style, which became common as Western towns were settled around the turn-of-the-century.

The house later became a beach rental before making its appearance as the home of Tom Cruise’s love interest in the movie “Top Gun,” which grossed over $360 million (more than $800 million in 2019 dollars)—the highest grossing film of 1986. It starred Cruise as a brash young naval aviator training at the elite Fighter Weapons School at Naval Air Station Miramar in San Diego. The film became a cultural sensation; sales of bomber jackets and aviator sunglasses skyrocketed, Navy recruitment increased, and tourists began taking their photos in front of the newly dubbed “Top Gun House.”

Fast forward to 2019: Interest in the house has held strong, the sequel “Top Gun: Maverick” is set to open in June of 2020, and the resort’s hotels are expected to open by the end of that same year. 2020 looks to be a blockbuster year for the city of Oceanside.

Through the buildings we create, the people we grow and the communities we serve, DPR has a real opportunity to transform our world. We strive to be integral and indispensable, and we are fortunate to have motivated employees who like to roll up their sleeves, get their hands dirty and put their core building skills to use throughout the year.

Last month, DPR offices across the country joined with partner Rebuilding Together to take part in the non-profit’s National Rebuilding Month. Volunteers included all-female groups, admin employees, craft workers and students who worked together to repair and ultimately transform spaces to better serve their communities.

#WomenWhoBuild in San Francisco

DPR’s Women Who Build in the Bay Area participated in the third annual SHEBUILDS event in San Francisco. SHEBUILDS showcases the ability of women in construction and design industries to assist and empower other women, even from their own backyard.

Several women from IBEW Union Local 6 and the local carpenters union brought their apprentices and students to the site, where they joined around 40 DPR employees. Together, the all-female group completed a full day of hands-on-work and repairs at the Oakes Children’s Center, a non-profit school in the city’s Outer Mission/Bernal Heights district. The organization serves over 200 students who require an alternative, resource-intensive learning environment.

“The newly painted spaces are bright, clean and so incredibly welcoming,” said Annie Crowder, director of Oakes Children’s Center. “The redwood bench/planter boxes are amazing, and I was especially struck by the way the carpenters patiently taught their apprentices and students how to construct the benches.”

With a goal of making the space safer and more inviting, work ranged from painting and beautifying the outdoor space, to electrical and lighting work. All levels of experience were welcome, and everyone played a role.

“The energy was amazing with all these women,” DPR Community Initiative Coordinator Rena Crittendon commented. “There was a lot of enthusiasm to get in there and get to work, and for people to stay as long as they did [nine or even 11-hour workdays] and keep going was really neat.”

After a day to be proud of, Crowder added, “Overall, I could not have imaged a better day with more dedicated, strong, compassionate women who literally transformed our campus in a matter of hours. We are so very grateful for SHEBUILDS, DPR and all the wonderful volunteers for their service!”

Saying “Thank you” in Houston

A few hours away in Houston, volunteers thanked a military vet for his service by renovating his and his wife’s home.

Jeff Griffin, DPR’s self-perform lead for the Houston office and cochair of DPR’s Rebuilding Together initiative in the region, brought together craft and jobsite workers, project managers, project engineers, admin employees and others for an effort involving an estimated 240-plus volunteer hours over the course of two days.

“In general, our people like to get out there and swing a hammer, dig a hole, paint, spread mulch, or whatever,” Griffin commented. “Everybody was excited about helping out and making the house look beautiful again. The before and after pictures are incredible.”

Rebuilding Throughout the Year in San Diego

Volunteers keep the momentum of National Rebuilding Month moving in San Diego. In May, DPR’s Preconstruction Team worked with Rebuilding Together to repair the house of a resident who has battled cancer for several years. Volunteers repaired drywall and flooring, painted, fixed a broken shower and performed other miscellaneous work to improve the safety and livability of the house.

Sarah Williams, who heads DPR’s San Diego community initiative group, said hands-on projects generate a lot of interest and enthusiasm.

“Being a construction company, this is where we most like to use our skills, and people tend to get pretty excited about these opportunities,” Williams said. “There is just so much need, and it’s good to be able to find areas where we can really help out using our core skillsets.”

The Sharp Santee MOB project team is looking forward to June, not only for the summer sun, but for the volunteer opportunities. At least 20 members of the project team, including DPR, the architect and design-build subcontractors, have planned to make repairs to a family home. Scope includes painting, electrical work, and landscaping repairs to make the home more habitable for a family in need.

With pride in her team, Williams estimates both projects combined will tally at least 400 volunteer hours.

The world’s largest medical complex sits just west of Texas State Highway 288, in south-central Houston. It is a two-square-mile district teeming with life, housing more than 60 medical institutions employing upwards of 106,000 people. Amid this densely occupied healthcare hive, Self-Perform Work (SPW) Assistant Superintendent Andres Martinez is putting to use one of the most valuable benefits SPW brings to each project: the ability to better control project schedules.

Hospital construction projects are inherently complex, with challenges amplified by occupied structures that continue to function during construction. Andres's commitent to planning, with robust communication both internally between trades and externally with customers, helps make his projects successful.

Q: What is your role at DPR and describe the path you took to get there?

Martinez: I’m an assistant superintendent for SPW drywall. I started as a carpenter three years ago, when a previous boss asked me to come to DPR to work with him. After about six months, I became a foreman. A year after that, they gave me the opportunity to train to be an assistant superintendent, and I’m still here! It’s a big challenge, but I’ve learned a lot.

Q: How have you grown since you started here?

Martinez: I’ve gotten to do a lot of new things because we get a lot of opportunities. If you want to learn something new, DPR gives you the chance. I always ask for training so I can do something more for the company, and for myself and my family. I have a wife and two kids, with one more on the way in two months! In the future, I hope to become a superintendent. There are always opportunities to learn more and more.

Q: Over the course of your career, what is the most important thing you have learned?

Martinez: Learning how to work on computers. Before I came to DPR, I never worked much with them. Here I get to learn different building software that makes our work so much easier. That’s what I like.

Q: What’s the most technical part of the job you’re working on now?

Martinez: Right now, we’re doing a tenant improvement project at a hospital tower. We’re re-doing floors seven through ten on the east side of the tower, which is phase one. It’s a bit different for me because it’s a remodel. The work itself is the same, but we’re really working with the occupants to make sure we don’t disrupt them or the hospital. We’re doing ceilings, doors, restrooms, nurses’ stations—we’re building in sections and being really careful to accommodate the work and schedules of the employees and the patients.

Q: What’s been the biggest challenge?

Martinez: Scheduling is the biggest challenge, but we’ll put in as much work as we need to get it done on time. We work nights if we need to. We communicate with each other and with the customer to make it work. It’s important to make a good plan of who needs to go in and when because the space is a bit tight and won’t accommodate everyone at the same time. That’s the toughest part.

Q: What do you love about construction/your job?

Martinez: Pretty much everything. I love what I do. I’m learning every day—always learning something different. I started in the field and now I’m working more in planning, working on the computer. But to be honest, I really like all the people here. I love DPR, and I wouldn’t feel comfortable going somewhere else.

Q: What are you most proud of?

Martinez: I feel proud every time we finish a job! That’s when I feel excited to move on to the next project. It’s a feeling of accomplishment. When we finish, we relax and say, “Ahh… we’re done!” And SPW brings more quality to every job, so that makes me proud.

Q: To be successful in your role, what skills does a person need?

Martinez: I think experience is the most important thing. It’s important to work a bit in the field so you know what you’re talking about. Also, listen to people’s concerns and help resolve them. Respect the people and take care of them.

Q: What would your advice be for the next generation of builders entering this field?

Martinez: Work in the field as much as you can. You can do a lot on the computer and it makes building a lot easier, but if you know nothing about the field you don’t have the whole picture. And learn as much as you can about all the trades and everything that goes into building.

When Martinez says goodbye to his family in the morning, he takes pride in knowing he is part of an organization that helps create opportunities not only for him, but for the community around him. He is proud to be part of an organization that enables him to grow as a builder as he continues to build great things for his community.

"Dads are most ordinary men turned by love into heroes, adventurers, story-tellers, and singers of song." – Pam Brown

The DPR family is growing! As employees become fathers/father figures throughout the years, we watch as our friends take on new roles that transform who they are. This year for Father’s Day, we are celebrating the first-time dads of DPR. We reached out to employees who have entered fatherhood over the past year and asked, “What kind of father/father figure do you want to be?”

The responses show the uniqueness and heart of our employees, who help us change the world not only through the buildings we build, but the people we grow.

“Fedor Carrillo was one of first people in DPR’s Raleigh-Durham location. He really helped build that office,” says DPR Superintendent Bruce Worcester. “He’s very demanding because he wants things done the right way. He’s excellent quality control on a project.” Worcester underscores a significant benefit that DPR’s self-perform workforce delivers: better quality control on DPR’s projects. To Carrillo, a drywall foreman, a job isn’t worth doing unless it’s done right and exceeds customer expectations. In this way, he embodies DPR’s drive to be a truly great builder.

Q: How did you come to work at DPR?

Carrillo: I started at DPR in November of 2007. I had been working for another construction company and had just finished a project when a friend told me DPR was looking for people. I started here as a carpenter, and after a couple years they gave me the opportunity to become a foreman and gave me a lot of training to move into that.

Before that, in 1999, I had to leave El Salvador because it was dangerous. The government was unstable. I lost my family and was on my own at 13, stocking soda on shelves to earn money, then driving a truck and a city bus. When I came to America, I worked hard to become successful here, and I felt so thankful to have a company like DPR see my hard work and give me more opportunity. I try to let younger people see that if you work hard and do the right thing, it will open doors. I try to set a standard for the younger people.

Q: What is the most challenging thing you’ve work on?

Carrillo: Right now, we’re finishing up a day care center located inside a client’s campus—we renovated one of the buildings for the employees. The building was occupied while we worked, so that was the big challenge, but we tried to disrupt them as little as possible. We put up temporary walls to separate us from their employees during the day. Many times, we worked at night so the noise wouldn’t bother them. We did a lot of pre-task planning and communicating with the customer here.

Q: What do you love about your job?

Carrillo: I love this company. It’s not like any other one I’ve worked with. Every day I learn something. When I don’t understand something, my bosses help me and give me training. People are willing to be patient and go through everything with you—new technology, iPads, types of drawings. And when I understand it, I train others because it’s important to me that everyone does things right.

Q: How have you grown since you started here?

Carrillo: DPR trusted me with responsibility and let me rise to the challenge. They had confidence in me, and that made me feel like I could do the job. The responsibilities they gave me built my confidence in myself. It made me want to learn more and do a good job, always learning more, becoming better, and taking on more responsibility.

Q: What is the most important thing you have learned over the course of your career?

Carrillo: To do a good job and to do the right thing. DPR helps me feel successful because it’s not just about building a better building; it’s about building myself to be better. I’ve been able to advance because they trust me to do the right thing.

Q: What’s the most challenging part of your job?

Carrillo: For me, the most challenging thing at first was that I felt like my English wasn’t very good. I wasn’t confident communicating with people. But DPR helped me with that. They gave me training, and there has never been a problem with my work.

Q: What would your advice be for the next generation of builders entering this field?

Carrillo: DPR is a good company. My son even works for DPR, in an apprenticeship program here in North Carolina. DPR is about trust and opportunity. They give you opportunities to grow, but you have to make the most of them. I tell young people all the time: You have to work hard so you can use the opportunities to be successful.

Fedor Carrillo makes the most of the trust DPR places in him, to always work in the best interest of the project, the customer and DPR—empowering him to be a great builder. Says Worcester, “We’re here to build good people, not just good buildings. Fedor has always met each challenge and advanced. It’s enriching for us to see that success.” It’s not just about experience and skill sets; it’s about zeal and drive. Great people make great things happen.

Coming together under the Arizona sun, DPR Construction joined Arizona State University (ASU), leaders from Mayo Clinic and community leaders to celebrate the groundbreaking of ASU’s Health Future Center (HFC). With completion scheduled for October 2020, this greenfield project represents another step towards the future of healthcare in Phoenix.

A Clear Vision of Future Care

HFC will be a 150,000-square-foot, three-story ground up medical learning facility adjacent to the Mayo Clinic. The new facility will provide the surrounding communities with new technology including a med-tech innovation accelerator, biomedical engineering and informatics research labs, and an education zone. In addition, it will provide a new, innovative nursing program model where students are taught to treat patients through a whole health model. Based on the strength of a decade-long relationship with ASU, DPR was chosen to kick off the development and construction of the first building on this new breakthrough campus.

HFC will be the blending point between Mayo Clinic and Arizona State University Alliance for Health Care, a team brought together with the goal of transforming medical education and health care in the U.S.

“Having the opportunity to work alongside two industry leaders, such as Mayo and ASU, and deliver a world-class research facility that will transform the medical education field and improve the lives of future generations is what I am most excited about for myself and for DPR,” said DPR’s Casey Helburg, who serves as project manager.

The Power of Preconstruction

Determined to deliver ASU’s vision for the new medical facility, DPR’s preconstruction team collaborated with the design team to better deliver accurate estimates of each program type (user group of the space) and its components (value of materials) during early design stages. This level of precision accurately identifies where the budget is being allocated at any given stage of design—providing real-time information and the opportunity to make key decisions for the project earlier.

“Normally our program estimate is by program space, but our estimator, Shashi Sriram, developed an estimate down to the room space. Basically, she could sort the estimate by over 400 rooms, which is such a granular level of information at programming, but was extremely useful information,” said Cassie Robertson, who serves as the project’s preconstruction manager. “When the project partners were making early program adjustments it was easy to measure out the changes at a higher level which was the first time we were able to do that.”

Robertson and Sriram communicated in real time with ASU about the interior build-out cost, MEP cost and total tenant improvement cost before the start of schematic design. These benefits allowed ASU to collaborate efficiently with the design and construction team to iterate multiple estimating scenarios in a matter of one to three days.

Creating a Vision Together

During the groundbreaking ceremony, the Mayor of Phoenix, Vice Mayor and the CEO of Mayo Clinic shared their personal stories to set the stage for what the HFC really means to the City of Phoenix and the impact it will have on the biomedical industry.

“We think that the two of us together can be the corpus or the center or the anchor of what could evolve to be something that hasn't yet developed in this country and hasn't yet developed anywhere in the world, and that is the broadest focused health futures place,” said ASU President, Michael Crow.

The Desert Ridge area is north of where most Valley construction activity is taking place. The greenfield plot, however, will serve as a focal point for future development.

Fast-growing enterprise software company Workday, Inc. celebrated the completion of its new 410,000-sq.-ft., corporate headquarters in Pleasanton, California this spring. Leaders from the City of Pleasanton, Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART), Workday, and the DPR-led project team were among those who gathered for the May 13 ribbon-cutting ceremony, marking the official opening of the innovative, transit-friendly project that has been hailed as a state-of-the-art building.

Located just steps from the West Dublin/Pleasanton BART station, the architecturally striking, six-story structure ranks as the tallest office building in Pleasanton. It will house some 2,200 Workday employees by August, mostly from the company’s product and technology team. A focal point of Workday’s 10-building Pleasanton campus, it also houses a new 16,000-sq.-ft. Workday Customer Center slated to open later this summer.

Local Partnerships Aid Development

From the outset, Workday was committed to creating a transit-oriented development that would attract potential employees from around the Bay Area, including San Francisco and Oakland. The company forged strong ties with BART and the City of Pleasanton to develop a project that benefited both the local community and Workday employees.

A green space walkway, featuring native California plants, connects the BART station with the new headquarters building. Similar pathways connect the headquarters building with existing buildings on the company’s Pleasanton campus.

Workday Co-Founder and CEO Aneel Bhusri hailed the “strong partnerships” between Workday and the City of Pleasanton and BART during an address at the ribbon-cutting ceremony. “We’ve created a place that is an extension of our culture and brand, one that is built for continued innovation and one that reflects how our employees want to work and build products for the future,” he said.

“Workday had a very specific vision for this project and we worked to ensure we were aligned throughout the project,” said DPR’s Karri Sieler, a senior project manager. “It was a great example of how the things we build – and how we meet expectations for a project – are core to our customers’ businesses.”

Core Values on Display

Designed by Gensler Architects, the new headquarters building draws inspiration from Workday’s core values of innovation, and fun in support of the company’s number one asset -- its employees. It provides an ideal environment for software development with plenty of open spaces, entire walls made of whiteboards, new high-tech tools like video walls and digital whiteboards, and four great rooms that provide comfortable spaces for large groups to gather.

Numerous other amenities support the fun, collaborative environment, including:

• An open-air amphitheater with seating for 1,500 people along with a large grassy area suitable for outdoor games;
• A “Data Diner” café complete with a 12,000-pound pizza oven and an “XpressO” coffee bar;
• Two spacious second floor balconies that allow employees to enjoy fresh air while they work;
• Wellness rooms with treadmills, amenity rooms for therapeutic services, showers and lockers;
• Large game rooms on each floor;
• Two dog runs where employees of the pet-friendly company can bring their dogs to run around and play throughout the day.

The building incorporates a highly sustainable design that is targeting LEED® Platinum certification. Among the green features: a large 865-kw solar array that provides up to one-third of the building’s electricity, an innovative onsite greywater recycling system designed to save up to 720,000 gallons of water each year, and a “cool roof” to mitigate the urban heat island effect.

DPR Sets Self-Perform Concrete Record

Constructed as a fully cast-in-place concrete structure, Workday tapped DPR’s self-perform concrete skills early in the building of its new headquarters. To support the 3-ft-thick concrete core walls that rise seven stories to the roof, the DPR team needed to build a thick mat foundation – leading to DPR’s largest self-performed concrete pour in company history. Over the course of 12 hours in May 2017, workers poured 4,800 cubic yards of concrete, which was reinforced with 1.2 million pounds of rebar.

The team poured as many as 500 cubic yards of concrete per hour – ultimately pouring enough concrete to fill one-and-a-half Olympic size swimming pools, or 3.7 million 2-liter bottles of soda.

Self-performing that structural concrete portion of the job enabled DPR to set the tone and pace for the job, and to keep a firm handle on quality control.

From planning and partnering to construction completion, the end result is a building that has garnered accolades on several fronts, including from Workday Co-President and CFO Robynne Sisco. “We’re extremely grateful to the City of Pleasanton and BART for their partnership,” she commented. “It’s because of their partnership in addition to our work with the building’s general contractor, DPR Construction, the architect and designer, Gensler, and literally hundreds of additional vendors that we’ve been able to make our beautiful new headquarters a reality.”

For Chad Urroz, a self-perform concrete superintendent based in Southern California, the recipe for DPR’s continued success calls for two main ingredients: hard work and a solid reputation. “DPR can’t do it without the folks in the field… we really owe it all the guys out there making it happen day in and day out. That’s where the hard work gets done,” says Urroz. This hard work is mixed in with integrity and dependability to create a reputation for quality that continues to be recognized in the industry and has helped make DPR one of the top 10 general contractors in the nation.

Q: What is your role at DPR and describe the path you took to get there?

Urroz: I’ve been a superintendent for SPW Concrete with DPR since January of 2018. I started in concrete in 1998. My uncle and his neighbor were in the concrete business, so I started doing side jobs with them, and the rest is history. I like concrete because it doesn’t go away. There’s gratification that comes from knowing what you build will be there for a long time.

Q: What’s your favorite thing to build/type of project to work on?

Urroz: I would say projects that are unique. I couldn’t imagine myself doing the same old, same old every day. I like doing a variety of projects, getting to change every nine months or so. Like this job, it’s more of a steel structure overall, but we’re doing the foundations, concrete slabs and floors throughout. One of the buildings has concrete walls and elevator cores. It’s always a little different from job to job.

Q: What’s the most technical thing you’ve worked on?

Urroz: We did a client’s corporate headquarters, a nice architectural project, in Pasadena. It was a cast-in-place building for one of DPR’s long-time clients. Since it was their corporate headquarters, it was really a showroom for them, with high-end finishes and architectural details. I was really impressed at the level of trust DPR had in me to be a lead on such an important job. They just said, “Take this and run with it.” So I did.

Q: What do you love about construction/your job?

Urroz: It’s the fulfillment I get from showing up to a dirt lot and then walking away having built a structure that you know is going to be there for a long time. I can drive through downtown LA and point out several projects that I got off the ground. There’s fulfillment in it that I don’t think many people get.

Q: How have you grown since you started here?

Urroz: The culture here is so different from anywhere I’ve been. People get treated so well here. Believe it or not, that actually took a lot of getting used to.

Q: Over the course of your career, what is the most important thing you have learned?

Urroz: The first thing that comes to my mind is patience. It takes a lot of patience to do what we do, but you also have to be pretty quick on your feet to solve problems. If a pump breaks down and you have 20 guys on deck trying to pour and finish concrete, you have to come up with a solution quickly to figure out how to salvage that pour. You make a call and stand by it. I’m responsible for anywhere from 25 to 100 guys. You can’t command the respect of 100 guys; you have to earn it. That’s another thing I’ve learned. You have to earn respect from everyone you work with.

Q: What’s the most challenging part of your job?

Urroz: The biggest challenges are always schedule and budget. We always strive to meet the customer’s schedule. There are unseen things that can delay a job, so you have to get really creative to make up any lost time. To come up with a solution, we run a bunch of schedules—different scenarios, different plays. There’s a lot of collaboration with our full-time schedulers, who are really good at what they do.

Q: What would your advice be for the next generation of builders entering this field?

Urroz: Your reputation is everything. You have to have integrity. It’s the only way to build a good reputation. I’ve been in this industry for 21 years. I went through all the recessions without a single day off work. My reputation is what got me there.

My son, Seth, is an apprentice carpenter at DPR. I never knew I wanted him to follow in my footsteps, but I was pretty proud when he did. One of our business leaders brought his three-year-old grandson out here a month ago on a really quiet Friday. Just to see that little guy—he was so excited—it reminded me of taking my son to work with me when he was about that age. Those kids love that stuff.

With the younger generation, everybody needs to figure out that in your career, reputation is everything. Dependability, honesty, reliability, hard work—everything is wrapped up in that one thing. All that goes into reputation.

While DPR Construction has project work under way in several European markets – Great Britain, the Netherlands, Germany, Sweden and Switzerland – DPR’s professionals took center stage in Dublin and Paris as part of two global thought leadership events, both focused on the future of project delivery.

“As much as we’re trying to showcase what DPR can do in our European target geographies, many of the topics we discussed apply throughout the world,” said DPR’s Europe Lead Damian Farr. “Wherever a customer works with DPR in the world, we want them to know our approach is aligned and focused on delivering great results.”

Lean Without Borders

At the International Group for Lean Construction (IGLC) Annual Conference in Dublin, DPR was hard to miss, with several speakers, paper submissions and attendees from around the globe.

“It really showcased that DPR’s depth of Lean knowledge knows no borders,” said Chris Dierks, one of DPR’s Lean leaders. “Customers everywhere are looking to bring projects online faster and that requires letting go of a lot of long-held ways of working. At IGLC, we really helped show how a customer can take advantage of emerging delivery methods, and coupling those with a Lean mindset.”

That approach was kicked off by DPR’s Atul Khanzode, Dean Reed and Leonardo Rischmoller, who presented the Simple Framework for Integrated Project Delivery. Concurrently, DPR’s Paz Arroyo teamed with Annett Schöttle, a Lean expert from German consultancy Refine Projects AG, for a workshop on Choosing by Advantages.

Teams also led sessions focused on their abstract topics. Anthony Munoz, Jean Laurent and Dierks presented DPR’s Team Health Assessment, a tool that used to better identify and provide measurement to otherwise unquantifiable indices of a project’s performance.

“Traditional measures of Lean Construction can sometimes fail to represent or provide insightful commentary to the lengths they measure,” Dierks said. “The satisfaction of every member of the team can greatly affect outcomes and true Lean project success requires taking this into account, otherwise, there will be erosion of the benefits of Lean approaches. Diving deep into understanding the health of the team is critical to the success of any project; that's why we feel so strongly about doing an Assessment each month to figure out what do we need to improve and how can we support each other better in making that happen throughout the next month.”

Calling “caca” in Paris

While the IGLC conference focused on the processes of construction, BuiltWorlds’ Summit Paris looked closely at the tools themselves changing the construction landscape. Of course, DPR had quite a bit to say about how technology is affecting construction.

Peter Schneider, from DPR’s Amsterdam team, shared some provocative opinions on a panel that addressed the slow adoption of technology in our industry.

“We have to address the tension that exists between the desire to increase productivity and efficiency and what customers are really willing to invest in to disrupt the industry,” Schneider said. “As much as contractors are in a ‘space race’ to differentiate themselves with the newest things, we have to find common goals or else existing ways of working won’t change.”

Schneider also suggested that our industry is too quick to implement a new piece of technology when more testing is needed.

“If our industry doesn’t take the time to set expectations when projects test products under development, it’s likely that those tools become burdens. If that happens too many times, the brand around “technology” goes down. When we launch a tool without an integrated training and education platform, we’re setting it up to fail. From there, what needs to happen for it to recover?” He noted.

Meanwhile, DPR’s Farr sat on a panel that expressed similar themes while projecting the future state of construction.

“There’s certainly a trend of contractors bringing design expertise in-house to improve control of their own processes and architects aiming to bring in construction talent,” Farr said. “In reality, those folks will enhance integrated delivery but it’s unlikely this approach will replace the role of the other partner.”

Similarly, there is a narrative that contractors will become more and more vertically integrated, essentially becoming a one-stop shop for all facets of project delivery. Farr is skeptical.

“Customers are always going to want to maintain some competition, at least until true integration and real trust is the norm. They know it benefits their price,” Farr said. “Each project is different enough to be considered more than widgets that can be screwed together, and we are analyzing where significant elements of our core market work is consistent enough, across all projects for us to procure and produce those pieces in an integrated manner and even where a customer has insisted upon some form of market testing.”

Nestled at the edge of North Carolina’s Research Triangle, an area famed for innovation, the popular suburban community of Cary consistently ranks among the nation’s most desirable places for active families. It is here that UNC Healthcare Panther Creek is embracing prefabrication to bring its new ambulatory surgery center online more quickly, addressing the growing community’s need for greater access to healthcare. By using a robust virtual design and construction program along with the use of prefabricated plumbing, electrical, and conduit materials, as well as tilt-up walls, DPR Construction is able to deliver the project one to two months quicker than if using traditional methods.

“The real story here goes deeper than the prefabrication itself. It was really about the modeling and coordination efforts done before we even stepped foot onsite,” says Superintendent Daniel Wrenn. “All penetrations, all hangers and embeds were already in place before we poured any slabs or decks. The day after we poured the deck, we were able to start the rough-in—in-wall and overhead. Normally, you’ve got weeks of layout and putting up your hangers before you can put the first piece of material up. Instead, our approach saved a lot of time.”

Modeling was instrumental in streamlining production of prefabricated materials off site, so when it came time to put the materials in place there was no question of placement or tie-ins. DPR crews were able to virtually tilt in the wall panels ahead of time, before fabrication, allowing them to identify any imperfections or misalignments in the embeds ahead of time. Additionally, laser scanning allowed for verification of embed placement on site. If embeds were even a couple of inches off, the information could be relayed to the project team and the trade partner for quick adjustment, eliminating schedule risks. Catching potential misalignments ahead of time creates significant time and money savings versus dealing with errors later in the field.

Modeling was also used to map out plumbing, electrical and conduit locations before these materials were fabricated. Copper pipes and fittings used in construction were tagged for specific locations for shut-off valves—all based on the modeling. Hard pipe is typically stick built in the field, with electricians bending pipe on site after boxes are roughed in. At Panther Creek, hard pipe was built off site according to the model. Electricians also traditionally install one stick of conduit at a time, but the modeling, coordination, and prefab efforts here allowed racks of 12 conduits to be installed at once. Fabrication work being done in the shop rather than on site cut down significantly on labor, accelerated the schedule, and reduced exposure to safety risks. “Prefab has been around for years,” said Project Manager Cameron Martin. “But these are new methods of employing it.”

Says Wrenn, “You couldn’t have done the prefabrication like our trades did without the modeling and bringing all the trades into the process. The trades used the Trimble system before the actual concrete was poured on any of the decks, and they were able to do the in-wall rough-in before the walls were studded.” Relationships with appropriate trade partners, such as plumbing contractor Environmental Air Systems and electrical contractor Cooper Electric, also helped in DPR’s success at Panther Creek.

Working under a tight schedule, DPR leveraged its relationships with important trade partners and brought its expertise in BIM modeling and coordination to the table to help deliver an excellent facility with cost efficiency and improved safety ever at the fore. The 96,700-sq.-ft. tilt-up medical office building, which includes a new ambulatory surgery center, imaging suites, pharmacy, and multiple medical clinics is scheduled to open in the fall of 2019.