General Contractor: DPR Construction
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Year Completed: 2011
Architect: SmithGroup JJR
Engineer:
Design Phase Services: Design Build, Preconstruction Services, Mechanical and HVAC
LEED: Platinum Certified
AWARDS: RED Awards – Most Sustainable Project in Arizona (2012)
Building Design + Construction Reconstruction Awards – Bronze Winner (2012)
Best of’ – Best in Project in the Southwest (2012)
A living laboratory for the community, DPR’s new office is a unique example of urban revitalization and sustainability. Conceptualized as a “net-zero energy workplace of the future”, DPR created an open-office environment housing 58 workstations and floater spacesnine conference/training/innovation/mediated technology rooms, support spaces, fully-equipped gym/locker facilities, and a zen room for a quiet retreat. The office has incorporated passive/active cooling solutions including 87 operable windows, four shower towers, an 87-foot long, zinc-clad solar chimney, and a 79 kW-dc rated photovoltaic solar panel covered parking lot to control the indoor environment naturally and produce energy onsite. A Lucid Building Dashboard® system is utilized to allow DPR to monitor and share building water and gas usage, lighting and power consumption, and photovoltaic energy production in real time.
DPR YouTube video
Low Tech Meets High Tech – DPR’s Net-Zero Energy Phoenix Office
DPR page with links to all 8 videos of the series
Passive Cooling System: The building’s unique passive cooling system provides a natural alternative for regulating the space. The air is cooled via shower heads and misters as it enters the shower towers, and is then ducted into the space through dampers controlled by the automated building management system. The solar chimney, the largest of its kind in Arizona, draws air through the shower towers and operable windows with a convection current.
Circulation: Fresh air enters the building through 87 operable windows that are automated through the building management system. The windows open and close based on the temperature demands of the building and work in conjunction with the shower towers, dampers and solar chimney. The air is circulated through the open space via 12 Big Ass Fans®. These high-volume/low speed giants circulate a lot of air with their size, not their speed, which translates into minimal energy consumption for operation.
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