“ Big Ass Fans are a huge component to our passive cooling system; it wouldn't work without them. We've also received a lot of compliments on the fans.
Nationwide contracting firm DPR Construction specializes in building environmentally-responsible structures for its clients. The firm employs 400 LEED® professionals and has built some of the largest net-zero energy and LEED Platinum buildings in the nation. With that track record, it made sense for the firm to set its sights on sustainability at its own offices as well. However, in the desert heat of Phoenix, Arizona, this proved to be a challenge. DPR needed to find a balance between energy efficiency and occupant comfort without sacrificing its aim to create a net-zero facility.
For their new Phoenix headquarters, DPR renovated an old retail store in a newly re-developed area. They included a number of innovative features to improve energy efficiency, including shower towers and a solar chimney. For comfort, a natural ventilation strategy is made possible by 12 Isis® fans, which fill the office with silent, cooling breezes and use far less energy than numerous small, high-speed fans or air conditioning alone. The DPR Phoenix office, a living laboratory for how to live and work comfortably and efficiently in the desert, has won multiple design and green building awards and received LEED Platinum status.
