 DLR Group began in 1966 as a engineering and architecture firm. EnviroCitizen.org found that it has grown into a firm that uses sustainable practices in their projects. DLR Group is very involved in LEED design. The firm is also a member of the U.S. Green Building Council.
One such project is the Wayne L. Morse Courthouse. This project was chosen as an AIA Committee on the Environment Top Ten Green Project for 2007. It was submitted by DLR Group, with the cooperation of other firms. As can be expected, the courthouse works with high-risk law enforcement and intelligence agencies, courts, judicial offices and sensitive government information. The facility has strict and complex security requirements to protect against attacks. Despite these design challenges, the building provides an architectural expression of judicial presence at a healthy, human scale. With a setting in Eugene, Oregon, the courthouse serves as the center of a small district of mixed-use warehouse renovations. The site is within a half mile of basic services and three high density residential neighborhoods. The court is in a very urbanized area, so it was needed to fit in. Rail and bus lines connect the courthouse to the greater community, so that car use isn’t a necessity. Parking is located underground, and the landscaping features native, drought tolerant plants. Reduced irrigation combined with waterless urinals and low-flow toilets, faucets and even showerheads reduce the project's water use by more than 40 percent, compared with a comparable, conventional facility. The project's energy use was also reduced by approximately 40 percent through the use of extensive daylighting, shading, high-performance glazing, efficient electric lighting, displacement ventilation and radiant-floor heating and cooling. At night, air from the building is replaced with ambient air, reducing the cooling load. Materials were selected for their recycled content, regional availability, minimal maintenance needs and low chemical emissions.
DLR is a green architect that EnviroCitizen.org discovered uses design to achieve sustainability; a very subtle, but powerful approach. They have won many awards for similar undertakings and continue to show promise as an entity that will design into a green, new era.
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