DPR Construction

Scope Of Work

An integrated design-build team from DPR and SmithGroup put their collective planning and problem-solving skills to good use to create a new state-of-the-art forensic facility for the County of San Diego. Combining three key policing entities under one roof – the regional crime lab, major crimes division, and property and evidence unit – the 158,000-sq.-ft., four-story San Diego County Sheriff’s Department Crime Lab facility serves as ground zero for crime-fighting efforts in the region.

The new ground-up facility, completed after 21 months of construction, consists of 60,000 sq. ft. of ballistics lab and storage, 44,0000 sq. ft. of laboratory space, 54,000 sq. ft. of Sheriff’s Central Investigations Division and crime lab administrative office space and a central plant expansion. One of the first facilities in the country to consolidate evidence holding, analysis and holding cells in a single space, the crime lab provides specialized analysis in controlled substances and alcohol, DNA and trace evidence, latent fingerprint development and comparison, cold case forensic team work and more.

The award-winning LEED Gold facility encompasses numerous green features. In addition to a photovoltaic array that supplies one-fifth of the building’s energy, it includes extensive daylighting, low-flow indoor plumbing, native plants and high-efficiency irrigation.

DPR self-performed metal studs framing, drywall, acoustic ceilings and the basement concrete pour. To safeguard the basement against moisture intrusion, SPW concrete crews waterproofed the double height basement walls and installed a permanent dewatering system, all during record rainfall.