DBR Engineering Consultants provides sustainable solutions that maximize efficiencies and return on investment for its clients. DBR, founded in 1972 as David W. Day Associates and later became Day Brown Rice Consulting Engineers (incorporated as DBR Engineering Consultants in 2001), is focused on creating energy-efficient, high-performance MEP building systems.
Back in the early days of U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED rating system, several of Texas-based DBR Engineering Consultants’ clients began talking to the firm about the then fledgling concept.
“That’s when we really started learning about LEED,” DBR Partner Brian Uhlrich, P.E., LEED AP BD+C, says. “In 2004, myself and one of the partners attended a LEED workshop and took the exam and became LEED accredited.” Just as Uhlrich and the firm dove deeper into sustainable education, clients began doing the same.
“The more and more we learned about sustainability, the more opportunities came up where architects and building owners were excited about pursuing some sustainable design strategies,” he says. “Up to that point the vast majority of work we did, decisions were made based more on initial budget and keeping first project costs in line than they were on life-cycle cost. More times than not, the intent was to build as cheap as possible and sell it as quickly as possible.”
That mindset, Uhlrich notes, began to slowly change over the years. “The building industry has evolved to where owners care about operating cost,” he says. “They are making an investment in the design of the building and that can yield a good return on that investment. We saw the trend coming and started to explore it and found out a lot of young engineers are excited about sustainable design and are passionate about it.”
Uhlrich, who has been with the firm for 17 years, admits the shift to a green design focus has been a shot in the arm for the 84-person DBR staff, which includes 18 licensed engineers and 10 LEED Accredited Professionals. The firm, celebrating its 40th year in business in 2012, is privately owned by seven partners. Randy Curry is DBR’s president.
“It’s reinvigorated us,” Uhlrich says. “We would rather be a firm with a lot of eager minds invested in exploring new opportunities and technologies instead of a bunch of old codgers doing the same old thing the same way we’ve always done it. It’s been an evolution for us, but it’s been positive and very well-received by our employees.”
It’s also helped move new business through the doors of the firm’s San Antonio, Houston, McAllen and Corpus Christi, Texas, offices.
“There have been projects that have come our way because we’ve earned a reputation in our area and in our region with sustainable designs,” Uhlrich says. “People know we have the experience with LEED projects and know how to obtain all the documentation required. We have a reputation for having a focus on energy efficiency and sustainable design strategies. Our goal is to be recognized in our area as a leader in sustainable designs for building systems.”
Zac Morton, P.E., LEED AP BD +C, has been with DBR for 10 years and is one of those young engineers Uhlrich refers to as having a keen interest in green building design.
“I like the chance to do things that make sense for owners and give them benefits,” he says. “I’m not too big on being green for the sake of being green. I want it to be good in the long run for the owner and for the environment.”