DGS Natural Resources Headquarters

The new headquarters for the California Natural Resources Agency is a 22-story, 850,000 SF high-rise office tower serving as the workplace for several departments within the Agency, including the Department of Water Resources, Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the Department of Parks and Recreation. The project includes 10,000 SF of ground level retail/flexible space, a multi-vendor food court, and a verdant pedestrian plaza.

Designed to meet LEED-Platinum and net-zero energy standards, the project included radiant floor heating, reclaimed water systems, mechanical chilled sails, and building materials such as rammed earth, reclaimed wood, and local/renewable materials. To help achieve the LEED-Platinum designation, Raymond utilized as many eco-friendly products possible. All the paper-faced drywall products used were USG Sheetrock Brand EcoSmart material, ordered to size. Nearly all the metal was Mill Certified and ordered to size.

Raymond used prefabrication on the project to reduce waste, as well on-site manpower. For drywall Raymond used an in-house milling machine, and for the metal, manufactured panels off-site. Raymond prefabricated 15,350 LF of sill-wall at the perimeter of the building. This included the framing, and the drywall shapes that finished them off.

Raymond ran an extremely small crew on-site that met the aggressive schedule, allowing the owner to meet their move-in date.