DLR Group was commissioned to design the new Pinal County Attorney’s Office as a new headquarters that would attract the best talent from neighboring counties. For its design of this five-story, 56,000-square-foot building—which sits adjacent to the Superior Courthouse—the firm drew inspiration from the saguaro cactus, whose iconic ribs shade its skin and allow it to thrive in the desert by preventing overheating. DLR Group translated this natural climate-response mechanism into a building-scale solution, leveraging principles of biomimicry.
The building’s self-shading, heat-reducing exterior façade includes high-performance glass, steel fins, and glazing elements to maximize energy efficiency, while yellow pops of color gesture toward desert flowers and capture the beauty of the surrounding environment. Modern office interiors complement the beautiful distinctive exterior, with sliding glass doors that draw in abundant natural light, create connections to the outdoors, and provide transparency. DLR Group provided architecture, interior design, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, structural engineering, and high-performance design.