Work

Our Ethos

As stewards of the built environment, DLR Group’s Justice+Civic studio elevates behavioral, environmental, and social betterment, resulting in healing, equity, and transformation for the individual and community.

Hayward Fire Training Center

Training, as Real as Possible

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Exterior of the Hayward Fire Department building. Multistory grey building with red accents with a grey and white walkway leading to the front doors

Exterior of white concrete a fire station with red accents. Words fire station 6 prominently displayed above the large glass doors with a fire truck parked at one of the bays.

Multistory fire training facility that is black and grey with red accents. Large garage doors to the right of the building

Fire training facility with multiple training areas of a large concrete building, Victorian house and other buildings in the background.

Rendering of a multistory building filled with large rectangular windows surrounded by trees and lush landscaping

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Rehabilitation, Dignity, and the Difficult Work of Reentry

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A truly progressive justice facility doesn’t just manage risk; it models accountability without dehumanization. It says that how we treat people – especially when they’re at their lowest – matters.

Aerial of the Seminole County Justice Center Annex with a large four-story courts building with a three tiered cupola to the right side of the image and a four-story government building to the left.

award | Seminole County Justice Center Annex

2026 Design-Build Project of the Year – Federal, State, County, Municipal

Design-Build Institute of America Florida Region

architectural rendering of the Gainesville Police Department Property Evidence facility; modern multi-facade building with walkways and greenery in the foreground

press
Justice Design News

Gainesville Breaks Ground on Spacious New Evidence Facility

DLR Group and Gainesville community members gathered to break ground on the Gainesville Police Department Property Evidence facility.

front entrance of the community-based behavioral health facility, Rising Recovery Center, from a repurposed San Rafael, CA fire station; walkway to a recessed covered doorway

firm news

Rising Recovery Center Delivers Critical Public Health Infrastructure

DLR Group celebrated the completion of Rising Recovery Center with a ribbon cutting ceremony in Marin County, California.

Rendering of a double-height lobby with soft chairs and carpet. Reception desk in the center background sits beneath an abstract sculpture of a river running along the ceiling toward the viewer.

press
ICPA

Designing Hope: How Prison Design Experts Are Reimagining Correctional Spaces

DLR Group Principal and Justice+Civic Planning Leader Marayca Lopez, PhD discusses why the spaces we create behind bars matter more than we think with ICPA.

interior photo; a busy open office filled with people working at desks with computers and monitors; high ceilings with skylights, and glass-walled second-floor hallways overlook the main work area below

idea

The Tide Pool: A Design Philosophy for Emergency Operations Centers

When a storm hits, an EOC becomes the place where agencies share facts, set priorities, and keep the response steady.

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ArchDaily

“Users Are the Experts on Themselves”: How People Shape the Spaces They Use

DLR Group’s research-informed, human-centered design treats the lived experience as a form of design intelligence.

Exterior of lake county regional operations and communications facility; Head-on view of the building’s exterior end shows the white double-butterfly roof as a diamond-shaped volume that floats above the dark brown textured building exterior that is pieced by narrow vertical windows.

idea

Designer's Sketchbook: Postcards from Lake County's Emergency Hub

Justice+Civic Design Leader Mallory Cusenbery reflects on the responsibility of designing for emergency services and the need to connect design with the community it serves.

empty office building floor facing floor to ceiling windows; mass timber core building structure exposed

event

International Mass Timber Conference

From Google’s carbon-conscious workplaces to emergency response design, our experts share lessons learned at the International Mass Timber Conference.

front entrance to a activities and wellness center; featured steel frame with doors beneath

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Modern Steel Construction

What’s Cool in Steel: COOL Wellness Center – Letting In Light

DLR Group activities and wellness center project at Green Hill School is included in Modern Steel’s annual roundup of recent captivating steel projects.