(From left to right) Sustainability Programs Manager Jeremy Meek, CFO Carol Meek, President Jerry Meek
Scottsdale-based Desert Star Construction (DSC), the Valley’s premier builder of award-winning custom luxury homes, continues to break new ground as winner of the 2014 “Contractor Award” from the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Arizona. The award honors a firm that exemplifies the vital role of the Contractor in bringing good design to reality through innovation, technology, craftsmanship, teamwork and dedication.
“By honoring a custom luxury builder like Desert Star Construction, we reward those who work well with our members and lead as a shining example for commercial and residential contractors to follow,” stated Tina Litteral, AIA Arizona executive vice president.
DSC President Jerry Meek accepted the award on behalf of Desert Star Construction during the ‘Celebrate Architecture’ 2014 Design Awards Gala held at the Hotel Valley Ho on Saturday, November 15. For more than 36 years, Meek has galvanized his team to build some of the Valley’s most illustrious homes, including future MLB Hall of Famer Randy Johnson’s home in Paradise Valley, which is currently on the real estate market for $25 million.
“Our mission is to build homes, relationships and exceptional experiences that will last a lifetime. We are relentless in our pursuit of excellence, which results in the superior quality of every home we build and the extraordinary relationships we forge with our clients, partners and organizations like AIA Arizona. Architects, together with talented designers, artisan craftspeople and trusted vendors, remain integral to the success of our vision. We’re here to serve our clients to the best of our abilities, and we simply couldn’t do it without the support of an incredible team,” stated Meek.
To exemplify the award’s criteria of excellence in innovation, technology and design, DSC has remained at the forefront of sustainable luxury construction for more than three decades by being the first custom home builder in Arizona to employ a LEED for Homes Accredited Professional and achieving a total of 16 LEED-certified custom projects throughout the state. The company built the first LEED-certified home in Paradise Valley, the first LEED-certified home in Silverleaf utilizing geothermal technology, the first Net Zero Energy luxury home in Paradise Valley, and led the renovation of the historic landmark El Chorro Lodge, resulting in the first LEED Gold Certified full-service restaurant in Arizona.
In addition, DSC launched an award-winning website and developed proprietary custom budgeting and concierge service software together with a variety of mobile applications including iDSC®, the Team DSC® Mobile Application. Each tool is designed and optimized specifically to improve productivity and add direct value to the building process.
DSC also demonstrates excellence in leadership, teamwork and dedication through its continuing education program that supports team members who wish to complete their bachelor’s and Mmaster’s degrees, develop professional skills such as a second or third language, and achieve specialized certifications in areas that include sustainable building, construction management, project management, OHSA and architectural design.
In order to win the award, Desert Star Construction was evaluated for its career contribution to quality design, innovations in construction technology and project delivery; excellent and consistent workmanship; and exemplary coordination, teamwork and dedication.
“We are extremely grateful to AIA Arizona and the jury panel for choosing DSC to receive this incredible honor,” said Meek. “Most especially, we thank AIA Architect Mark Candelaria (Candelaria Design Associates) and AIA Architect Erik Peterson (PHX Architecture) for their nomination and support.”
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