| NEWS | DESIGN | BUILDING | DESIGN TOOLS | ENVIRONMENT | CULTURE |
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Ban Talks to Students | |
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Chill Data | |
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Chill Data The 90,000-square-foot (8400-square-meter) facility has 28,000 square feet (2600 square meters) of data center floor space and mechanical/ electrical/ plumbing (MEP) infrastructure wrapped with office and support areas. With the data center on the upper floor and the mechanical plant on the lower, chilled water piping is located below the data center floor, so flooding concerns are lessened. The 11-acre (4.5-hectare) sloped site gives the data center advantages that cannot be achieved on flat land, typically the topography of choice for such buildings. Each of the two floors has its own entrance, so there are no fire stairs and only one elevator. Deliveries go directly to the intended floor. The sloped site also increases the systems' ability to accommodate future changes in information technology requirements, whether in greater floor area or in increased power and cooling demands. LEED-Silver Features To meet LEED qualifications, the data center was designed to reduce the building demand on local utilities through its energy efficiency strategies. For example, water needed for cooling is collected from the roof, filtered and treated, and then pumped into the building in the event of an interruption to the water supply. The data center incorporates an innovative cooling system called "tower of cool," with redundant chilled-water loops. Up to 100,000 gallons (380 cubic meters) of rainwater are stored under the loading dock's concrete apron in a storage system that resembles a large plastic egg crate with plastic rings. This gray water is also used for irrigation and for flushing toilets. Environmental controls promote energy efficiency throughout the design. Individual work areas are equipped with temperature and lighting controls and with carbon dioxide monitors all tied back to the central controls. These are expected to yield increased workplace productivity, greater reliability of mission critical systems, and reduced operation costs. The mechanical design has a lower-than-normal ozone depletion potential because chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) have been replaced with R134A refrigerant in the chillers. Other Special Features The site has 5,000 square feet (465 square meters) of expansion space in the raised floor area. There is a three-foot- (90-centmeter-) high raised floor, with 15-foot- (4.6-meter-) high ceilings. Equipped with VESDA air-sampling smoke detectors and pre-action sprinklers. High security throughout the facility is ensured by perimeter fencing, anti-ram devices, cameras, motion detectors, pass-card technology, and biometrics (technology that reads fingerprints and retinal scans). The facility is built of precast concrete and a roofing system capable of withstanding sustained winds in excess of 110 miles (180 kilometers) per hour. Despite all its security precautions, Highmark also works as a showcase for the community, business associates, auditors, and vendors. A virtual "information highway" within the data center offers guided tours and exhibits to illustrate how the systems function. A tour "aisle" was included in the design that includes cut-outs in the floor to illustrate to visitors the center's remarkable infrastructure. Discuss this article in the Architecture Forum... Project Credits Architect: RTKL Applied Technology Group
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