PROJECT OVERVIEW

Seamless Precast Structure Provides a Cohesive Campus Aesthetic

Built as an addition to the Phase 1 building with an exterior envelope that seamlessly matches the adjacent structure, the new ground-up, 228,606-square-foot data center has similar glass and metal features that were also used to cohesively tie in all buildings and future phases of the campus. With speed to market a top priority, the precast façade was able to go up according to the fast-track schedule. The previous phase utilized a beige color and the precast in the current phase was painted to match the integral color which saved both time and money. The two phases match seamlessly and one cannot tell the difference in the approach to finishing them.

PRECAST SOLUTION

This building phase came in substantially less than the prior phase in large part due to the creative use of precast concrete. Spandral glazing was eliminated in front of all spaces that did not require views (ie: storage and mechanical rooms) as precast came in as the most cost effective exterior envelope material. The preinsulated panels allowed for the exterior walls to not be be furred out for insulation in the exterior rooms which saved substantial cost in labor and materials. The massing was reconfigured with the office and public spaces requiring views consolidated towards the entry so that precast massing is continuous and unbroken. A taller portion of precast creates a bookend to this consolidated glazed area — the increased height also allows for creative screening of rooftop equipment at this location and plays off the language of intersecting planes. There is a fiber entry point on Level 1 in the middle of the glazed portion of the building that required no vision glass and additional security. The design team took these limitations as an opportunity to provide a decorative precast panel with an integral white concrete color with a medium sandblast texture and a fluted formliner pattern towards the entry of building. Punch out windows were integrated into the decorative patterning of the panel, with solid panels provided where no windows are required.

The design team utilized BIM from the onset of the project to coordinate complex penetrations from the utility yard stacked electrical equipment into stacked electrical rooms to eliminate any onsite uncoordinated penetrations. The general contractor construction team was brought on to weekly design team meetings towards the end of the design process and created a separate NAVIS BIM coordination model from the design team’s Revit BIM360 cloud model. Both models were coordinated weekly according to a BIM coordination plan with team members in Los Angeles, New York, Virginia, and Dallas.

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Engineer

Engineer

Contractor

Owner

Precaster

Key Project Attributes

• Since this project was an addition to an operating facility in which the tenant needed access to during daytime hours, the precast erection occurred mostly during the evening and overnight hours so there was no interruption to traffic flow during the day on the tight site.
• The precast engineer provided stacked panels due to the building height and worked with a formliner supplier to expedite the procurement of the fluted formliners due to the fast-track schedule.

Project/Precast Scope

• The data hall panels were 10” thick composite (3.5”-3”-3.5”) utilizing 3” of XPS insulation to provide an R-value of 15. The office and screen wall panels used 8” thick solid panels with a fluted formliner pattern, white cement mix, and medium sandblast texture.
• 37,000 square feet of precast; 146 panels, 12’ wide typical
• The majority of the panels had a smooth finish which was painted. The office and screen wall panels used a fluted formliner finish, white cement mix, and a medium sandblast texture.