Project Overview
Data centers are a critical component of infrastructure systems, serving as the backbone of digital services that include everything from internet connectivity and cloud computing to artificial intelligence and telecommunications. Surging technological demands across the United States and worldwide have led to an increased presence of data centers in the country, along with hikes in the number of team members required to run them. But despite their importance and proliferation, data centers are typically drab structures. Most often designed as basic boxes, function generally supersedes form, which is why the Oppidan Data Center in Olathe, Kans., offers such an exciting break from tradition. Enterprise Precast Concrete, in partnership with architect Salas O’Brien and Whiting-Turner Contracting Company, collaborated closely on a precast concrete–powered solution that included wall panels, columns, and caps, all wrapped in an aesthetically captivating package that is helping to change the way data centers are viewed and designed.
Breaking the Archetype
While the Oppidan Data Center was based on a prototype design being used throughout the United States, local jurisdiction for the building required a much higher level of aesthetics than a typical project. This was largely due to the data center’s location near a residential area. Originally, plans called for a site-cast, tilt-up building with metal screen walls, but to meet the high-end visual specifications of the work, the project team shifted to a precast concrete building with precast concrete screen walls. With this approach, the Oppidan Data Center could avoid a plain, flat building with all the panels in the same plane, and instead meet local requirements, which necessitated façade bump-outs for the entry and other areas of the building. Doing so also made the effort more intriguing for the architecture team.
“It’s a joy to be able to design a data center with this level of upscale architectural features,” says Brenda Ross, principal at Salas O’Brien. “In many cases, data centers don’t have that opportunity and ultimately end up looking more like warehouses. We’re proud of the final design for this building and the precast concrete façade was the primary contributor to that success.”
Two precast concrete mixture proportions were deployed on the project: one with an off-white tone and another with a deep charcoal color. Both had a sandblast finish. Along with the interplay between the precast concrete panels and the building’s glass and brick accents, the integral color helped the data center meet jurisdictional design criteria.
“Overall, this data center provides an excellent example of precast concrete playing well with other materials: brick, glass, louvers, and mechanical equipment,” says Dirk McClure, director of business development with Enterprise Precast Concrete. “Architectural precast also enabled us to significantly transform the more standard, utilitarian approach to data center work, elevating this building’s design to a higher level.”
Additionally, the precast concrete made it easier to highlight the Oppidan Data Center’s features while generating enhanced depth within the structure. The building’s elevated protrusions allowed for shadow patterns to be cast, resulting in the look of the structure shifting throughout the day depending on the sun’s path. The general contractor also noted that leveraging precast concrete brought significant cost and schedule advantages to construction. Despite a 90,000-ft2 footprint, the Oppidan Data Center reached completion in just 13 months.
With a thought-provoking design atypical of most projects in the same category, the Oppidan Data Center is a stunning example of the design options—and speed of construction—that can be unlocked with precast concrete.
Mason Nichols is a Grand Rapids, Mich.-based writer and editor who has covered the precast concrete industry since 2013. |