Gilbane, along with Crabtree, Rohrbaugh & Associates, has been selected to partner with Steel Orca to design and build a 300,000-sf data center in Bucks County, Pa., that will be powered entirely through renewable energy sources (gas, solar, fuel cells, wind and geo-thermal).
"Our partnership with Steel ORCA and Gilbane on this environmentally-attentive project is such an incredible opportunity,” says Doug Rohrbaugh, co-founder and Chairman of the Board of Crabtree, Rorhbaugh & Associates. “We value our role in this design and the technology that supports our long-standing philosophy of sustainable design."
Notable elements of the project will include:
- Air-Side Economizers - Free cooling from the geography with average annual temperatures of 60.2 degrees
- Hydro-cooling, using the Delaware River as a thermal resource
- Design goal of LEED Platinum, making the new facility one of the highest performing data center enclosures in the world
- Server Side Cooling - Cooling directly at the source of the heat for managed services
- Hot-Isle Heat Containment - Maximizing cooling efficiency by enclosing the hot-isle and capturing the exhaust heat for excavation or reuse
- Modular Scalable Data Center - using data center cells for flexibility for density (power) requirements, Tier requirements and energy sources
- Efficient Floor Layout and Design - aligning hot aisle/cold aisles and redefining the cage and rack usage
“We’re excited to partner with Gilbane Building Company and believe we will benefit greatly from their broad mission critical experience,” says David Crocker, CEO of Steel Orca. “Combined with the environmentally-friendly design work of Crabtree, Rohrbaugh & Associates, this data center will be the largest, most ecologically considerate and efficient data centers on Earth.”
“Gilbane’s Delaware Valley region is poised to achieve great success by delivering this LEED Platinum data center with Steel Orca and Crabtree, Rohrbaugh & Associates,” says Greg Dunkle, Gilbane’s Regional Manager. “The accelerated schedule will be challenging on its own merits, validating the need for a partner like Gilbane. Our project team is excited to address and minimize the demands a data center places on our natural resources and the equal demand on energy consumption.”
“It takes specialized expertise to be able to achieve the aggressive efficiency goals set by Steel Orca,” agrees William J. Gilbane, Jr., president and COO. “I have complete confidence that our team of experts can rise to the challenge and set a new standard for data centers.”
Preconstruction has already begun and start of construction is planned for the fall of 2011. Overall completion is scheduled for 2013.
Steel ORCA is expected to employ more than 1,000 people in Bucks County when the new facility is complete.
About Steel Orca
Steel Orca is working with many of the world’s best design and engineering firms to build its efficient green data centers. These ultra-high availability and ultra-secure facilities are being designed to operate at approximately 60% greater energy efficiency than the average data center, translating directly into more computing power using less energy. Steel ORCA is currently executing contracts at pre-construction rates for data center tenants. For more information, visit www.steelorca.com.
About Gilbane Building Company
Gilbane provides a full slate of construction and facilities-related services – from sustainable building to the latest in construction technology – for clients across various markets. Founded in 1873 and still a privately held, family-run company, Gilbane has more than 60 office locations across the country and around the world through its subsidiary, Innovative Technical Solutions, Inc. (ITSI). For more information, visit www.gilbaneco.com.
About Crabtree, Rorhbaugh & Associates
Crabtree, Rohrbaugh & Associates is a nationally recognized design firm housing more than 90 leaders in the fields of architecture design, interior design, planning, project management and construction administration. The firm has designed and built structures for our clients in 39 states and counting. The firm’s scope of experience includes K-12 and university education, retail, health care, religious, historical, governmental, correctional, warehousing, distribution, commercial office, multi- family housing, hotel, restaurant, recreational and banking facilities. To learn more, visit www.cra-architects.com.
Related Stories
Architects | Jun 4, 2019
Big design, small budget: These are the best small projects for 2019
Bjarke Ingels Group's prototype mountainside cabin and Fieldwork's forest pedestrian bridges are among 12 projects honored by AIA's Small Project Practitioners group.
Architects | Apr 26, 2019
Designing for the final frontier: Space architecture
Colonizing Mars is an exciting possibility in the not-too-distant future, and architects will play a vital role in making it a reality, despite the plethora of challenges that need to be overcome.
Architects | Apr 12, 2019
Bipartisan 'Invest in America Act' gains industry support
The bill would attract as much as $125 billion investment for buildings, infrastructure.
Office Buildings | Apr 8, 2019
It’s time for office amenities to get to work
Amenities with the greatest impact on effectiveness and experience are those that directly support the work needs of individual employees and their teams.
Industry Research | Apr 8, 2019
New research finds benefits to hiring architectural services based on qualifications
Government agencies gain by evaluating beyond price, according to a new Dodge survey of government officials.
Architects | Mar 17, 2019
HMC Architects sets up a ‘design lab’ to explore new ideas
The goal is for project team members to collaborate earlier to inspire innovation.
Architects | Mar 12, 2019
Thrown a curve: Fitting a restaurant into spherical dome was the design challenge for Willmott’s Ghost
The Seattle eatery nests inside the conservatories on Amazon’s massive campus.
Building Technology | Mar 8, 2019
What is your firm's innovation 'hit rate'?
As firms begin to adopt the practices and mindset of Silicon Valley tech and advanced manufacturing, it’s fair to ask: Are all of these innovation projects and initiatives working?
Architects | Mar 7, 2019
HED, Integrated Design Group to merge firms
ID has a strong reputation for data center design with locations in Boston in Dallas.