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
| May 3, 2014
4 easy steps to being a great project manager
Managing a team of people, especially creative people, is a task that not everyone is up for. Keeping your team on the same page while maintaining a schedule and budget that can keep your corporation happy will take confidence and bountiful people skills. Here are some tips for effectively managing a project. SPONSORED CONTENT
Sponsored | | May 3, 2014
Fire-rated glass floor system captures light in science and engineering infill
In implementing Northwestern University’s Engineering Life Sciences infill design, Flad Architects faced the challenge of ensuring adequate, balanced light given the adjacent, existing building wings. To allow for light penetration from the fifth floor to the ground floor, the design team desired a large, central atrium. One potential setback with drawing light through the atrium was meeting fire and life safety codes.
| May 2, 2014
World's largest outdoor chandelier tops reworked streetscape for Cleveland's PlayhouseSquare
Streetscape project includes monumental gateway portals, LED signage, and a new plaza, fire pit, sidewalk café, and alfresco dining area.
| May 2, 2014
Norwegian modular project set to be world's tallest timber-frame apartment building [slideshow]
A 14-story luxury apartment block in central Bergen, Norway, will be the world's tallest timber-framed multifamily project, at 49 meters (160 feet).
| May 2, 2014
Top 10 countries for LEED buildings outside the U.S.
The list of the top 10 countries for LEED reflects the global adaptability of the world’s most widely used and recognized system guiding the design, construction, operations and maintenance of green buildings.
| May 1, 2014
First look: Cal State San Marcos's posh student union complex
The new 89,000-sf University Student Union at CSUSM features a massive, open-air amphitheater, student activity center with a game lounge, rooftop garden and patio, and ballroom space.
| May 1, 2014
Super BIM: 7 award-winning BIM/VDC-driven projects
Thom Mayne's Perot Museum of Nature and Science and Anaheim's new intermodal center are among the 2014 AIA TAP BIM Award winners.
| May 1, 2014
Tight on space for multifamily? Check out this modular kitchen tower
The Clei Ecooking kitchen, recently rolled out at Milan's Salone de Mobile furniture fair, squeezes multiple appliances into a tiny footprint.
| May 1, 2014
Chinese spec 'world's fastest' elevators for supertall project
Hitachi Elevator Co. will build and install 95 elevators—including two that the manufacturer labels as the "world's fastest"—for the Kohn Pedersen Fox-designed Guangzhou CTF Finance Center.
| Apr 30, 2014
Visiting Beijing's massive Chaoyang Park Plaza will be like 'moving through a urban forest'
Construction work has begun on the 120,000-sm mixed-use development, which was envisioned by MAD architects as a modern, urban forest.