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
| Nov 1, 2013
CBRE Group enhances healthcare platform with acquisition of KLMK Group
CBRE Group, Inc. (NYSE:CBG) today announced that it has acquired KLMK Group, a leading provider of facility consulting, project advisory and facility activation solutions to the healthcare industry.
| Oct 31, 2013
74 years later, Frank Lloyd Wright structure built at Florida Southern College
The Lakeland, Fla., college adds to its collection of FLW buildings with the completion of the Usonian house, designed by the famed architect in 1939, but never built—until now.
| Oct 31, 2013
CBRE's bold experiment: 200-person office with no assigned desks [slideshow]
In an effort to reduce rent costs, real estate brokerage firm CBRE created its first completely "untethered" office in Los Angeles, where assigned desks and offices are replaced with flexible workspaces.
| Oct 30, 2013
15 stellar historic preservation, adaptive reuse, and renovation projects
The winners of the 2013 Reconstruction Awards showcase the best work of distinguished Building Teams, encompassing historic preservation, adaptive reuse, and renovations and additions.
| Oct 30, 2013
11 hot BIM/VDC topics for 2013
If you like to geek out on building information modeling and virtual design and construction, you should enjoy this overview of the top BIM/VDC topics.
| Oct 29, 2013
Increased backlogs, margins lead to renewed optimism in global construction
After prolonged economic uncertainty, a majority of executives in the global engineering and construction sector have fresh confidence in the growth prospects for the industry, according to KPMG International's 2013 Global Construction Survey. A general increase in backlogs and margins is giving cause for optimism across the industry, with further growth anticipated.
| Oct 29, 2013
BIG opens subterranean Danish National Maritime Museum [slideshow]
BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group) has completed the Danish National Maritime Museum in Helsingør. By marrying the crucial historic elements with an innovative concept of galleries and way-finding, BIG’s renovation scheme reflects Denmark's historical and contemporary role as one of the world's leading maritime nations.
| Oct 28, 2013
Urban growth doesn’t have to destroy nature—it can work with it
Our collective desire to live in cities has never been stronger. According to the World Health Organization, 60% of the world’s population will live in a city by 2030. As urban populations swell, what people demand from their cities is evolving.
| Oct 28, 2013
Metal roofs are topping more urban dwellings
Given their durability and ease of use, metal roofs have been a common feature on rural houses for decades. Now they’re becoming an increasingly popular choice on urban dwellings as well.
| Oct 25, 2013
Hoffmann Architects announces launch of U.S. Capitol Dome restoration
The Architect of the Capitol will undertake comprehensive restoration of the 150-year-old cast iron Dome, which has not undergone a complete restoration since 1959-1960.
