The data center includes access flooring, starline busway, gaseous fire suppression and extensive power monitoring and a state of the art security system. Supporting the data center expansion will be the construction of a new utility yard, consisting of a concrete soil retention wall, two 1.2 mega-watt generators, a chilled water storage tank, and two 160 ton chillers.

DPR’s design-build partner on the project is PageSoutherlandPage. Together they have completed approximately $200 million in data centers in Texas.

Technical Details: The data center will be outfitted with 12 MW systems over 30,000 sq. ft. of white space with the following equipment set:

• 1 N Utility Feed At 161 KV (By Others)
• Single-Ended 161 KV Substation Rated At 20 MVA With Provisions For Double Ending (By Others)
• Tri-Bus 15 KV Switchgear With Auto Transfer Capability
• Underground Medium Voltage Distribution In Tri-Bus Configuration For Critical Power
• Overhead Low Voltage Distribution To White Space
• Underground Medium And Low Voltage Distribution In Traditional A/B Bus Configuration For House Power And Mechanical Loads.
• 3 Mode (Single Bus, Double Bus, And Tri-Bus) Medium Voltage N+1 Diesel Rotary UPS (DRUPS) Plant With 24 Hour Fuel Storage
• 120/ 208V Remote Distribution Panels (RDP’s) And Remote Power Panels (RPP’s) For White Space Legacy Equipment

Phase 1 facility features include:

• High-Availability, concurrent maintainability on all components
• Entire critical load fully Level 5 Commissioned
• 38,253 sq. ft. of data hall white space
• Supports average energy densities of 200 watts/sq. ft.
• Structurally Sound: FEMA 356 “Essential Facility” category
• Seismically Reinforced: Building and all improvements seismically reinforced to a 1.5 Structural Importance Factor
• Carrier-Neutral: Six Tier I carriers on-property: Level 3, AboveNet, CenturyLink (Qwest), AT &T, Verizon Business and Tata Communications.
• Low latency: 17 msRT to San Jose, 3.5 msRT to Seattle, 45 msRT to Chicago, and 87 msRT to Tokyo, Japan

The theatre is built in the style of traditional European theaters, yet features state-of-the-art comfort and technology. Sound acoustical joints keep all vibrations from the structure so no noise will disturb the shows.

Despite significant changes to the electrical scope of work, DPR managed the schedule to achieve the original occupancy date for the customer’s move-in.

The stores are more than just a place to sell products; it encourages consumers to “come, touch and test drive the products." This is why the interior is introduced to create openness and visibility across the store--to the products on display and to the customer activity. Central to the two-story space are a series of structural glass elements (stair, bridge and skylight) uniquely designed for Apple's High Profile Stores.

Situated on a 37-acre site in Palo Alto's prestigious Stanford Research Park, the property features vistas, dozens of mature trees, generous landscape setbacks, and mature landscape areas. The buildings circle a large central courtyard that will serve as the heart of the VMware community.

Despite a very fast schedule and highly complex scope, the project was completed under budget and with just 16 punchlist items at substantial completion.

Fast Computer, Fast Schedule
It almost goes without saying that one of the fastest computing facilities in the world would be built on an equally fast schedule. The 10-month schedule included minimum 56-hour workweeks for the field teams, sometimes with only DPR-mandated days off. In addition, there were 41 weather impact days—far more than usual in Austin—that were absorbed by the schedule.

All owner milestones were completed on time or early, and the owner was able to move into the space two months early to begin build-out of the super-computer. The project was also awarded the University of Texas Safety Through Exemplary Performance (STEP) Silver Award. The project was completed with zero accidents, zero recordables and zero lost time incidents.

Self Performed Work
DPR self-performed demolition, drywall, accessory installation and concrete to help drive the schedule and fill in difficult to contract scopes.

The project design includes the use of UPS flywheels in lieu of the more typical static batteries. The UPS flywheels have several advantages for this project: they use about 30% less space than static batteries, are not potential explosion hazards, don't require special room ventilation, and have a life span of approximately 20 years. In emergency situations they provide 14 seconds of load at 100%, which is more than enough time for emergency generators to reach full capacity.

In lieu of the split DX units that were planned for the roof, the team recommended using Water-Cooled Chillers and a Cooling Tower. DX units are less expensive to install, but much more expensive to run. Using life cycle energy analysis tools with the BIM, the team determined that although the Water-Cooled Chillers were more expensive to install, over a 15-year period the University would save upwards of $16 million in energy and maintenance costs.

The ceiling in the data center white space was lower than in a typical data center, and did not have the load capacity to support the data cable trays. The team designed the load from the cable trays to be supported from the raised access flooring below. Rather than hanging from the ceiling, the trays are supported from below via poles at the base of the server cabinet.

The cable tray support system was designed electronically in BIM, and run through clash detection software during design. The team was able to see exactly how much space was available for cabling, and make adjustments where needed. In some instances, the design left as little as ½” clearance. Having the entire design and construction team involved in the clash detection, accurate changes could be made in the drawings rather than the field when changes are more costly to implement.

To help expedite the schedule, an early release package for abatement was developed for the portion of the building that was unoccupied prior to the project starting. When the building was vacated, DPR was able to move quickly and could focus on the white space, demarcs and electrical room demo and build-back.

Technical Details

• Tier Level: Tier III
• Structure: Precast concrete
• Raised Floor: 9,000 sq. ft.
• Critical Load: 1.44 MW
• Watts/square foot: 150/sq. ft.
• Hot aisle/cold aisle containment
• Rotary Flywheel Uninterruptible Power System (UPS): 2N
• Chilled Water System: N+1 system for cooling of white space and UPS rooms

Phase 1 features include:

• Tier III design: N+1 to 2N Redundancy on all Systems
• EYP Commissioned, Supporting Energy Densities of 200 watts/sq. ft. throughout
• All improvements seismically reinforced to a 1.5 Structural Importance Factor
• PUE 1.37

Pre-set goals for the project included: 

• Completion of each phase ahead of schedule
• Zero defects at substantial completion of each phase
• Exceeding 75% local workforce participation

In order to beat the schedule, DPR incorporated Lean construction practices for an open and consistent dialog between trades resulting in higher predictability and smoother workflow. By using this collaborative approach, each phase of the project was not only delivered ahead of the contracted schedule but also with zero defects at substantial completion. This allowed Facebook to begin populating their data suites and trafficking live data sooner. To exceed the hiring goal, DPR collaborated with subcontractors, held career fairs, and posted hiring information to Facebook and other websites. This dedicated team effort allowed the project to attain 90% its manpower from the local workforce for both buildings.

Facebook plans to build multiple data centers on the Lulea campus, beginning with a 290,000 sq.-ft. first phase that was completed in late 2012, and begin supporting traffic in the first half of 2013.

The expansion of Facebook’s infrastructure beyond the U.S. reflects the increasingly global makeup of its user base. More than 75 percent of Facebook’s 800 million users are located outside the United States. Building data centers closer to these users will improve the speed of their connection and overall Facebook experience. The Facebook announcement has been celebrated in Sweden, and particularly in Lulea, where economic development officials have been marketing the region as a data center destination due to its combination of a cool climate, strong connectivity and plentiful supply of cheap, renewable energy.

The cool, dry climate allows the use of outside air to cool the data centers, similar to Facebook's Prineville, OR and Forest City, NC sites (also built by DPR). The average daily temperature in Lulea ranges from high of 41 degrees Fahrenheit to low of 27 degrees Fahrenheit. The area averages just four days a year with high temperatures exceeding 77 degrees Fahrenheit. The nearby Lule River produces about 13.6 million MW hours of hydro-electric power, equal to 10 percent of Sweden’s total demand for electricity. Lulea, Sweden has some of the cheapest power rates in all of Europe.

Inside the data center buildings, Facebook is implementing the server and data center designs outlined in the Open Compute Project, which the company launched in February 2012 to release its custom designs for servers, power supplies and UPS units.

More than doubling the size of the worldwide market leader's Los Angeles area cabinet capacity, the project required the team to devise solutions to a host of technical challenges posed by the need to convert, or "Equinize," and existing data center unto the very detailed specifications of Equinix's high-performance centers throughout the U.S. and Asia-Pacific.

DPR delivered this complex, fast-tracked renovation two days early, on budget and with zero defects.

Read more about Facebook's Open Compute Initiative

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It's no surprise then that when Digital Realty Trust needed to build out a data center and telecommunications facility in Santa Clara, it called on DPR, the technical builder that specializes in projects for advanced technology clients.

Digital Realty Trust relied on DPR to design/build this 40,000-sq.-ft., raised-floor data center and 20,000-sq.-ft. support space with rooftop cooling system. This included complete program, basis of design, schematic design and permit documents.

Brought into the process early on, DPR provided procurement and estimating services to develop the project budget and led the competitive bidding process for all mechanical, electrical, plumbing, civil, structural and architectural trades. DPR also acted as the project liaison with the City of Santa Clara Planning, Building, Public Works, Fire and Electrical departments.

While there were multiple players on the design/build team, DPR provided Digital Realty Trust a single source of accountability for the project design, schedule and budget. From the beginning, DPR set about building a cohesive team and obtaining buy in from all its members. Pre-planning efforts on every aspect of the project, from initial design and estimate to scheduling tasks and phasing subcontractors, ensured that there was sufficient time to deal with any hiccups that might arise during startup. The result? Timely delivery of the project, zero safety incidents, and no disruptions to existing tenants.

The site was turned over to the client  with a PUE Measurement of 1.36 at 100% IT Load and was completed under budget.

The project consists of a build out of an existing two-story facility that was extensively upgraded for data center use. Scope includes 32,139-sq.-ft. of raised floor with 110 watts/sf on the first floor and 174 watts/sf on the second floor and 4,952dW of critical power. Cooling system is eight 55,000 cfm roof mounted Climate Craft air handlers and 44 Leibert CRAHs. The air handler cooling coils are provided chilled water by four 500 ton Trane centrifugal chillers. UPS system is comprised of eight 50kVA modules and eight 626kVA modules. Mechanical cooling is water cooled chilled water with CRAH units and Packaged Air Handlers which include outside air economization to provide for excellent energy efficiency.

Several value added services were performed for this client including:

• A site search covering 11 states, 30 communities and 50 specific sites
• Negotiation of an incentive package, including utility and infrastructure extensions and grants, enterprise zone tax credits and other incentives to assist this large client to locate in Nebraska
• Due diligence of the selected site and all associated infrastructure
• Coordination of all utility and infrastructure needs with the applicable state entities
• Iinterview, recommendation, selection and management of all specialty consultants covering air emissions, water emissions, water use, groundwater (well) and environmental permits

This unique building configuration provides the client with a ‘quicker to market' solution and lower day one capital costs.

• Developed economical mechanical and electrical systems that have the least amount of impact on the existing building structure avoiding costly reinforcement of the existing structure and a longer schedule.
• Constructing the exterior foundations and underground site utilities during the winter.
• Sequencing the delivery of major pieces of outside mechanical and electrical equipment with the exterior work due to tight sight constraints.
• Developing economical construction solutions to get the major pieces of outside mechanical and electrical equipment above the 500 year flood plain.
• Utilized the undeveloped warehouse space to pre-fabricate mechanical and electrical utilities for server racks for quick installation. Quality control and production was greatly improved due to “shop fabrication” in lieu of “field fabrication” techniques.
• Utilized very detailed field coordinated BIM technology cad drawings to maintain high level of quality control between all trades improving quality and production.

The building shell is structural steel with pre-cast concrete panels. The site was overexcavated six feet below the finished floor to make room for 46 miles of underground conduit and 45,000 cubic yards of lean concrete backfill which will support this critical facility. Inside DPR built-out the infrastructure down to the remote power panels. A static UPS system with diesel generators provide the back-up power source.

This Confidential Software Provider joins a growing list of technology companies drawn to Quincy, a small farming town near the Columbia River in Grant County with a population just over 5,300. The town is attractive for its abundant land, inexpensive cheap power from the Columbia River and network of fiber optic cable lines.

Phase II and III have 67,000 sq. ft. of raised floor at 150 watts/sq. ft. with a 14MW Critical Load. Modular chilled water plant cooling system with custom AHU’s and proprietary rack cooling system, N+1.

This Global Content Provider joins a growing list of technology companies drawn to Quincy, a small farming town near the Columbia River in Grant County with a population just over 5,300. The town is attractive for its abundant land, cheap hydroelectric power from the Columbia River and network of fiber optic cable lines.

The owner's initial plan called for two distinct phases: shell construction and data center finishout, with demobilization from the site between the two. This was to accommodate the company's fiscal year and funding availability. DPR recommended compressing the shell construction by two months and starting later, eliminating the need for additional demobilization/mobilization and saving on the overall budget.

The electrical underground design would not be ready in time to meet the new accelerated schedule. Completion of the building slab was a critical schedule milestone, as it was to serve as the casting bed for the tilt-up panels. However, the electrical underground design would not be ready in time for the new accelerated schedule. Under the original schedule, the massive amount of electrical conduit needed would have been installed below the slab prior to it being poured. To allow construction to proceed while electrical design was in progress, the project's structural engineers analyzed the foundation grade beam structure and made recommendations for proceeding with the slab. The approach was to utilize the four feet of flowable, lightweight concrete under the exterior grade beams for access. When the building construction was complete, a portion of the interior slab was removed and sections of the lightweight concrete excavated. Electricians were then able to run conduit from the interior of the building to the exterior yard while the interior build-out progressed.

The city utility also did not have sufficient infrastructure to support the facility by the accelerated completion date. They agreed to have power ready in time for the original completion date but could not guarantee service for the compressed construction schedule. The team enlisted a temporary services design and implementation company to design and provide temporary cooling and dehumidification of the interior to allow sensitive activities to continue without hindering the schedule.

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Hardin was challenged by Highwood's Properties and Kforce to provide them with a Class “A” office building utilizing a fast-track schedule which could accommodate the relocation of five of their branch offices into one facility.  As this building was the first of its kind in the historic Ybor City area. Careful consideration was given to the aesthetics of the building.  Various brick and building colors were utilized in order to match Centro Asturiano - a 100-year-old social club, which is a focal point of local gatherings and community events.

Kforce.com's new facility was designed to provide a casual environment which could meet every need of the Kforce.com employee by enhancing the workplace environment.  Of the 138,000-sq.-ft. facility, 5,000 sq. ft. is dedicated to an indoor, full-service cafeteria with dining facilities and full catering services.  An additional 15,000 sq. ft. is comprised of a full exercise arena containing state-of-the-art exercise equipment, locker rooms and showers, and a full, NCAA regulation basketball court.

The office building itself is built utilizing a steel frame structure with precast concrete and glass skin.  Kforce chose to install an aluminum “eyebrow” around the entire perimeter of the building creating consistent shade to the building exterior in order to maximize the energy efficiency, yet providing an eye pleasing aesthetic appeal.  The finished exterior product allowed construction to meet the owners schedule and budget needs while providing the building with a much richer look and feel.

The interior of the building continues to incorporate the historical look of the area by utilizing quarter-sawn cherry panel finishes and furniture.  The lobby floor is comprised of terrazzo, and is accented on the second and third floors with Mandarin style art. 

Safety was a concern throughout the project due to the dangers associated with erecting and securing the steel and precast walls immediately adjacent to high voltage (69kv) backup power lines which service the downtown Tampa area.  Through careful implementation of Hardin’s safety plan, including daily safety meetings and subcontractor awareness, the project was completed successfully with no lost-time accidents.

This facility was instrumental in the revitalization for the west side of Ybor City, and is a unique example of how new construction and state-of-the-art facilities can be incorporated into an historical environment with ease.

This campus was designed to accommodate nearly 2,500 employees and includes amenities such as dining services, a fitness center, child care facilities, an ATM/ branch bank, and personal service shops such as newsstands, a drug store, a dry cleaner, hair dresser and a shoe repair shop.
The low-rise campus is surrounded by lush landscaped berms with outdoor plazas, fountains and waterfalls to provide a secluded, tranquil environment.  Each building is interconnected by enclosed conditioned walkways to ensure personnel comfort and building security as well as provide a homogenous atmosphere among the individual buildings and associated staff.

Hardin delivered Citibank's facilities with an accelerated 14 month schedule.

Phase I of Capital One's build-to-suit campus began as a 25-acre greenfield site.  The site development encompassed two lakes, lush landscaping, extensive hardscape and site utilities, all while maintaining the integrity of approximately 20 acres of wetlands, and wetlands mitigation.  The three-story, 110,000-sq.-ft. building is a state-of-the-art data/call center which required paralled flexibility in the systems and approach to meet the aggressive schedule. Project highlights included a 100% raised floor, 2x redundant electrical and mechanical systems, 24/7 occupancy requirements, high-quality employee amenities, and an adjacent, easily-accessible parking deck accommodating 794 cars.

Also a "blast-track" schedule, Phase II of the development was a 110,000-sq.-ft. mirror image of the Phase I building and included construction of additional parking for 589 cars. A fifth level (78,400 sq. ft. / 276 spaces) was added to the existing parking deck while maintaining employee use of the existing deck.  A separate, lateral deck expansion added 108,000 sq. ft. for 313 additional cars.

Within the next Phase III, Hardin built the three-story, 118,625-sq.-ft. Community Center which includes a fully equipped, multi-stationed training center, exercise rooms, basketball courts, the human resources department, cafeteria, multi-media breakrooms, resource center, and other employee benefit areas.  The Community Center is positioned adjacent to a wetlands area that has been transformed into a nature center with trails, raised walkways, and a sanctuary setting. Phase III also included a 144,500-sq.-ft. office building, similar to previous buildings on-site, along with the second parking deck of 411,000 sq. ft.  Other site amenities including a sports complex with softball fields, tennis courts and a jogging track were also constructed.

Phase I included five buildings:

• Building "B” is a 45,000-sq.-ft., four-story building that houses Nielsen's technical facility, designed to withstand a category 5 hurricane.  At first glance, the building resembles a giant computer punch card.
• Building "C” is a 268,000-sq.-ft., four-story building that is over 700 ft. long.  Its primary function is support office and conference room space.  Because it is so long, sections of the floor are color coded to give the users a "landmark" on each of the 70,000-sq.-ft. floors. 
• Building "D” is a 41,000-sq.-ft., three-story building with double loading dock bays.  The lower floors accommodate "facility support" such as mail rooms and storage.  The upper floors have additional office space and training rooms.
• Building "E" is a 16,000 SF, single story amenities building.  The building is all glass on three sides that overlooks a brick paver courtyard to the north, lake and preserve to the east, and a large open courtyard with a Bermuda lawn to the south.  The company's full service cafeteria abuts this area, taking full advantage of the view of the preserve.
• Building "F" is a 16,000 SF, two-story Central Plant with a large mechanical yard.  This building houses two 750-ton water-cooled chillers, four 350-ton air-cooled chillers, and three cooling towers.  In addition to the mechanical equipment, there are four back-up generators.  Keeping this building up and running is critical requiring it be built with redundancy times two.  

Phase II included Building "A" - a four-story, 138,000-sq.-ft. office building plus additional tenant improvements in existing buildings (Building B and C) along with a 146,832-sq.-ft., 600-space, three-level parking deck.