Because over 80% of the space of any data center is devoted to the server rooms that store information, these buildings are more machine than a place of inhabitation. The challenge is how to humanize this "machine." This building separates the ‘house’ for machines from the 'house' for people by articulating them as separate volumes connected by a glass link that also serves as the entry point to the facility. The administration wing is brick – identical in type and color to the brick office buildings on the rest of the campus. The server wing, a much larger volume, is constructed of precast concrete panels, a material choice driven by its cost efficiency. The horizontal weaving texture of the tilt up panels is a three-dimensional interpretation of the brick pattern, with added depth and offsets. Metal screens that continue the weaving pattern are inserted to provide air circulation, reducing energy use.
Click on thumbnails to open windows with larger images.
.jpg "View From SW Corner")
.jpg "South Elevation")
.jpg "Parti Diagram, Site")
.jpg "Panel Strategy")
.jpg "Panel Casting")
.jpg "Entry View")
.jpg "Panel Continuity")
.jpg "Loading Dock")
.jpg "Equipment Yard")
.jpg "Perforated Panel")