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silicon realities. this first Guiding principle
addresses
reliability, maintainability, functionality,
flexibility and a robust system architecture.
this principle established design parameters early on
that directly resulted in an established basis of design
and increased collaboration since the building layout
took shape with the contractor at the table in the early
design phase. similarly, when it came to designing the
data center’s cabinet layout, reliability and functionality
were key. therefore, Cps energy and syska’s team
required that a physical mockup of a typical row of
cabinets be created. this mockup included the full
complement of infrastructure, including the back-of-
rack cooling solution, overhead busways, cable tray
and lighting so Cps energy could see what their
system would look like and how these individual
components would all be accessible between each row
of cabinets. again, this helped eliminate questions and
future operational maintenance issues in the field.
to build in flexibility for future expansion on site, syska
designed an Mep/it infrastructure that would be ready
for a phase ii build out, with the ability to expand the
building for additional cabinets and utilize existing
back of house spaces to accommodate an additional
generator, ups, chillers, and piping, etc. to support
phase ii. the goal was to preserve the ability to
expand while minimizing the impact to ongoing
whitespace operations.
increased efficiency and reliability were established at
eCho by eliminating the raised floor and replacing
traditional computer room air conditioner (CraC) units
with a refrigerant based back-of-rack cooling solution.
with no raised floor, the epo system could be
eliminated. instead of traditional CraC units
supporting the whitespace, pumped refrigerant units
were installed in galleries adjacent to the space,
keeping all chilled water piping located outside of the
critical spaces.
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Carbon Creature Comforts. this Guiding
principle tackled
consistency, survivability,
daylighting and a softened security experience.
eCho’s control rooms are a case in point for this
Guiding principle. together, syska’s Mep/technology
team and the architects at Corgan associates began
control room design by defining how many operators
would be working in the areas, which led to deciding
how large the space would be, how many display
screens, size of screens and ultimately, the owner’s
requirements for low-voltage systems. syska’s
Mep/technology team utilized 3d modeling software
to fine-tune control room designs, which resulted in a
recessed well in the operator consoles to
accommodate desired sightlines and an articulated
monitor mounting solution that could pivot at the top
and bottom to enable control room operators to see
beyond their own monitors onto the main display wall
screens. this process was critical to meeting the
operator’s requirements while optimizing the design
and coordination of architectural lighting, Mep and
technology.
while the facility is a mission critical control/data
center, Cps energy made it a priority to create a
positive human interface for those working inside. for
example, a floor path between the two control rooms
was created with artwork and creative lighting and
ergonomic desks were specified for employees. one of
the biggest design challenges was to segregate the
two control rooms per federal regulations — with a six-
wall separation. how can a working separation be
maintained while not duplicating areas that could be
deemed common space? to achieve the separation
between different function areas, the design team
worked closely with Cps energy’s project committee
members and project Manager bill badger, who was
responsible for coordinating the needs of each group.
the results of this coordination allowed for efficient
floorplan design without duplication of common use
space. a successful space plan for facilities such as
eCho requires a commitment from the owner to
actively be involved with the design team, including
decision makers during the design process.
7X24 MAGAZINE FALL 2015
the charrette set the tone for eCho by establishing four Guiding principles that would serve as the foundation for
the basis of design documents. these principles streamlined the efforts of building team members from design to
construction and post-occupancy, ultimately ensuring that the original objectives were met in the final facility.