DC Blox Data Center
Gate Precast Company

Involved Companies

Background

DC Blox’s bold purple accent walls are just a small part of what makes this precast concrete building special. The 31,000-ft² structure will become the center piece for the DC Blox technology and innovation campus, giving employees a state-of-the-art center to do their work.

This 31,000-SF flagship data center contains 18,000-SF of white space and 13,000-SF of office space, with conference rooms, demo space, hoteling cubes and workstations. The center has a fully-protected private network, 5MW of customer capacity in a building designed to withstand 150 mph winds. The owner’s long-term plan is to develop a Technology and Innovation Campus that will drive the connected digital economy in the city where it is located.

The decision to use precast concrete was central to achieving the project’s many aesthetic and structural goals. “With security and reliability being of the utmost importance, precast was the clear first choice for both the building enclosure and structure,” says Charles J. O’Brien III, president of Pieper O’Brien Herr Architects.

From the start, the designers knew they wanted to create a building that would convey a sense of strength and security, while also meeting considerable structural requirements.

Both goals were accomplished with precast concrete serving as the primary structure and focal building component. “Satisfying blast-rating and wind-load requirements are inherently right in precast concrete construction’s sweet spot,” O’Brien says. “The ability to combine the architectural fenestration, the necessary blast and storm resistance, the insulation, and the fire resistance into a single manufactured, ready-to-erect wall panel, was a clear demonstration of the efficiency of precast concrete construction in this project.”

Features include:

• Power ​ Up to 5MW critical load ​

• N+1 generator backup ​

• N+1 UPS systems ​

• Dual UPS feeds to all cabinets ​

• 24-hour on-site fuel storage security ​

• Enhanced security built to CUI (Controlled Unclassified Information) standards ​

• Perimeter fencing ​

• 24x7x365 manned security desk ​

• Vehicle gate ​

• Secure customer lockers ​

• Layered security from the perimeter to each cabinet ​

• CCTV at perimeter, ingress/egress, office, data hall and cabinets cooling

• ​N+1 Cooling ​

• High efficiency Direct Expansion (DX) ​

• Hot aisle containment

Challenges

The precast construction was an important aspect of the overall design and success of the project. The building was to convey strength and security, which was accomplished with precast serving as the primary structure and focal building component. On the facades of the building, multiple planes were created completely out of precast to create a contemporary welcome to this flagship data center campus. Inside the building, the precast walls and underside of the precast floors and roof were left exposed and highlighted, serving as an integral showpiece for the industrial design theme. The precast construction provided structural strength to spare to accommodate future growth both up and out. The finished product serves a very attractive, modern design that fully portrays the client’s dedication to security and dependability and that will be durable for many years to come.

Photos via DC Blox