To help fulfill the client’s vision to be the first truly global semiconductor foundry, CH2MHILL/IDC Architects laid out the master plan for what will be the organizations flagship R&D and manufacturing campus.  Critically, the campus symbolizes a bold investment in a country where intellectually sophisticated and high-paying jobs are sorely needed, and what’s more, jobs that are accessible and attractive to the country’s female population.  Located on the eastern outskirts of Abu Dhabi, the 215 hectare site is envisioned as a “Fab Park” in order to create the highest quality working environment that will attract and retain the aforementioned sophisticated technological talent in this desert location.

The Fab Park is planned to be built out in five phases, each centered around a new Fab.  At full build-out, the campus will embody an impressive 14.5 million sq. ft. of building stock.  The first phase of the development will require an estimated investment of nearly US $8 billion alone.  Logistically, the campus is organized around the centralization of process support utilities and gas farms, allowing a critical redundancy to each of the Fabs and minimizing the overall campus utility runs.  Staff functions are essentially divided into an east and west campus and connected via a central spine link bridge.   This organization allows the majority of vehicular traffic to be concentrated to the campus perimeter for ease of access and perhaps more importantly, to further reinforce the vital security of the manufacturing operations.

In terms of sustainability and natural resource utilization, building a semiconductor fabrication facility in the UAE is, to say the least, no easy task.  Simply providing enough potable water and an uninterrupted power supply to the site will require streamlined organization and logistics in tight collaboration with the local utility and municipal authorities.  Beyond the manufacturing process, the campus is inherently designed to be a zero-scape environment, ie, requiring no irrigation.  Inspired by vernacular traditions, strategically isolated landscaped oases will be provided however throughout the site, solely irrigated by the use of process waste water.  Further, photovoltaic canopies will be utilized to not only produce enough energy to power all of the campus and building lighting, but will also serve as valuable shading throughout the vast expanse of parking required on-site.  In terms of the buildings themselves, each of the facilities is envisioned to be designed to a 2 Pearl Estidama rating, essentially the equivalent of LEED™ Silver.

PROJECT INVOLVEMENT. PROGRAMMING, MASTER PLAN, ARCHITECTURAL ENCLOSURE DESIGN

BUILDING AREA. 14.5 MILLION SF

PROJECT COST. EST. $8 BILLION (PHASE 1)

CLIENT. CONFIDENTIAL

LOCATION. ABU DHABI, UAE

ARCHITECTS/ENGINEERS. CH2MHILL, IDC ARCHITECTS

A project to develop an advanced data center to serve as a high-density computing, mission-critical disaster recovery facility afforded an opportunity for a prominent health care enterprise to create a truly unique and highly sustainable structure.

The client’s goal was to design the most efficient 3.75MW data center possible, leveraging passive strategies for cooling and ventilation to the greatest extent possible (“chiller-less” design).   To further the limits of possible operational efficiency, the critical decision was made to operate the facility beyond the limits of ASHRAE recommended and even beyond ASHRAE allowable for humidity.

The project’s sustainability strategies capitalize on the temperate climate that prevails in its Northwest U.S. location.  The local climate coupled with an intelligent and innovative design allows 100% unconditioned outside air to be used for cooling 97% of the year, and to achieve ideal environmental conditions during the remaining 3% of the year an advanced evaporative cooling system is employed.  Further, air-side economization, or server exhaust mixed with outside air, is used for heating during the winter.

The success of the facility’s combined “smart” design and passive cooling and heating strategies is validated by annual savings to the owner of $500,000 on utilities compared to a chiller-based design.  Another metric supporting this facility’s energy efficiency is its Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) rating of roughly 1.13, a rating considerably superior to PUE ratings achieved by comparable data center facilities.  (PUE is an industry standard for measuring data center efficiency calculated by dividing a facility’s total electrical load by its IT load).

A highly analytical design process was applied to maximize the intrinsic structural strengths of geodesic domes to this data center scenario.  This included such practical advantages as enabling a radial layout of servers to optimize fiber distribution, shortening cable runs and improving maintenance access; providing a uniform distribution for air intake; and utilizing  the open volume of the dome’s interior for thermal buoyancy and efficient dissipation of hot air.

The variety of sustainability approaches successfully applied to this project exemplifies the powerful potential of combining an owner commitment to sustainability with the architectural capability to help realize that commitment in a spirit of innovation.

Why the circular/radial plan?

Critical to the client’s vision for their new data center was the radial layout of server IT Rooms.  Learning from distinct challenges of the client’s existing 500 kW facility, the data center’s radial layout provides optimal fiber distribution to each of the IT Rooms because cabling is allowed to run to each of the servers directly from the IT Hub.  In a conventional linear data center layout, fiber cabling is overlapped in order to reach the furthest row of servers, burying cable in the fiber trays that ultimately becomes completely inaccessible.  With the radial layout comes the circular plan that has a few other key advantages over an orthogonal layout, including:

- Uniform distribution for air intake (mitigates shadow effect for intake on the wind’s leeward side).

- Inherent structural dependability and independence of the geodesic dome enclosure.

- Interior open volume of the dome used for thermal buoyancy and dissipation of hot air.

From a floor plan foot print perspective, the radial layout is arguably less efficient than a traditional orthogonal layout; however the enlarged cold aisles that are produced with the radial layout actually provide an optimal configuration for the fanwall air intake system.  The cold aisles as a “slice” allow a larger fan wall assembly to directly funnel air unobstructed toward the server racks. And, at roughly $66/sq. ft. of surface area, the dome and gravity vent enclosure will prove to be cost competitive to comparable orthogonal stick built structures.

Mechanical System

The data center was designed to specifically take advantage of the moderate weather conditions in the Pacific Northwest, thereby allowing for the removal of a mechanical cooling system.  The result is an advanced cooling methodology using air-side economization coupled with evaporative cooling to provide the environmental conditions required at the server intake.

Data Center Environment:  The American Society of Heating Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) Technical Committee 9.9 (TC9.9) has developed thermal guidelines for data processing environments.  These guidelines establish minimum and maximum temperature and humidity environmental parameters within data centers.  The environmental parameters fall into two ranges: Recommended and Allowable.

Data Center Mechanical System:  To take advantage of the location’s favorable climate, an airside economizer type system has been selected for the data center mechanical system.  This type of system utilizes air as the principal medium for cooling and heating; there is no mechanical cooling, and heating is harvested by recycling the heat rejected from the servers.  It should be noted that since there is no mechanical cooling system, the air management system has no dehumidification capabilities. However, a review of the historical weather data indicates there is little chance that the humidity level in the data center will exceed the client’s expanded RH range.

The system operates as follows: ambient air is drawn into the data center by supply fans and is then discharged into the cold aisles where the servers use the air for cooling purposes.  The servers discharge the air into hot aisles that are­­ open to the dome plenum, and the plenum becomes slightly pressurized as a result.  In addition, some of the supply air will leak into the plenum further pressurizing it.  The air is then relieved from the plenum through relief vents in the dome roof or returned to the inlet of the supply fans.

There are three modes of operation for the mechanical system depending on the ambient conditions: Recirculation Mode occurs when the conditions are below the minimum recommended temperature range, Free-cooling Mode when conditions are within the recommended temperature range and Evaporative Cooling Mode occurs when the conditions are above the recommended temperature range.  For the Re-circulation Mode, the mechanical system will utilize the rejected heat from the servers to heat the incoming air when the outside air temperature is below the minimum temperature limit.  The system will re-circulate air from the hot aisles with incoming outside air by modulating return air dampers and outside air dampers to maintain minimum supply air temperature.  In the Free-cooling Mode, the ambient air temperature is within the recommended temperature range and provides all the necessary cooling for the data center.  The Evaporative Cooling Mode occurs when the ambient air temperature exceeds the maximum temperature limit and evaporative cooling is necessary.

PROJECT INVOLVEMENT. ARCHITECTURAL LEAD: PROGRAMMING, CONCEPTS

BUILDING AREA. 22,360 SF

PROJECT COST. EST. $21,000,000

CLIENT. CONFIDENTIAL

LOCATION. PACIFIC NW

ARCHITECTS/ENGINEERS. CH2MHILL

PROJECT TEAM. JOHN HISER PROJECT MANAGER, BOB KIRKENDALL DATA CENTER SR.TECHNOLOGIST, TYSON GILLARD ARCHITECTURAL LEAD, DALE HEBERLING ELECTRICAL, MIKE DRAGON MECHANICAL,, THOM SPEAR STRUCTURAL, KEITH KIBBEE CFD MODELING, ADAM MAY DESIGNER, TONY NEAL VISUALIZATION

While operating an R&D facility and pilot line in San Jose, California, this young manufacturer of thin film photovoltaics (PVs) needed to develop and “prove” the technology and operations of their first high-volume manufacturing facility in order for them to critically secure the full funding of their US government backed lain guarantee.  The entirety of the high-volume facility will consists of the construction of two PV manufacturing plants in the Portland, Oregon metro area to house a total of four production lines; using a process that is based on the copper, indium, gallium, selenium (CIGS) PV technology.

CH2MHILL was commissioned to not only to perform a complete evaluation of numerous potential sites for the first facility, but also execute full design and construction of the facility, which will house Lines 1 and 2 of the high-volume manufacturing process.  As opposed to conventional monocrystalline or polycristalline silicon based PV panels, this facility will produce a thin film type product that uses roughly two mils thick stainless steel foil as its substrate.

In short, success in the PV industry is attained by producing a great product at the least cost.  Truly no different than the manufacturing of any other item, however this notion must be greatly amplified for PVs, where the commercial landscape requires manufacturers to compete on the open market with the likes of fossil fuels, and the low wages of their competitors in Asia.  Because of this, the design of the Portland facility is starkly efficient and an almost elegant embodiment of frugality.

The building itself is a minimalistic but highly intelligent retrofit of an existing 225,000 sq. ft. warehouse, converted to house the key process steps including cleaning, plating, evaporation, oxide layering, screen printing, lamination, inspection, and packaging.  Beyond the manufacturing process which dominates the expanse of the building, much of which is contained within newly created hazardous occupancy, the facility houses office functions and shipping/receiving logistics infrastructure, making the project fully autonomous from the R&D facility in San Jose.

PROJECT INVOLVEMENT. LEAD ARCHITECT: PROGRAMMING, SD, DD, CD’s, CA

BUILDING AREA. 225,000 SF

PROJECT CONSTRUCTION COST. $8,300,000

CLIENT. SoloPower

LOCATION. PORTLAND, OR

ARCHITECTS/ENGINEERS. CH2MHILL

PROJECT TEAM. GREG YOUNG PROJECT MANAGER, DIANE LEFEVRE PROJECT MANAGER, TYSON GILLARD LEAD ARCHITECT, TOM TURVAVILLE ARCHITECT, FRED HARTLEY ELECTRICAL, MAC WILLMERT PROCESS.CHEMICAL, KELLY DANCEY PROCESS.CHEMICAL, ROD McLEOD MECHANICAL, THOM SPEAR STRUCTURAL, JEFF STALLARD CIVIL, MIKE WALSH CONSTRUCTION MANAGER, SID HUBBELL CONSTRUCTION, STEPHANIE PERSHING CONSTRUCTION

“The UAE has almost the highest rate of energy consumption per person in the world.  If we continue at the current rate, the demand for energy will simply exceed the supply. At the same time, our consumption of energy adds to the worldwide problem of global warming. Clearly, we need to do something to prevent this.” – Heroes of the UAE

The Capital District Master Plan, developed by the Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council, was designed to manage the development of the new city through a long term vision. It represents a unique opportunity to create an authentic sustainable modern Arab capital, which will shape the future of the region by defining a unique and contemporary urbanism.

In 2010, CH2MHILL was commissioned to provide guidance, recommendations and benchmarks for sustainability and energy for the Capital District Master Plan, via a fully comprehensive Resourceful Energy Plan.

Resourceful Energy plays a vital role in the health of Abu Dhabi Capital District economy and environment. This Resourceful Energy Plan (REP or Plan) proposed a road map to guide new development toward a responsible energy future with adequate, reliable energy supplies that are both environmentally responsible and competitively priced. Creating this future will require not only long-term actions, but also immediate investments that will help define energy costs in the long term, create jobs, encourage energy technology, integration and management as part of the local economy and establish resourceful energy as a not only a necessity, but a lifestyle choice for the Abu Dhabi’s Capital District.

Defining a resourceful energy future began with the strong vision and leadership exemplified by the late Sheikh Zayad bin Sultan Al Nahyan, Founder of the United Arab Emirates and HH Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, Ruler of Abu Dhabi, who together created the Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council, the expert Authority behind the visionary Plan Abu Dhabi 2030 Urban Structure Framework Plan.  Using this Framework, the REP became the next logical step to place the Capital District, along with its neighbor Masdar, at the forefront of Abu Dhabi’s growing resourceful energy economy by advancing energy efficiency, renewable energy goals and action items established in the 2009 Estidama Pearls Design System Rating Method.  As projects get implemented, REP guidelines will help create an energy environment that is reliable, environmentally responsible, with stable energy prices and a reduction in overall energy expenditures for all consumer classes, thereby strengthening the economic growth of the entire Capital District.

The key objectives of the Resourceful Energy Plan (REP) were to minimize the aggregate annual energy budget for the entire city through reduced consumption, integrated renewable energy systems, while maintaining comfortable indoor conditions and minimizing adverse effect on outdoor climate and air quality.

- Reduce Masterplan energy demand by 20% through the use of design best practices, technology, and community education and involvement.

- Identify feasible ways to supply 10% of the energy demand with renewable energy sources.

- Identify proven and emerging technology to meet both the energy demand reduction goals and renewable energy goals.

- Incorporate green planning and building design standards based on international best practice.

The REP provided the “next- level” of planning, design and technical engineering information for advancing the energy goals of the AD Capital District 2030 Plan towards further refinement and implementation.  The REP will be used by the UPC, future project developers and design consultants to understand the energy benchmarks and baselines, and recommended design strategies to help realize the vision of the master plan.

CH2MHILL was commissioned by one of the nation’s largest collocation service providers to deliver comprehensive A/E services for this 18MW data center.  Innovative engineering and systems, including making use of municipal gray water for all of the facilities cooling demands, industrial air handling equipment and packaged chilled water systems, provided cost effective, energy efficient design solutions.

Caught in the middle of the 2008 economic downfall, the project lost significant funding, causing the facilities construction budget to be cut nearly by 50% right when the building was nearly halfway through construction.  In response, through an aggressive value engineering program and construction logistics plan, the CH2MHILL team not only redesigned the facility to meet the new severely trimmed budget, but did so in parallel with continued construction to maintain the client’s original substantial completion and occupancy schedule.

PROJECT INVOLVEMENT. Lead Office Design: SD, DD, CDs, Lead Architect: CDs, CA

BUILDING AREA. 176,000 sf

PROJECT CONSTRUCTION COST. $11,000,000

CLIENT. Equinix

LOCATION. El Segundo, California

ARCHITECTS/ENGINEERS. CH2MHILL

CONTRACTOR. Nova Corp.

CH2MHILL/IDC Architects was commissioned by one of the world’s largest technology and computer software providers to create a vision and plan of record (POR) for its critical new generation of data center infrastructure to be, in short, the principal and dominate global leader in providing what is now known as cloud computing.

In an era where individual data centers can consume more than what is needed to power 15,000 homes and can individually also go through millions of gallons of potable water for cooling, creating a sustainable model for such an ambitious program was absolutely essential.

The vision leaves behind “bricks and mortar”, and with a leave no trace philosophy, the POR requires only what is absolutely needed, and specifically where it is needed to be assembled… very quickly.  In detail, the design aspiration for the POR is to provide a flexible, modular, and scalable solution consisting of inter-changeable components utilized in a plug-and-play, just-in-time configuration.

In creating a next generation of infrastructure that is completely unlike anything created before… facilities that are timely, more intelligent, more efficient, and more respectful, the client will unequivocally lead the industry and construct an innovative and successful model which will benefit its customers and the industry in which others will follow.

PROJECT INVOLVEMENT. PROJECT DESIGNER + SUSTAINABILITY LEAD: PROGRAMMING, CONCEPT

BUILDING AREA. NA

PROJECT COST. NA

CLIENT. CONFIDENTIAL

LOCATION. TBD/GLOBAL

ARCHITECTS/ENGINEERS. CH2MHILL, IDC ARCHITECTS

Working with, at the time, one of the World’s largest venture capital companies, the CH2M HILL/IDC Architects team created an unprecedented manufacturing facility master plan to support the company’s fast hold on the photovoltaic industry.  A visioning piece, the 123 acre master plan aims to couple the manufacturing process with the several thousand highly invested on-site employees while being a commercial model for environmental stewardship, enabling capacity to generate 9.7MW of pure solar powered energy on-site at full build-out.

Because economy of system is the absolute critical driver in the rapidly developing field of alternate energy, competing penny per penny with fossil fuels on the open market, the design stood by several key engineering objectives:

-  Maximize efficiency of manufacturing flow (including optimizing front end and back end panel manufacturing operations and relationship)

-  Provide opportunity for modular & incremental growth of facility and process support systems

-  Minimize utility run distances

-  Provide clear, efficient, and flexible utility distribution routes

-  Provide efficient electrical distribution with minimized power loss

-  Economize raw material, product and vehicular circulation

PROJECT INVOLVEMENT. ARCHITECT, PROGRAMMING, MASTER PLANNING

BUILDING AREA. 2.1 MILLION SF

PROJECT COST. NA

CLIENT. SOLYNDRA

LOCATION. TBD

ARCHITECTS/ENGINEERS. CH2MHILL

PROJECT TEAM. ADAM YOUNGBAR PROJECT MANAGER, KEN LUNDGREN PROJECT LEAD, TYSON GILLARD ARCHITECT, KELLY GILLARD ARCHITECT

Like a beating heart pumping blood throughout a thriving body, the Central Utility Plant (CUP) of Kaiser Permanente’s planned 700,000+ SF Hillsboro campus is designed as the epicenter for utility synergy and distribution.  Rather than being hidden or pushed below a parking structure, the design team challenged Kaiser to boldly exhibit the CUP upon the large campus, a striking metaphor, like the heart, for an efficiently operating, well toned and healthy regional hospital facility.  To visually strengthen this symbolism, the CUP’s modularized louver cladding system would be reinforced and utilized throughout the entire campus, implemented as the visual screen for all the hospital’s mechanical penthouses and bus sized rooftop air handling units.

Dually, the exposed nature of the CUP posed many practical conveniences for the campus’s operations.  With capacity for anticipated campus build-out, it was critical that the mechanics and equipment housed within be easily accessible.  Further, with ever increasing energy costs equaling millions of dollars spent on utilities bills for such a large operation, the need to replace and quickly update inefficient mechanical systems with newer innovations was paramount among Kaiser’s priorities.

The exposed nature of the CUP however, brought to the forefront significant acoustical challenges, as much of the operating equipment can be quite noising, particularly the four 60 ton electricity-backup generators.  As sound travels with air, the response focused on air-flow patterns.  The solution allowed for an acoustically dampened air shaft in which the generator exhaust could be evacuated and released above the roof-mounted cooling towers at 85 ft. and carried away with prevailing winds above Hospital occupant accommodations.  To further accommodate the acoustic dampening the CUP’s street facade incorporates an 18 ft. high ‘green screen’ to allow for dense vegetative mass and buffering.

PROJECT INVOLVEMENT. LEAD DESIGN: PROGRAMMING, SD

BUILDING AREA. 32,100 SF

PROJECT COST. EST. $24,700,000

CLIENT. KAISER PERMANENTE

LOCATION. HILLSBORO, OREGON

ARCHITECTS. ZIMMER GUNSUL FRASCA ARCHITECTS

PROJECT TEAM. KARL SONNENBERG PARTNER-IN-CHARGE, JULIE BRONDER PROJECT MANAGER, KELLY DAVIS PROJECT MANAGER, TYSON GILLARD LEAD DESIGN, DUANE PEERENBOOM PROJECT ARCHITECT, CHRIS CHIN LEAD CAMPUS DESIGN

STRUCTURAL. KPFF

MECHANICAL. AEI AFILIATED ENGINEERS

CIVIL. KPFF

CONTRACTOR. SKANSKA

Kakinada SEZ Ltd (KSEZ) was developing a port based Multi-product Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Kakinada, East Godavari District, Andhra Pradesh, India. Here, CH2MHILL was commissioned to provide a strategic master plan for the development, with services ranging from a macro-scale vision to in-depth engineering and financial analysis.

The Government of India has granted “Formal Approval” to the SEZ which will be developed over an area of more than 11,000 acres (4450 hectares), including 8 kilometers of sea frontage.

Strategically located along on the eastern coast of the Bay of Bengal, in an area rich in oil and natural gas deposits, KSEZ has the excellent logistical linkages to national highways (NH-5), railway networks, air and sea ports. The Government of India as part of the Petroleum, Chemical & Petrochemical Investment Region (PCPIR) Policy Act of 2007, has identified KSEZ as the coastal area between Kakinada (15 km south) and Visakhapatnam (120 km north) in the State of Andhra Pradesh as an important economic region for planned development necessary to benefit the state and the country.

Therefore, KSEZ will form an integral part of the PCPIR development by leveraging the opportunity to capitalize on three catalyst anchor projects that will benefit the domestic and international markets.

• 15 to 30 MMPTA Grass Roots Refinery & Downstream Petrochemical Complex

• 6.3 to 10.3 Thermal Power Generation Hub (Predominately based on imported coal)

• Multi-Cargo All Weather Deep Sea Port ( For import and export of bulk and liquids)

To augment the existence of the seaport and power generation hub, KSEZ planned to develop specific activities such as port backed logistics and warehousing, manufacture of all types of products that require large amounts of reliable power, downstream chemicals and access to shipping, for which there exists a potential demand. To support such a huge initial investment, a wide variety of closely integrated land uses are needed to support the endeavor and create what will ultimately be a new industrial township. Of utmost importance is how to ‘stitch the development’ into both the existing socio-economic life of the affected coastal communities as well as the natural environment.

Goals for the development included:

• Maximize the Benefits of having a Special Economic Zone (SEZ), including investment, employment, exports, and infrastructure.

• Build world class infrastructure, both physical and social.

• Enable industries to establish businesses within the zone and export their products.

• Contribute to the overall development of the region and nation.

Goals for the master plan included:

• Create financially salient master plan solutions with land use opportunities that can be supported by infrastructure that require a reasonable initial investment by KSEZ.

• Balance the KSEZ long-term goals with the desire for an overall master plan development strategy for the entire property with land uses and infrastructure which can be implemented in the short-term.

• Focus on master plan solutions which are flexible with regard to phasing to reduce risk and allow for easy expansion within the KSEZ property boundaries with increasing demand.

• Generate a master plan solutions and a development guiding principles that can become a sound business investment and help promote KSEZ a major landmark for the East Godavari District, Andhra Pradesh and India.

PROJECT INVOLVEMENT: Architect, Report Manager + Lead Designer

AREA: 11,000 ACRES

CLIENT: CONFIDENTIAL

LOCATION: KAKINADA, INDIA

ARCHITECTS/ENGINEERS: CH2MHILL