Additionally, the design of RagingWire’s TX-1 facility enhances the identity of the company and its mission with amenities that
meet or exceed today’s tech industry expectations, such as a community conference room, a lounge, break room, fitness center and hotel-like rooms. The design easily weaves a series of private and semi-public spaces of varying size and accessible by controlled levels of security enhancing the identity of the company and its mission.
Work
RagingWire Data Center
Location
Garland, Texas, United States
Beauty meets efficiency in resilient data center
The internet cloud lives in data centers located around the world. These facilities offer space, power, cooling and security for millions of computers/servers that host the information we depend on. As “the internet of things” grows exponentially year over year, data centers are increasingly essential infrastructure that support a range of personal, social, professional and commercial activities by connecting people and devices to each other.
Although RagingWire has in-house design and construction teams, the company lacked the resources to design its TX-1 facility in North Texas. Its decision to collaborate with Page as design partner resulted in an innovative hybrid project delivery model since the client/owner participated in the process and served as construction general contractor. The delivery model worked at scale to improve design, quality and speed-to-market.
TX-1 is the first facility delivered as part of a five building, one million SF and 80 MW IT load development, which is the total power required by servers, storage, network and other devices in the data center that must keep running if there is a loss of utility power. TX-1 is also the first data center to be designed as a showroom for media and investors.
Services
- Architecture
- Interiors
- Corporate / Commercial
- Engineering
- Science / Technology
- Building Sciences
First impressions
The public-facing office is a unique component of the program and allowed the Page team to integrate not only workplace strategy but also the company’s identity into the design. The building is a two-story, approximately 40,000 square-foot glass and steel frame structure that houses offices for both RagingWire Data Center operations and client use.
Carrying the load
The first building constructed includes site improvements, 16 MW capacity and an integrated two-story office. Each 16 MW white space consists of approximately 126,000 square feet of raised floor area subdivided into 1MW vaults within a roughly 201,000 square foot total data center building shell.
Show and tell
Visitors to RagingWire’s TX-1 are typically prospective clients. A carefully choreographed sequence of spaces utilizes the sequence of interior spaces—from the secure lobby, through the lounge areas and conference center and continuing up the central stair to the view of the highly secure data vaults and power room—as the “sales pitch.” The choreographed route appeals to the savvy high-tech guest, as the spaces demonstrate Raging Wire’s capability and credibility in providing secure cloud-based storage and physicality of “where the cloud lives.”
Integrating brand identity into design
Immense concrete walls and back metal clad surfaces encompass the concentric layers of secure areas beyond the entry, as a physical manifestation of the secure-nature of the data beyond. In contrast, white, cloud-like amenities spaces with large glazed expanses express a sense transparency and accessibility of the cloud.
- Phased approach Each of the five data centers was designed to be developed and built in phases allowing for expansion to be constructed with minimal interruption to prior phases.
- Sustainability and strength The LEED-certified project is located in "Tornado Alley." The building is designed with enhanced resistance for wind speeds associated with an EF3 tornado.
Reconnect...
Class A office space is uncommon at most data centers. RagingWire anticipated that clients would station their own IT teams at this facility, so TX-1 offers well-appointed common spaces and amenities typical of tech companies. Social, community and conferencing facilities occupy the window line and face a courtyard that provides tenants with secure access to the outdoors.
...and recharge
IT Systems Administration is a round-the-clock job. Recognizing that some tenants would occupy the facility overnight and on weekends, the design team incorporated comfortable lounge areas where tenants can relax and socialize. The saturated jewel-toned walls and upholstery are expressions of RagingWire’s brand identity.
Transparent and secure
The board room offers a panoramic view of a functioning vault that allows clients to view RagingWire’s typical configuration without actually entering the vault, preserving security. Essential power and cooling systems are lit or painted in company colors for easy identification. A cantilevered skywalk offers another view of the vault and adds surprise to the design.
Power play
The company relies on its patented 2N+N electrical infrastructure—systems which enable RagingWire to maintain and update the data center, even during an outage. As a result, it has a track record of zero downtime over the last 10 years.
Designing for power, elegance, and fortitude
- 80 MW IT LOAD DEVELOPMENT
- 42 ACRE CAMPUS
- 5 BUILDINGS PLANNED AND DESIGNED
- 1 MILLION SQUARE FEET INSIDE TX-1
Testimonial
Innovative thinking from designers and engineers
“The recognition of the success of this project is very meaningful to us because it’s an industry validation of our design process. Interiors play a very significant role in how a project is perceived by visitors and how users feel about it. This was an exciting opportunity to show the range of our abilities in a wide variety of spaces.”
Awards Won
- Datacenter Dynamics Global Awards Data Center Design Team of the Year
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