The driving concepts for this unique facility were efficiency and simplicity - efficiency in function and energy use; and simplicity in planning, form and materials. The notion of “transparency” was also a primary driver in the design with respect to the physical environment, and metaphorically, NWSC’s desired relationship with the public and the academic community.
Contextually, the relatively remote and still developing Technology Park was essentially a blank canvas so we looked to the programmatic elements as the clue to the built form. Large scale, high clearance spaces for mechanical, electrical, computer floor and support rooms, were the primary elements that set the direction for massing, form and siting of the facility. The smaller scale spaces for staff and visitors defined the more intimate, less rectilinear forms of the massing and provided a contrast to the larger elements.
Desired design features include day-lighting, views (both internal and external) and a protected outdoor space. All employee-occupied spaces have access to natural daylight and views and an internal courtyard will have synthetic grass, benches, and plants, providing employees a relaxing area away from their workspace with protection from the sometimes unpredictable Wyoming climate. As part of NCAR’s mission to educate the general public, the Visitors Center has views into the supercomputing room and areas are provided for educational displays off the main entry. Students will have the opportunity to experience 21st-century science and access the world-class faculty and researchers associated with the facility.
Consistent with its mission to advance scientific knowledge, education, and service through high-performance computing, the facility was designed be a leader in energy efficiency, incorporating the newest and most efficient designs and technologies available. Additionally, the facility was designed with a flexible, modular approach to enable the facility to house multiple generations of supercomputer-class systems as computing technologies change in the coming years.
A key criterion during site selection was consideration of the climatological conditions at the site and the suitability of those conditions for supporting year-round energy efficient facility operations. The “high, dry, and cool” conditions at the facility site in the Rocky Mountain West were determined to be ideal for the desired energy-efficient mechanical cooling design for the facility. Additional elements of the facility design that highlight the project focus on sustainability include high-efficiency indoor plumbing fixtures that will save over 30,000 gallons of water annually (43% more than code required fixtures), over 70% of the construction materials either reused on site or recycled, interior building materials selected specifically to enhance indoor air quality, and waste heat recycling to pre-heat power plant components and to melt snow and ice on outdoor walkways and rooftops. The project has been certified by the USGBC as LEED Gold facility.
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