ACADEMIA
New Data Center Opens at Indiana University Will House Supercomputers Big Red, Quarry
SmithGroup, one of the nation's leading architecture, engineering, interior design, and planning firms, is proud to announce the opening of the new Data Center at Indiana University, Bloomington.
The $37.2 million data center is one of the first buildings at Indiana University's new technology park, intended to draw world class researchers and help build relationships with the private sector.
SmithGroup provided programming, site planning, architectural design, and interior design for the project.
The data center is designed to house Indiana University's information technology infrastructure and mission critical systems, including supercomputers Big Red and Quarry, two of the most powerful university-owned computers in the U.S. This highly secure building is designed to increase reliability, protect from power outages and natural disasters, and further the University's drive to remain a leader in the use and application of information technology. The building is one of the latest realizations of the University's forward-thinking IT Strategic Plan, a fundamental framework for organization-wide information technology advancements.
The new Data Center for Indiana University in Bloomington is the latest for SmithGroup. Nationally known for planning and design of technology facilities, the firm has planned, programmed, and designed hundreds of major buildings focused on research and technology over the past 70 years, including the Lawrence Berkeley Molecular Foundry and the Science and Technology Facility for the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).
Other firms involved in the project included Ratio Architects, HP Critical Facilities Services, Fink Roberts and Petrie Inc. and Circle Design Group. Messer Construction served as the general contractor.
SmithGroup continues to work with Indiana University on the design of a new 129,000 sf Cyber Infrastructure Building, which will also be located in the University's developing Technology Park. Completion is scheduled for summer of 2011.
SmithGroup ranks as the 7th largest architecture and engineering firm in the U.S. (Building Design + Construction "Giants" survey, July 2009) and employs 800. The firm is composed of client industry-focused practices serving the higher education, science and technology, workplace, healthcare, and cultural markets. With 346 LEED accredited professionals and 42 LEED certified projects, SmithGroup is a national leader in sustainable, environmentally intelligent design.