Indiana University Cyberinfrastructure Building

What were the circumstances of receiving the commission for this project?

SmithGroupJJR, with associate architect Ratio Architects, was commissioned almost a decade ago to design a combined data center and headquarters facility for Indiana University’s Information Technology Services (UITS). The building was originally sited and designed to fit within the traditional architectural fabric of the historic campus core, but a series of factors – including a growing economic downturn – put the project on hold for a number of years.

UITS continued to evolve its programs and services, and the existing data center came to underserve and under-protect the critical infrastructure held within. By the time the funding mechanisms fell again into place, the project had taken on a new urgency. Although the site had changed to a newly envisioned, modern technology park, and the needs of the data center had grown so large as to require it split from the program into its own separate building, UITS and IU were eager to maintain the continuity and institutional memory held by the team and asked SmithGroupJJR to engage in the process again.

How does the completed building compare to the project as designed? Were there any dramatic changes between the two and/or lessons learned during construction?

The completed building is very much like the design intent, but as with any state institution that does not generally allow proprietary specifications or details, quite a bit of coordination had to occur during construction to ensure a more generic design intent became built reality. In particular, the exterior sun shades demanded keen communication between the design team, the shade fabricators and the curtainwall manufacturers and installers to thoroughly work through the loading and support details. The daylight harvesting system also required great teamwork between the motorized interior shade manufacturers and the lighting controls provider. In an ideal world, many of these integrated systems are provided by a sole source, but this is not always possible.

How does the building relate to contemporary architectural trends, be it sustainability, technology, etc.?

While the project was on hiatus, the university went through a comprehensive master planning process, establishing sustainability objectives for all built projects in recognition of the dramatic role that buildings and their sites play in efforts to conserve energy and water and provide healthy, balanced environments. One of the objectives is that buildings of this type achieve a LEED silver certification. The CIB is targeting LEED Gold, and that achievement could not have been approached without incredible participation of the users themselves, who organized into proactive groups not only interested in the functionality of the building and its systems but in how they themselves might change the way they work inside their new home to be more sustainable.

Given the buildings occupants, technology was a frequent topic through design. As most technology-based institutions know, however, it is a mistake to design for specific devices or software since they change not only frequently but often even during the project design duration. Much like the open plan of the office workspaces that allows for flexible inhabitation, it was important for the CIB to provide an infrastructure that is elastic and accommodating for the various types of technologies foreseen and – to whatever extent possible – those not.  

Are there any new/upcoming projects in your office that this building’s design and construction has influenced?

Each project SmithGroupJJR designs reflects its context and the uniqueness of the client’s culture and character, but success is certainly built upon previous works, broad experience and an eye for cross-pollination between building typologies. The CIB successfully integrates good practice from current modern office environments into a university setting – a trend we expect to continue and expand.

How would you describe the architecture of Indiana and how does the building relate to it?

It’s quite difficult to provide a singular definition of an Indiana-specific architecture, as it can vary broadly depending on the region and period. In this area, and of the university particularly, one might try to say without speaking too universally that the buildings are not pretentious, that in this climate they must be robust and effective, and that there is a certain coloration, materiality and longevity to them evocative of the namesake limestone so prevalent in building facades in Indiana and desirable throughout the United States.

The CIB is certainly a modern building, but it takes many cues from its historical context, borrowing and sometimes reinterpreting patterns, motifs and architectural relationships from the mixed palette that has over the years become recognizably an Indiana University aesthetic. While variegated oolitic limestone is carefully used in key interior public spaces and sparingly on the exterior to frame the main entrance, the majority of the solid building exterior is clad in a precast concrete, colored much like the limestone and cast in an articulated banding pattern that is generally reflective of the loose-laid limestone walls seen throughout the area. The pattern of vertical slot windows in the precast resembles similar seemingly random organizations on campus that actually reflect an inside-out approach to daylight access. The ground level is elevated to accentuate entry. The building has a strong base – exposed concrete retaining walls with a linear, board-form impression. And, of course, while large glass volumes allow light and views, the exterior skin provides great utility – prominent exterior sun shades shield the building from  excessive heat gain.

Email interview conducted by John Hill.