Interoperability: Plug-and-Play™

The principle design concept behind the Digital Media Electronic Arts Project is the ability to upgrade components in the building as the state of technology improves. To facilitate the exchange of components, or "Plug-and-Play," the building design incorporates special technological features including a raised floor system, a flexible façade and accessible mechanical systems.

One of the key design strategies to allow for change is the raised floor system. The floor people walk on is non-structural; it is a false floor raised above the main floor. The main floor provides the structural support and the raised floor, supported by metal pedestals, provides the working floor surface. This creates an interstitial space that is filled with electrical, data, HVAC and other services. The beauty of the system is its ability for easy reconfiguration when required. Each of the floor plates are modular and can be moved or replaced with a new plate containing reconfigured outlets or vents. The cables, ducts and pipes can be moved around the interstitial space to accommodate the changing servicing needs of the floor surface above. Simple upgrades only require lifting a few floor plates to add services, as opposed to the major construction needed when the systems are traditionally embedded in, or run below, the floor. The raised floor system does not require sawing, drilling or patching and changes can be easily effected by non-professionals.

Another design element that emphasizes interoperability is the flexible façade allowing for the addition or subtraction of server units. The Sun Microsystems Blackbox unit is a self-contained server farm which allows for complex computations or renderings. At the current rate of change in computer technology, these units will soon be obsolete and will need replacement with the next generation of equipment. To allow for their easy conversion, the north façade of the first floor can be opened, the outmoded Blackbox can be rolled on to a flatbed truck, and a new unit can be brought in and quickly hooked up. Similarly, if additional server capacity is needed for a limited time, additional units can be temporarily installed. The raised floor system can accommodate additional power requirements for the new equipment, as well as collecting the exhaust heat they generate.

Finally, the mechanical systems are not enclosed in walls and floors. They run instead in tandem with the structural systems. If additional piping or equipment is needed, it can be readily added, as the servicing "chase" is sized to allow for that growth. The roof accommodates solar panels or other sunlight-harvesting systems that can be updated as technology improves their efficiency.

Many buildings fall into a state of obsolescence after only a decade of use because they have been designed without the ability to adapt and change as technology progresses. This design for the Digital Media Electronic Arts Project allows for growth with the option of "plugging" in new components and having them "play" as well as the original configuration of the building. The primary goal of this project is to explore extension of the use of the building further into the future than current standards expect.