Mission Critical Facilities + Data Centers
In the past 40 years, LS3P has designed over 150 critical facilities spaces for Federal and local government, health care, and commercial clients through out the country. These facilities have included data centers, operations centers, 911 call centers, secure office and storage facilities, and accredited secure space for intelligence, military, and law enforcement agencies. Spaces have ranged from small 200 SF renovations to 840,000 SF secure headquarters / operation facilities.
Design Excellence Since 1963
LS3P is an architecture, interiors, and planning firm celebrating 61 years of design excellence. LS3P operates from its 12 offices in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida, providing its clients the expertise and resources of a large firm with the local knowledge and personal connections of a small firm. We are deeply committed to the communities we serve, with over 650 design awards in diverse practice areas.
At our core, we are a design firm, dedicated to contributing our best to our projects, our clients, and each other with integrity and passion. We engage people in the process of architecture to create outstanding places to live, work, and play. Our broad range of expertise allows us the ability to create innovative solutions, and to provide expertise to address the complex programs of today’s design projects.
$2,000,000,000+ of Construction Value
8,000,000 SF of Critical Facility Construction
1,900,000 SF of Headquarters Facilities
200,000 SF of Secured Facilities ON THE COVER: SAS INSTITUTE
Secure, Resilient, and Critical Infrastructure
Critical facilities are buildings and structures designed to allow for continuous operations and connectivity under all circumstances. As the saying goes, “they endure challenges and remain functional.” Examples of such facilities include data centers, emergency operations centers, 911 call centers, and other establishments that require uninterrupted uptime and constant use. These facilities may be standalone or integrated within a larger complex that does not adhere to the same stringent requirements or standards for certain parts of the structure. The critical facility is constructed to meet higher standards to maintain its essential functions.
Meeting the requirements for critical facilities is essential and can differ by location and program type. Facilities must be equipped to operate during natural disasters like tornadoes, hurricanes, and earthquakes, as well as power outages or service disruptions. Additionally, some facilities need to maintain functionality during acts of war, terrorist attacks, public health crises, or civil unrest.
3RD ARMY HEADQUARTERS SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, SC
BUILDING TYPES
EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTERS (EOC) serve as a secure location for decision-making and communication in the event of an emergency. Most often used by government entities (local, state, or national) or corporations, the EOC is a critical facility in supporting disaster response.
The EOC’s primary function is to provide dedicated, secure space for a command center – a centralized facility for planning and communication during an emergency such as a natural disaster, terrorist attack, public health crisis, or civil unrest. These facilities must be accessible, durable, secure, and resilient; typical program areas include spaces for meeting and communication with enhanced information technology infrastructure. To function effectively, the design must address the key elements of flexibility, sustainability, security, survivability, and interoperability.
DATA CENTERS (DC) focus on supporting the computing power and connectivity to the grid and the DC’s customers. Data centers consist of one or more server rooms or data halls, with other components designed to support these essential functions. Network Operations Centers (NOC), mechanical room and yards, Uninterruptable
Power Supply (UPS) battery systems, Demarcation (DEMARC) rooms, and electrical rooms and yards are all important items supporting the data halls.
Data centers often have minimal staff relative to their size, with some operating without any staff on-site. They typically include staff offices, break areas, loading docks for new equipment, and restrooms. Planning for data centers focuses on uptime, categorized into Tier I, II, III, or IV levels, with uptime ranging from 99.741% (Tier I) to 99.995% (Tier IV). These tiers define the level of redundancy required in a data center.
911 CALL CENTERS are typically smaller than Emergency Operations Centers (EOCs), yet they share several similar requirements. These centers must remain operational during disasters and other critical events to manage call and radio traffic efficiently for dispatching and guiding emergency responders. During such circumstances, 911 dispatchers may be required to stay on duty around the clock. Consequently, provisions for feeding and sleeping areas, along with backup systems, may be necessary to allow for continuous functionality of the center.
To function effectively, the design must address the key elements of redundancy, resiliency, survivability, security, flexibility, and interoperability.
REDUNDANCY is essential for all critical facilities and forms the fundamental principle upon which they are constructed. Regardless of whether facilities are designed to Tier I, II, III, or IV standards, N+1, N2, or other specifications, the duplication of mechanical and electrical systems, multiple connections to various utility grids, redundant generators, UPS backups, transformers, and wiring, are integral components of these facilities. Additionally, data connections to and from the grid are often duplicated to allow the facility to reliably provide services to end-users outside of the facility.
RESILIENCY The engineering for these facilities is extensive, with specific focus given to the Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing (MEP) systems, which are crucial for the functioning of Critical Facilities. This extends beyond the design of the MEP systems to the building itself, ensuring measures are in place to prevent water intrusion in case of roof damage and reinforcing the structural frame to enable the building to survive and remain operational after a natural disaster or an explosion.
Location is a crucial consideration as it dictates the necessary mitigation measures. Buildings are strategically placed to avoid flood plains and storm runoff areas. Windows may be equipped with impact-resistant glazing, and redundant sealing is carried out between highly durable concrete walls to create strength and security. The overall design and detailing work together to provide the resilience needed to maintain building efficiency and withstand various threats.
Resilient design strategies enable a Critical Facility to endure challenging environmental conditions and remain accessible for staff while maintaining power through auxiliary systems. Passive solar design strategies reduce energy loads and lessen the burden on generators. Rainwater collection systems can be planned to store fresh water for scenarios where the public water supply is unavailable for long durations.
SURVIVABILITY The type and amount of survivability needed for Critical Facilities can vary depending on the type of facility as well as the anticipated program and threat assessment. A thorough and realistic assessment should be conducted to make certain that the building addresses the appropriate level of threat without being excessively overbuilt to the point of becoming cost ineffective.
The building must be hardened against natural or man-made hazards so that it may operate continuously, even under sustained disasters. Blast hardening measures include bollards and screens to shield critical operating equipment, high performance window glazing to resist wind-borne debris, durable construction materials such as concrete, and careful attention to detailing for roofs and openings. Survivability applies to support elements as well as the building itself, and strategies must consider the long-term food, water, and sewer requirements of the people who will operate the building – including showers and sleeping facilities. Some facilities also include on-site water and sewage storage tanks.
The positioning of essential building services is crucial for ensuring security and resilience. Externally situated systems, such as mechanical units and emergency generators, are susceptible to damage from vehicles, windborne debris, or sabotage, potentially compromising the effectiveness of the Critical Facility during an incident. Therefore, it is advisable to situate these elements within the building envelope or secure them behind walls. Additionally, overhead screens that permit ventilation should be installed to restrict access and safeguard these systems in times of crisis.
SECURITY
An EOC, or 911 call center, must protect personnel from any outside threats or hazards, allowing them to focus on strategy, decisionmaking, and communication. Data Centers conversely protect the servers and equipment, as well as the connections in and out of the building. Building access must be limited and tightly controlled, and the flow of information must be secure. Security cameras should be installed at designated locations to enable continuous monitoring of entry points and the perimeter by individuals inside the facility.
The federal government has developed Anti-Terrorism Force Protection (ATFP) standards that must be incorporated into the design for buildings located on military installations. Many of these standards are applicable to Critical Facility design – particularly in regard to building hardening and security.
FLEXIBILITY
Flexible layouts are essential for accommodating updates in data center technology. These layouts should be adaptable and capable of handling future changes in power routing, data cable routing, and potential modifications in cooling systems, while maintaining efficiency with current systems.
EOCs using flexible layouts with adjustable partitions and movable furnishings will accommodate a range of scenarios. The EOC must support a variety of functions and prospective occupancies; a weather event of limited severity and duration may require a smaller staff than a major hurricane. Adaptable spaces that can scale up or down to support changing staff sized will be the most useful over time. Movable walls, multi-functional spaces, and careful consideration of IT access and infrastructure will allow for quick, efficient shifts in program function.
INTEROPERABILITY
Continuous connectivity is essential for the functions of a critical facility. IT infrastructure needs to be robust, secure, and adaptable to allow for the real-time flow of information between entities within and outside the command center. Communication systems also need to support realtime communication with the public to disseminate important public safety information during emergencies.
SITE CONSIDERATIONS
PROXIMITY The Emergency Operations Center must be accessible to essential personnel. Site selection should consider both proximity and topography, as well as travel routes to circumvent flood-prone roads, closed bridges, and other potential hazards. Data Centers may need to be positioned near end users to reduce data lag time for financial trading firms and other businesses with similar requirements. Conversely, some data centers may not have this necessity and can be located in remote areas where power and cooling water are more readily available.
LOCATION A centralized location will provide maximum access not only for key personnel, but also to the media, deliveries, or others who may need to access the facility in both emergent and non-emergent conditions.
CONGESTION The facility should be centrally located while avoiding areas which may be congested during rush hour. Alternatively, the EOC could be located within government buildings that are already serving multiple access points to the facility.
REDUNDANCY Redundancy in power, utility sources and routing, utility providers, and data/fiber in and out of the facility is crucial to functionality.
FLOODING
POTENTIAL Attention to site design is important in lowlying or hurricane-prone areas. In hurricane events, water levels may rise significantly with little warning, and even areas without a history of flooding may be at risk. Proper site elevations and drainage systems are essential, and designs should consider the possibility that drains could be blocked by debris or overwhelmed with storm-water from other sites.
When designing storm drainage systems, it should be noted that in many cases, current FEMA or flood plain data are already obsolete. Storm drainage design must anticipate future developments which will result in more impervious areas, meaning that flood elevations are likely to be higher than currently predicted.
Citywide storm drainage systems are designed based on 100-year flood predictions; however, these events are becoming significantly more frequent, especially in coastal areas. The high storm-water capacity needed for critical facilities presents challenges due to city drainage capacity often being calculated according to outdated codes. Therefore, site location should be selected based on relative elevation, the highest capacity drainage systems, and/or access to overflow runoff.
DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS
BUILDING
ORIENTATION Buildings
should be oriented to maximize passive solar design strategies. In the Southeast, optimal orientation is aligning the longest side of the building within 15 degrees of the East/West axis. Proper building orientation can minimize solar heat gain in the summer while allowing sunlight into the building in the winter, creating year-round daylighting. This consideration can reduce the building’s energy requirements, minimizing the burden on generators if the building loses power while increasing building survivability for occupants in the event of HVAC failure.
STRATEGIC WINDOW PLACEMENT
Though windows are important for daylighting and ventilation, they must be strategically sized and located. Smaller windows are less vulnerable to flying debris and security threats. Designers should consider the placement of critical program areas, possibly locating these in windowless interior spaces for additional security. Impact-rated glazing is an alternative option; tinted windows can reduce heat gain while allowing for ample daylighting.
SCREENING Windows and crucial exterior infrastructure should be screened to protect against wind-borne debris or tampering. Strategically placed louvers can minimize the threats from airborne missile impact. If implemented, screening must be coordinated with overall wind pressure design; screening that is not rated to wind pressure design creates the possibility for more wind-borne debris. Providing a mechanical courtyard with screening above that utilizes bar grate or heavy-duty chain link can address missile hazard concerns.
TEN30 CHARLOTTE,
PROGRAM SPACES
SECURE ENTRY VESTIBULE Facility access should be safeguarded through a secure entry vestibule, allowing staff to verify visitors before granting entry. Designed for both security and efficiency, these vestibules often incorporate bullet-resistant glass and controlled access systems, enabling staff to first admit individuals into the vestibule before confirming identity for full access. This approach enhances safety while maintaining smooth operational flow.
OPERATIONS ROOM The Operations Room serves as a command center where personnel analyze data, coordinate responses, and make critical decisions. Equipped with largeformat screens, workstations, and meeting areas, it allows for seamless communication and strategic planning, adapting to various facility needs while maintaining high connectivity.
COMMUNICATIONS ROOMS
These spaces operate independently from the main operations room and require a dedicated, secure communications hub to facilitate and protect real-time coordination with external officials, ensuring seamless and responsive crisis management.
MEDIA SPACE Facility size often dictates the need for dedicated media spaces to facilitate emergency communications with the community. These rooms integrate advanced digital infrastructure, ensuring seamless realtime connectivity through high-speed Internet and secure communication channels, enabling swift and effective information dissemination.
ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES Typical office space will be needed for support staff and for those who may occupy the building year-round.
SUPPORT SPACE As officials may need the building around the clock for days or weeks during an emergency, the building should include shower facilities, restrooms, food preparation and storage areas, break rooms, and sleeping areas.
DATA HALL Data Centers are built around the Data Hall as the fundamental building blocks. Multiple halls are arranged based on cooling systems like hot/cold aisles, CRAC units, or liquid cooling to manage heat efficiently.
MECHANICAL YARDS These vital infrastructure areas create operational resilience, enclosed based on threat levels with protective fencing, walls, or screening for heat dissipation and debris defense. They house essential mechanical and electrical systems, maintaining functionality and efficiency.
LOADING DOCKS Loading docks serve as essential access points for the efficient movement of equipment in and out of a facility. Designed to streamline logistics, they often incorporate a dedicated receiving or storage area to facilitate organized staging of deliveries, optimizing workflow and operational efficiency.
FIBER ENTRY ROOMS These rooms are typically duplicated and use different providers in order to provide redundancy.
CONSTRUCTION SYSTEMS
STRUCTURE The structural system of the building must be designed to endure potential natural disasters, such as a Category 5 hurricane. The ASCE 7-16 wind loading standards should serve as the minimum design criteria, although higher requirements might be necessary for survivability in a Category 5 hurricane. Implementing ASCE 7-16 wind loading specifications or more stringent standards may represent a significant modification to the structural systems compared to current building code requirements. These considerations must be integrated into the initial design phases to allow for proper coordination and implementation.
Some geographic locations will also need to consider seismic design strategies for structural elements.
ENVELOPE The envelope should be durable and energy efficient with blast resistant design. Windows should have impact-resistant tinted glazing, hurricane shutters/window screens, and operable windows to allow the building to remain habitable in the event of a prolonged power outage. Doors should follow FEMA recommendations.
ROOF SYSTEMS Puncture and tear resistance should be a primary goal in selecting a roofing membrane. Single-ply roofs can include fiber
reinforcement to greatly increase tear and puncture resistance. Roofing systems will need to be designed specifically for each project. Wind loading, square footage, building elevation, and proximity to the coast affect the calculation of wind pressures.
Whether fully adhered or mechanically fastened, roofing systems must be tested to meet design pressure requirements set forth in structural loading. Multi-ply modified bitumen built up roofs can also provide redundancy, preventing water leakage. As a standard, roof parapets should be a minimum of three feet tall to minimize corner uplift pressures in roofing systems.
SECURITY SYSTEMS In the event of civil unrest, the Critical Facility needs to be resilient against human sabotage. Bollards or landscape features can be implemented to minimize risk of vehicular damage to the building. Access control systems and CCTV systems should be integrated within the design.
DESIGN STANDARDS Additional details for ATFP design can be found in the Unified Facilities Criteria (UFC) DoD Minimum Standards for Buildings document. FEMA guidelines for hurricane and tornado resistant design and be found in the FEMA P-361, Safe
Rooms for Tornadoes and Hurricanes: Guidance for Community and Residential Safe Rooms, Third Edition (2015) document.
Case Studies Infrastructure in Action
3rd Army ARCENT Headquarters
The 321,000-square-foot 3rd Army (ARCENT) Headquarters building is provided with a 24-inch high access floor system throughout. The entire facility is a secure 24/7 technology hub with N+1 redundancy that extends to dual power supplies, redundant HVAC systems, and alternative source cooling systems with full building load stand-by power generation.
There are 39 secure VTC conference rooms, a Briefing Room (which is divisible into separate secured meeting areas), a large 8,000-square-foot Secure Compartmented Information Facility (SCIF), and a two-story Operations
Complex SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, SC
Center with the full “Wall of Knowledge” A/V display system. Trading desk type two-person workstations are provided in the technology intensive SCIF and OC environments.
II MEF Operations Center CAMP
The II Marine Expeditionary Force Operations Center serves as the USMC’s headquarters for directing combat operations across the Middle East, Africa, and Europe. It houses office, training, and support spaces, along with the Combat Operations Center (COC) and Secure Facility Operations Center .
The COC provides visibility into Secretlevel operations with a multi-tiered watch floor, video wall, and coordination stations for combat, logistics, and aviation. It includes the commander’s Battle Cabin for planning without
LEJEUNE, NC
disrupting operations and connects directly to the General’s office suite via a private stair.
The Secure Facility Operations Center supports Top Secret and higher operations, linking multiple secure networks for operational connectivity.
Strategically located at Camp Lejeune’s highest point to prevent flooding, the facility is built with blast-resistant concrete and glazing, a reinforced metal roof system, and impact-resistant materials.
Key infrastructure includes secure/nonsecure loading docks, satellite and radio antenna pads, emergency expansion hardstand, secure mechanical chiller yard, and redundant generators for resilience in disasters or wartime.
Security measures include a guard force ready room with weapons storage, sleeping areas, and a bullet-resistant entry lobby. The site is designed to mitigate Vehicle Borne IED threats, with controlled access points for personnel and cleared vehicles.
New Hanover Regional Medical Center Surgical Pavilion Data Center WILMINGTON,
New Hanover Regional Medical Center (NHRMC) enlisted Syska Hennessy and LS3P to provide a viable solution to expand its critical facilities portfolio to support existing functions and foster future growth.
The new data center and critical facility infrastructure system was constructed in existing unfinished shell space located in the service level of the new Surgery Pavilion. The program includes:
• Raised Floor space to support up to 80 IT cabinets including typical
server racks, storage racks, and network distribution racks.
• Industry Standard Tier 2+ with concurrent maintainability features
• Mechanical/Electrical infrastructure to support up to 410 kW of IT load
• Network Operations Center (NOC) for up to 12 operators
• Demarc rooms to support relocation of the existing fiber providers to the data center
• Receiving, storage and set-up (burn-in) areas to support refresh operations
NC
All of the infrastructure (CRAHs, PDUs, etc.), with the exception of the Remote Power Panels (RPPs), is located outside of the computer room space.
The integrated project team delivered this fast-track project in less than nine months. Working closely with NHRMC IT stakeholders they mapped out the technology deployment and size and specified the corresponding power and cooling infrastructure to support Day 1 load with the expansion capabilities to ramp-up to the ultimate load.
Syska
Hennessy (2025)
Roper St. Francis Headquarters Data Center
The Roper St. Francis Data Center is a purpose-built facility designed to centralize IT operations for one of the region’s largest healthcare networks. The data center spans 17,000 square feet and was developed in partnership with the Medical Society of South Carolina to support electronic communications for over 100 Roper St. Francis Healthcare facilities across a nine-county region.
The facility includes an 11,907-squarefoot tilt-up concrete building and a 5,320-square-foot exterior mechanical and electrical yard. The infrastructure was engineered to deliver high
CHARLESTON, SC
availability, resiliency, and security, ensuring uninterrupted access to mission-critical systems for clinical and administrative operations.
The data center is part of a broader 24-acre campus that also includes a fivestory, 130,000-square-foot administrative headquarters building. This adjacent structure consolidates 19 departments and over 600 employees previously spread across leased offices throughout Charleston County. The headquarters features customized departmental suites, open workstations, enclosed offices, conference and training rooms,
and shared amenities such as a café, fitness center, and walking trails—all designed to support collaboration, wellness, and operational efficiency.
The data center’s integration into this larger campus underscores its strategic role in enabling Roper St. Francis Healthcare’s digital transformation and regional growth. It provides a secure, centralized platform for managing patient data, supporting telehealth, and ensuring business continuity across the healthcare system.
TEN30 Campus CHARLOTTE, NC
TEN30 campus spans approximately
80 acres and includes around 1,000,000 square feet of office space across two buildings. There is a large headquarters building and a lease-able office building with four small redundant data center halls configured as co-location facilities to allow multiple users. The data halls are configured to Tier I standard N+1
redundancy, utilizing cold-aisle/hot-aisle technology and layout. They are built with raised access floors and There are two demarcation rooms entering/ leaving the building and multiple distribution rooms throughout the building to provide connectivity to end users.
Von Braun III Complex
REDSTONE ARSENAL, AL
The Von Braun III Complex, an 839,873-square-foot Command and Control Facility (C2F), is a headquarters building which includes administrative space, computer operations, Secure Compartmented Information Facility (SCIF), special access areas, Missile Operations Tracking Center, Data Center, meeting rooms, break rooms and storage areas.
It is a six-story headquarters building developed as part of an existing office park and research campus for the US Missile Defense Agency (MDA) and contains office and research space, a 750-seat cafeteria, an 800-seat secure auditorium and conference center, a
9,000-square-foot fitness center with aerobics room, weight and cardio equipment, shower and locker rooms, and a medically staffed wellness center.
Due to the sensitive nature of MDA’s work, the building includes 240,000+ square feet of secure space, of which approximately 50,000 square feet is SCIF or SAPF designed for accreditation for Top Secret-SCI level, with the rest built to Open Storage standards.
The data center and the Missile Operations Tracking Center were built to a Tier II level of redundancy and are part of the overall building. These spaces are supported by UPS and generator back up
as well as redundant HVAC systems. The building also includes a sixth floor executive suite, numerous General Officer/Special Executive Service office suites throughout the building, secure meeting rooms, large briefing rooms, and video teleconference space. The support facilities include large facility and office support spaces, retail sales and service areas, security force spaces, server rooms and IT spaces, controlled entry lobbies and perimeter, and a large central energy plant with capability to support additional buildings in the complex, with redundant emergency back-up power for selected spaces, to include HVAC.
US Cyber Command | 2nd Army Building 8607 Renovation
LS3P led the design team for the conversion of an existing barracks structure to administrative space to accommodate secure space requirements for the US Cyber Command/2nd Army.
The 40,700-square-foot, one-story hammerhead portion of the building contains unsecure spaces and various command support spaces and administrative functions and a new control entry to the building as well as mechanical spaces to support the entire building. The partial basement houses mechanical, electrical and other engineering spaces. The three-story converted billeting floors are secured
spaces designed to ASTM E90 and ICD/ ICS 705 with STC 50 to meet Secure Compartmented Information Facility (SCIF) requirements.
Building 8607 is a three-story, concrete frame with concrete pan joists building with CMU exterior walls constructed in 1955. The building has a “T” shaped footprint with the “cross” being a single story over basement component and the “leg” of the “T” a three-story component over a partial basement.
To convert this structure from barracks use to administrative space the entire interior construction and entire exterior
FORT MEADE, MD
facade was demolished. The work included new steel frame reinforcing, building envelope, interior construction and new mechanical, plumbing, electrical, fire protection and telecom systems throughout. The building was stripped down to its structural frame retaining only concrete columns and slabs. A new steel structural frame supports the new exterior skin and provides structural reinforcement to the existing slabs. The three-story section of the structure provides secure administrative space. Partitions, HVAC and communication systems were designed in accordance with SCIF criteria.
75th Ranger Regimental Headquarters FORT MOORE, GA
LS3P led a multi-disciplined design team in the planning charrette and subsequent design for construction of a headquarters addition for the U.S. Army’s elite 75th Ranger Regiment at Fort Moore, Georgia.
Working closely with the Savannah District, the Fort Moore Master Planning staff, and the U.S. Army Special Operations Forces (USASOC) personnel, the team visited the high security project site to identify any previously unknown conditions, investigated the project scope for compliance with
allowances/standard designs, validated user requirements and developed the justification for project scope in cases where the requirement exceeded authorized funding.
The team conducted a design charrette, for conceptual design and development of revised DD 1391 document for congressional funding and under separate task order, prepared full Design/Bid/Build Solicitation documents for building addition as well as site plan and all utilities.
The project includes a 1,669-squarefoot, Secure Compartmented Information Facility (SCIF) rated PLEX Operations Center allowing the 75th Ranger Regiment to conduct real-time command and control for operations occurring around the world.
82nd Airborne Headquarters
This new 143,090-square-foot Division Headquarters provides facilities to accommodate division administrative and command operations.
The design of the 82nd Airborne Headquarters is intended to introduce the architectural character of Fort Bragg while providing a state-of-the-art building and an aesthetic that supports an inviting work environment for the occupants.
The building exterior features an architecture that complements the brick and stone feel evident in the design guidelines, while creating an image
FORT BRAGG, NC
that is uniquely tailored to the 82nd Airborne.
This facility meets the needs of the men and women who occupy the building, while providing a customized but flexible and vibrant working environment. The entry lobby provides the springpoint for the organization of the building.
All three Secure Zones are accommodated while providing for complete programmatic and functional areas. High quality durable and maintainable materials and systems are utilized for a significant command
headquarters. This facility was designed using the Unified Facilities Criteria and meets all requirements of AT/FP standards. This project is LEED® Gold certified.
SAS INSTITUTE RALEIGH,
NC
The SAS Institute Data Center, located at the company’s global headquarters in Cary, North Carolina, is a purposebuilt facility designed to support the company’s expanding cloud-based analytics platforms, including SAS Viya and OnDemand.
The facility houses 56 server racks, each supported by dual service providers—one routed through a dedicated Demarcation Room and the other through a Disaster Recovery Room—ensuring fault tolerance and high availability. A redundant fiber backbone, comprising both multimode and singlemode cabling,
connects the data center and disaster recovery infrastructure to intermediate distribution frames (IDFs) throughout the building, enabling high-speed, resilient data transmission. Power reliability is ensured through two 400 kVA Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPSs), each backed by emergency generators and configured to meet N+1 redundancy standards.
The facility is also designed to meet LEED Gold certification, incorporating predictive cooling systems, overflow alarms, and sustainable site strategies such as rainwater management and
heat island reduction. As a cloudagnostic environment, the data center supports hybrid and multi-cloud deployments, enabling secure, scalable analytics for clients in regulated industries such as healthcare, finance, and government.
With robust cybersecurity frameworks and secure zones—including Network Operations Centers, UPS battery rooms, and mechanical yards—the SAS Data Center exemplifies missioncritical infrastructure engineered for performance, sustainability, and compliance.
Training Site Headquarters Building 116 KURE
The new Training Site Headquarters Building is just under 26,000 square feet and meets the administrative and training needs of the NCARNG at Kure Beach Training Site which is a Level V Training Site designed to support the individual and collective training of a company sized element. The facility houses all the training site personnel and contains the majority of the transient training classrooms and offices for Fort Fisher.
BEACH TRAINING FACILITY, NC
The facility also includes an 8,000-square-foot Secure Compartmented Information Facility (SCIF) for the NCARNG’s 120+ Military Intelligence (MI) Soldiers, who conduct MI-specific quarterly training at Kure Beach Training Facility to maintain MOS proficiency and qualify for professional assignments and advancement.
Other NCARNG Soldiers and units requiring classified training or
conference space including Special Forces companies, Special Operations Detachment, and Main Command Post Operational Detachment, plus various headquarters units needing secure meeting space will also use the secure area.
Special
Operations Forces Battalion Headquarters | Company Operations
Building FORT BRAGG, NC
The project required the design and construction of a multi-story battalion headquarters and company operations building for two battalions and four companies, with classroom space.
The facility is a steel framed brick veneer construction on concrete slab with secure administrative and operational work areas, a sensitive compartmented information facility (SCIF), classrooms, and conference rooms. The HQ facility is 46,560 SF and total project is 57,800 SF. The company operations area includes company administrative and
readiness modules with arms vaults and mission planning areas. Fire detection and suppression, energy management control, communications, networks, intrusion detection, surveillance and access control systems were provided. Built-in equipment included an elevator and fire pump.
Supporting facilities include all related site-work and utilities (electrical distribution, water, sanitary sewer and natural gas), lighting, information systems, protected distribution system in the company operations and
between buildings, privately owned vehicle parking, walks, curbs, gutters, storm drainage, irrigation systems, site accessories, landscaping and other site improvements.
Anti-terrorism/force protection features included access control measures, mass notification systems, laminated glass, and minimum stand-off distances. Demolition of one building of 6,600 SF was accomplished. Utilities include electric distribution, panel and outlets, security lighting and audible safety alarm horn. Air conditioning: 585 kW (167 tons).
INSCOM
Modular Secure Compartmented Information Facility (SCIF) FORT MEADE, MD
This two-story pre-fabricated, modular, relocatable Sensitive Compartmentalized Information Facilities (SCIF) is TEMPEST rated and is compliant with Army Regulation 4201, SCIF ICD/ICS 705, and UFC 4-010-01.
All six sides are constructed to TEMPEST standards. The building is 58,000 square feet and houses an operations center, office, conference, classroom, and support spaces to serve approximately 341 occupants.
M-1 Training Facility Conversion
LS3P designed the M-1 Training Facility Conversion project at Kure Beach Training Facility which consisted of converting an area on the second floor of the existing Kure Beach AMG Headquarters Building into an M-1 Training Platform Special Access Program Facility.
The facility is designed to ICS 7051 standards and is TEMPEST rated.
The program consisted of updating an existing classroom with low-raised access flooring, converting a concrete vault to a network room, re-purposing the student computer storage room, providing new floor and ceiling
KURE BEACH TRAINING FACILITY, NC
partitions to the vestibule, and adding a mantrap to the vestibule.
In addition, Mechanical, Electrical and Telecom were enhanced to provide the building with independent N+1, 24x7 operations with 100% standby power capability including intrusion detection and access control security to all door openings.
LEGO Southeast Manufacturing Plant
The state-of-the-art 1.7 million SF plastic injection manufacturing plant features a production building, administration building, a high-bay store, a packing area and an energy center. The factory is designed to operate as a carbon-neutral facility, with 100% of its day-to-day energy needs matched by renewable energy generated at an on-site 35-40MW solar park.
The building includes two separate data centers built to provide data both for on-site operations as well as to tie into LEGO’s world wide network. The data halls provide redundancy inside the
CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, VA
building as well as for the network. They are backed up by multiple generators and ammonia chilled cooling systems with redundant pathways. They utilize gaseous fire protection systems and are built to a N2 level of redundancy.
The many green initiatives involve roof-mounted solar panels, a rainwater recycling plant as well as timber structures instead of steel and concrete structures in part of the build. The project is designed to meet the highest possible LEED Platinum certification.
NC Department of Health & Human Services Data Center
The DHHS building’s data center is equipped with fifty-six (56) racks, each capable of being serviced by two distinct providers. One service connects to the Demarc Room adjacent to the data center, while the other links to the Disaster Recovery Room. This dualservice strategy enhances redundancy throughout the facility, maintaining continuous operation even if one provider experiences issues.
Additionally, redundant fiber backbone cabling, including both Multimode and Singlemode fiber, extends from the Data Center and Disaster Recovery Room to every Intermediate Distribution
Frame (IDF) within the building. This setup provides high-speed, reliable connectivity across the entire infrastructure. The data center racks are safeguarded by two (2) 400 kVA Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPSs), which are further supported by the facility’s emergency generators, offering robust protection against power outages and uninterrupted service.
RALEIGH, NC
New Hanover County Emergency Operations Center WILMINGTON, NC
The New Hanover Government Complex offers office space, and emergency operations center, and 911 center for the county. Featuring a 100,000 SF office building designed for resilience, the full build-out will transform the site into a mixed-use development with multifamily housing and retail. The mix of tilt-up and conventional is durable and economical, with strategies such as tinted impact resistant glass and screening to protect mechanical systems from wind-borne debris during a storm.
The structural tilt-up concrete panels (9 3/4”) and concrete roof systems are designed to withstand a Category 5 wind speed of 156mph sustained, an 190mph three-second gusts.
The roof design meets FM4470 and ANSI/SPRI/FM 4435/ES-1 standards. The envelope includes hurricane shutters for all openings. All exterior glass is impact rated, with frames meeting Miami-Dade wind loads. Glass is limited to 50 SF punches windows with FEMA 361 attributes and tinted
impact glass. Impact rated glazing is heavier than standard glazing, so all exterior doors have 6 points of connection with 3 hinge points and 3 latching points as recommended by FEMA.
Camden County Resiliency Operations Center KINGSLAND, GA
The primary 9,200-square-foot facility offers resiliency services to the public, including county building code and planning, floodplain management, and the building inspections department.
The 6,755-square-foot structure houses the Resiliency Operations Center (ROC), which assumes continued response efforts for the community during postevent recovery operations.
Features of the Center include a new communication tower, community services office, training and conference rooms, and administrative spaces within the secure site. The ROC includes a command floor with digital multimedia information.
Charleston Water System Emergency Operations & Data Center
The two-story, 32,000 SF facility incorporates materials and detailing referencing the original brick pumphouse and other buildings on the existing Hanahan Water Treatment site, creating a cohesive campus feel. The facility will function as a Class A office building for daily use; however, in the event of an emergency such as a hurricane or earthquake, resilient design features will allow it to maintain continuous operations. The structure is designed to withstand wind gusts up to 178 MPH (a Category 4 hurricane) as well as seismic events.
The fully redundant HVAC, electrical, and IT systems are connected to an emergency generator with diesel fuel storage. The impact-rated high performance glazing provides additional durability while allowing abundant daylight and views for employee wellness, productivity, and satisfaction.
A Strategic Command Center for critical repair, dispatch, and customer service operations during an emergency features fully integrated A/V technology and connectivity, and a display wall
HANAHAN, SC
allows staff to monitor feeds from local news, weather, and SCADA. Four adjacent breakout rooms support each of CWS’s operational departments; these rooms serve as small conference rooms for the day-to-day use. A pantry and preparation area can be used as a servery for EOC functions, and bunks provide temporary housing for emergency personnel during an active event.
The Data Center is co-located with the EOC and is built to a N+1 standard. The Data Center utilizes in-rack cooling with a raised access floor system.
Haywood County Emergency Operations Center & 911 Call Center WAYNESVILLE, NC
The Haywood County EMS building features six Emergency Management bays; five drive-through ambulance bays; five sleeping rooms with shared kitchen and living areas; offices with conference room and storage rooms; and a weight room. To accommodate the sloped site, the floors of the Emergency Management bays are 3’ lower than the ambulance bays and nestle into the hillside. The site also includes staff parking and driveway access.
The building elevations work within the design guidelines of the Town of Waynesville; materials chosen throughout the project, from the stained concrete floors to the acoustic ceiling tiles, will minimize cleaning and maintenance requirements.
Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Emergency Operations Center CHEROKEE, NC
The two-story, 24,000 SF EBCI Operations Center houses the tribe’s Information Technology and Public Safety departments. The building contains offices, conference rooms, training classrooms, and a 911 console room; departments are separated by floor level. Heavy timber trusses accent the grand training and console rooms.
The building achieved LEED Gold certification, with provisions for excellent indoor air quality, an efficient building envelope, and natural daylight for over 90% of spaces.
