The architectural design response for the CMC-Energy Plant project is driven by three distinct, yet primary considerations. They are: 1) the Owner's current and future utility requirements, 2) the unique conditions of the chosen site, and 3) sensitivity to the buildings' scale and noise relative to the adjacent buildings on the CMC campus and the nearby residential neighborhood.
The Owner's programmatic requirements can be broken down into 6 major functional components, which are dedicated to various types of equipment: Generators & Engines, Boilers, Turbines, Electrical equipment, Chillers, and Cooling Towers. The accumulated spatial requirements total approximately 55,700 sf in Phase I. An expansion of 8,000 sf is planned for Phase II, giving an overall total of approximately 63,700 sf of enclosed space.
The chosen site on the CMC campus is located in the existing parking areas North and West of the W.S. Rankin Building and South of the Charlotte Institute of Rehabilitation (CIR). The site is also bordered on the West and South by residential properties, which have varying side and rear yard setbacks, and a required 20' vegetation buffer. The resultant buildable land area is a slender, angled, "L"-shaped parcel that influences the current layout. The result is two buildings, positioned at right angles to one another, connected by an enclosed corridor.
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