Rice University South Annex: Library Service Center & Data Center At 11620 South Main St.

[Highrise Tower]

https://scholarship.rice.edu/handle/1911/71846

The Rice University Data Center building, next to the Library Service Center.

Rice owns a lot of land off the Highway 90 feeder.  I went on a new running route and stopped by.  Looks like dirt is being moved at the back of the property. Expansion or maintenance related?

[Highrise Tower]

Rice Data Center, Houston, TX (2006-2007)

https://carlosjimenezstudio.com/rice-university-data-center

 

Quote

The Rice Data Center (RDC) is a 25,400 sq. ft. data center that consolidates all of Rice’s data needs into one primary facility. The highly secured and protected environment is meant to guarantee a constant 24 hour run for the University’s data networks. It provides server floors, mechanical infrastructure, support spaces, and shell space for future expansion. The primary exterior material for the two buildings is a customized tilt-up concrete wall system designed to give each building’s envelope a protective and distinct opacity. The varied cascading pattern and profile of the concrete panels animates while scaling down each building’s large windowless mass. Painted a bright fluorescent green, the building acquires the presence of a geometric topiary across a vast green field. 

 

 

[Highrise Tower]

10,387 SF library addition.

 

[Highrise Tower]

Rice Library Service Center, Houston, TX (2002-2005)

https://carlosjimenezstudio.com/rice-university-library-service-center

 

Quote

The Rice Library Service Center (RLSC) is a high-density book storage facility with an anticipated capacity of 1.75 to 2.0 million volumes. The off-site 18,500 sq. ft. book depository improves and expands Rice University's Fondren Library by providing ample storage, as well as newer and more efficient filing and archiving systems. The facility consists of two distinct parts: a two-story office and processing area, and a three-story open volume - the book storage vault - containing rows of high-density modular shelving. The entire vault is a carefully controlled environment for storing lesser-used and fragile materials. A constant 50 degrees (Farenheit) and 30 percent humidity is maintained all year round—an ideal temperature for the long-term preservation of paper products as well as for film based-materials (microfilm, videotapes, slides, etc.). The building's primary exterior material is a customized tilt-up concrete wall system designed to provide a protective yet animated opacity. The wall's cascading profile animates and scales down what is primarily a windowless mass. Sealed and painted a bright, earthy green, the building acquires the presence of a geometric topiary across a vast green field.

 

 

[Highrise Tower]

Discovered Rice's property outlined in a marketing brochure.

 

[Ross]

On 4/17/2020 at 7:31 PM, Highrise Tower said:

Rice Library Service Center, Houston, TX (2002-2005)

https://carlosjimenezstudio.com/rice-university-library-service-center

 

 

With the advent of RFI tags, libraries are storing material by size, rather than by classification. With storage by size, they can minimize wasted space

[Highrise Tower]

Progress, from a distance.

 

 

[Highrise Tower]

[Highrise Tower]

Building is up.

 

[Highrise Tower]

The Brochstein Gift.

Rice University early this year received some extraordinarily good news. Susan and Raymond Brochstein announced their gift of 30 acres of land on South Main on which to build the Library Service Center (LSC.) A remote shelving facility for Fondren Library.  The value of the land is such that this one of the most important gifts ever given to the university.

The property donated by the Brochsteins is on South Main, a short distance south of the 610 Loop. It is no more than 15 minutes from campus.

[Ross]

17 hours ago, Highrise Tower said:

The Brochstein Gift.

Rice University early this year received some extraordinarily good news. Susan and Raymond Brochstein announced their gift of 30 acres of land on South Main on which to build the Library Service Center (LSC.) A remote shelving facility for Fondren Library.  The value of the land is such that this one of the most important gifts ever given to the university.

The property donated by the Brochsteins is on South Main, a short distance south of the 610 Loop. It is no more than 15 minutes from campus.

 

To make it clear, the donation occurred in 2001. That was a very generous gift by the Brochsteins. The company quietly produces incredible woodwork for interiors for clients. I've seen a few of them, and the millwork is amazing.