Most buildings are meant to be seen, used and shut down at the end of the day. Jan Gross, AIA, LEED AP, principal and manager of the Mission Critical facilities practice at Gensler, New York City, creates buildings that can withstand disasters and stay running 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. Mission critical facilities stand at the epicenters of organizations that function as data centers for people such as academic researchers, medical practitioners and financial experts. Gross gives the example of stock exchanges, trading floors and credit card transactions that rely on data centers and places of infrastructure.
A Special State for a Specialized Architect 
In 1975, Gross graduated from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York and went on to work for a mechanical engineering firm where he learned the ins and outs of mechanical engineering, construction and architecture. As a result, he was given the chance to work on the infrastructure of the New York Stock Exchange. Working on the infrastructure of a major financial center introduced him to the world of mission critical architecture.
In the 1980s, Gross moved to Gensler in part because the firm gives him the ability to focus on mission critical facilities while working with likeminded architects. Gensler contains 19 different practice areas made up of groups of designers and architects focusing on a specific client type. The work is shared across multiple offices with the work specifics, financials and staff all coming together as one cohesive unit rather than working separately or varying depending on region.
In addition to the ability to work with like-minded architects, Gross relishes the design opportunities Gensler has given him. Gross enjoys working with collaborative clients such as IBM where he works to produce data centers around the globe, impact a culture and support technology. Gross’ attitude toward his work is both passionate and lighthearted. Gross explains: “Architects don’t have as much fun as they could have. I work on something new every day; we go out and attack our vision reminding ourselves, [at Gensler], that it’s easier to ask for forgiveness than permission.” Mission critical projects that Gensler has completed include the Dubai Mercantile Exchange in Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Fannie Mae Data Center in Urbana, Md.; and New York Board of Trade in New York City.
The Fannie Mae project is the first LEED certified data center in the country. “We set the bar for which we can take mission critical into sustainable design,” explains Gross. The LEED certification and sustainable nature of the Fannie Mae project displays the sustainability potential of buildings that require constant energy to remain functioning at all times.
Game Changer
Gross draws a great deal of inspiration from the work of John A. Roebling, in particular the Brooklyn Bridge that Gross calls a “game changer.” The Brooklyn Bridge is a beautifully designed, yet essential structure that people use every day. Similarly to the bridge, the structures Gross designs have to be aesthetically pleasing yet simple in their upkeep and maintenance so that various mission critical data centers and facilities can drive the day-to-day operations of institutions such as Princeton University in Princeton, N.J. “The facilities are driven by electrical
[features], supported by mechanical [components] and wrapped in architecture,” says Gross. A simple, robust facility, therefore, involves elements that spread across multiple disciplines from architecture to engineering. The Brooklyn Bridge and mission critical facilities are frequently used, but often overlooked by the users. According to Gross, individuals such as the researchers at Princeton may not be aware of the data center that powers the entire organization. As Gross explains: “We make a difference that touches many people …[We work on] the heart of this organization. The more difficult the project makes it more fun.”
Metal in Mission Critical
In many facilities, metal is in the forefront. The use of insulated metal panels at Princeton University show Gross has taken advantage of the efficacy of metal in mission critical projects. “In the case of Princeton we had insulated metal panels as part of the building,” he says.
Gross appreciates the weathertightness and aesthetics insulated metal panels provide. The Princeton facility is a contrast between precast metals and glass. Gross personally likes the aesthetics of stainless steel, as it’s “clean and crisp, with a darker finish that works well as an exterior or as a screen wall.”
What Lies Ahead
Working on mission critical projects such as data centers and their cutting-edge technology forces Gross to contemplate the future of design. “We’ve been stacking bricks for centuries, and what we need to worry about now with different cultures is the failing infrastructure that occurs every day.
Now we are in the technology age and [commonly] look at infrastructure in terms of five years, [we need to focus on facilities and] on infrastructure that will be in place for 100 years.”