Lakewood Data Center Remodel

Lakewood, Colorado

Award of Merit Manufacturing

OWNER: Colorado Governor’s Office of Information Technology

LEAD DESIGN FIRM: The RMH Group

GENERAL CONTRACTOR: Howell Construction

SUBCONTRACTOR: Weifield Group Contracting


The goal for this remodeling project was to upgrade the capabilities of this decades-old facility by adding several new systems, bringing them up to code and creating three new data center pods that incorporate hot-aisle containment technology—all while minimizing critical downtime. The 100% synchronous timing involved shutting down a mission-critical center that houses the client’s information for its holistic operations not once, but twice during the project.

For the first phase, Weifield built all the infrastructure possible before the shutdown and took the whole building off utility electrical service and brought it back up on temporary generators. Once the building was safely on generator power, Weifield demolished all ATS systems, UPS systems, the old wire and the main switchgear before bringing in new switchgear and systems and re-pulling all feeders and terminations. During the second six-hour shutdown, exactly a week later, Weifield took the facility off generator power and restored regular utility power, tying in the feeds for the new switchgear.