Lothrop Commercial + Critical Facilities

National Microfinance Bank, Tanzania, Africa

AIA Award-Winning Network Operations Center

Due to an increasing demand for new infrastructure and use of on-line banking in Tanzania, Africa, The National Microfinance Bank proactively chose to expand to better serve their clients. Lothrop Associates is a part of the specialized team brought in to design the network operations center including a data center, generator building and telecommunications.

The data center is housed within the NMB Headquarters building, located in Dar Es Salaam, and is slated to have emergency backup generators. However, the building has no provisions for the generators inside and the site is severely restricted and occupied. The resulting solution is a three-story generator building elevated above the ramp to the parking garage. The height of the generator building is four stories because it is three stories and is elevated above the parking ramp. The client and the design team had concerns about the visibility of the structure. The resulting structure enclosed the generators with a similar sunscreen that is used on the building tying the two structures together.