Rackspace Castle
1 Fanatical Place
Windcrest, TX 78218
Map It!
Originally built in 1976, Rackspace’s world headquarters, also known as "the Castle," is a 1.2 million square foot ‘recycled’ shopping mall. The building still maintains the general feel of a mall - plenty of light and easy to navigate. Home to more than 3500 employees, called Rackers, the Castle is a physical expression of the Rackspace culture.
Rackers have the creative license to express individual personality through the décor. They meet in one-of-a-kind meeting areas, including repurposed gondolas and cleverly named meeting rooms, to drive innovation and creativity. Combined with energy efficient features and initiatives, the Castle fosters a work experience unlike any other.
The HVAC system is a major component of the Castle’s efficiency. A raised floor throughout the building serves as an underfloor plenum for the entire HVAC system. With no ducts, there is no duct leakage, maximizing the ability of the system to deliver cold air. Zoned areas and multiple thermostats and air handlers ensure that cool air is delivered only to areas when needed. The parts of the system feeding areas unoccupied during second and third shift are shut down during those shifts to eliminate unnecessary cooling. Additionally, the system makes use of the natural heat gain from occupancy and equipment, virtually eliminating the need for a central heater and employing only minimal supplemental heat in select areas. A metal roof and highly-reflective roof coating reduce radiant heat in the building, reducing the amount of cooling necessary.
Efficient lighting throughout the facility is accomplished with both daylighting and efficient artificial light. Being located in a former mall, the Castle has many skylights and windows to provide plenty of natural light in the work areas. In 2015, the facility underwent a major lighting retrofit, replacing all the lights above employee desks and in break rooms with LEDs. The LEDs in the workspace also include dimming and programming capabilities, allowing us to customize the light level depending on each team’s preference. Break room lights are equipped with motion sensors. Overall, the retrofit has reducing energy consumption by approximately 10% in affected areas. All conference rooms are equipped with occupancy sensors, ensuring that lights are only on when needed.
This year also saw our implementation of a third-shift consolidation. Third-shift employees had been spread throughout the facility, but are now all physically located in the same part of the building. This allows the shutdown of most of the lights and HVAC system in the portions of the building unoccupied during third shift, further contributing to energy savings.
The large volume of computers and workstations used at the Castle provides a great opportunity for increased efficiency and energy savings. All laptop and desktop computers issued to Rackers are ENERGY STAR® qualified.
At the Castle, Rackspace is a partner with the local utility, CPS Energy, in the Automated Demand Response program. During conservation events, CPS Energy is able to trigger short-term, electric load-shedding measures specifically designed for and approved by Rackspace as part of their participation, saving energy at the site as well as reducing demand on the grid.
To ensure Rackers understand the benefits of efficiency, Rackspace holds an annual Rackspace Green Day at the Castle each April in conjunction with Earth Day. Also open to the public, this event highlights initiatives from Rackspace, community organizations and local companies that promote efficient and environmentally conscious choices both at work and at home.
Rackers share a belief system and are impassioned by a cause, whether that cause is to solve a customer issue or to help the community where we live. the Castle is special because of the Rackers who work there.
Communications:
Unavailable
Testimonial:
Unavailable
Please note: Narrative information in this profile has been provided by Rackspace or a representative of this facility. Other building information was verified and submitted to EPA at the time of application. Building energy performance, operating characteristics, and ownership/management may be subject to change over time.
Building Owner:*
Rackspace
Property Manager:*
Cushman & Wakefield
Year(s) Labeled (Rating):
2014 (84)
2015 (85)
Facility Type: Office
Total Floorspace: 1259126 sf
Year Constructed: 2008
Contract Type: None
Technologies Used:
Unavailable