The solar panel manufacturing facility in Fremont, California involved two buildings including a new build and an adaptive re-use.
Solyndra Manufacturing Facility
The Solyndra solar panel manufacturing facility in Fremont, California involved two buildings that were designed and constructed at a record pace in 2009 – 2010. Construction for the Front End facility, called Fab 2, began within 16 weeks of the start of design and the building was ready for tool installation ten months later. The 600,000 square-foot building, includes manufacturing and interstitial space, along with a two-story utility pad and hazmat area. The building achieved the 300 MW production goal and was designed by Degenkolb to meet the company’s seismic performance goal of immediate occupancy, as well as LEED Silver rating.
The Back End facility used an existing 500,000 square-foot building, formerly a computer technology facility, located two blocks from the Front End. In the planning stage, Degenkolb provided the owner with a series of seismic upgrade options tied to seismic performance and construction cost, and a Damage Control performance level (midway between Life Safety and Immediate Occupancy) was selected. In less than 10 months, both the design and construction of the facility were complete. In addition to the building upgrade, various production-related components were added, such as utility racks and tank farms, and existing nonstructural components were completed.
Features:
- High performance concrete slab-on-grade for the support of extensive automated factory equipment.
- Design-build delivery
- Service: New Design
- Structural System: Structural steel with Buckling Restrained Braced Frames
Benefits:
- Immediate Occupancy seismic performance
- 10 month design and construction schedule
Project Stats
Client
CH2M Hill,
Square Footage
763,500 (B4); 506,000 (B3)
Construction Cost
$300 million
Completion Date
2010
Back To All Projects
Project Team
Alvaro Celestino
Principal
I went into structural engineering because buildings are my passion.
Bob Pekelnicky
Senior Principal
I had always been interested in how things are put together.
Chad Closs
Office Director Principal
I leaned toward an engineering degree where I could solve real world ...
Insung Kim
Director of Engineering Technology Principal
I was one of the documentary photographers recording the life of ...
Jeremy Callister
Principal
Jeremy has over 15 years of experience with Degenkolb and leads the ...
Adrian Nacamuli
Principal
Oakland
- (510) 250-1216
- nacamuli@degenkolb.com
Education
B.S., Civil Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, 1996
M.Eng., Structural Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, 1999
Registration
CA, Structural Engineer, License No. 4857
CA, Civil Engineer, License No. 62486
Why did you go into structural engineering?
I was always fascinated by construction growing up and new that I wanted to be involved in building big things. Originally, I thought I would go into the construction side of the industry. However, at some point in college I became more interested in how buildings worked and were designed at which point I determined structural engineering was the best way for me to contribute to the industry.
Little Known Fact
I enjoy suffering through 100 mile long bicycle rides.
Question of the Day
What’s your favorite way to get to work?
Bicycle.
Alvaro Celestino
Principal
San Diego
- (619) 814-7004
- acelestino@degenkolb.com
Education
M.S, Structural Engineering, University of California, San Diego, 2007
B.Sc., Civil Engineering, Catholic University of Peru, 1997
Professional Registration
CA, Structural Engineer, License No. 5580
CA, Civil Engineer, License No. 71948
Why did you go into structural engineering?
Because buildings are my passion.
Question of the Day
What hobby would you go into if time and money weren’t an issue?
Writing.
Bob Pekelnicky
Senior Principal
San Francisco
- (415) 392-6952
- rpekelnicky@degenkolb.com
Education
B.S., Civil Engineering with Honors, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, 2000
M.S., Structural Engineering, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, 2001
Registration
CA, Structural Engineer, License No. S5083
CA, Civil Engineer, License No. C64989
TN, Professional Engineer, License No. 6419
Why did you go into structural engineering?
I had always been interested in how things are put together. My mom tells a story of how I took apart a clock when I was 3 or 4 to see how it worked inside. So, I was probably always destined to be an engineer. I chose structural engineering specifically because the scale of buildings and bridges interested me more than things electrical and mechanical engineers work on. I picked when I was a senior in high school and have found myself loving it more and more with each passing year!
Little Known Fact
I feel like our dog is my master, rather than I being his.
Question of the Day
What’s your favorite way to get to work?
Walk along the Embarcadero.
ideas
San Francisco’s Steel Moment Frame Problem: Degenkolb’s response to the New York Times
Bryan Bindrich
Principal
San Francisco
- (415) 354-6411
- bbindrich@degenkolb.com
Education
M.S., Civil Engineering: Structural Engineering, University of Texas, Austin, 2009
B.S., Civil Engineering, University of Wisconsin, Madison, 2007
Registration
CA, Civil Engineer, 77850
CA, Structural Engineer, 6196
Little Known Fact
My 1st birthday present was a horse. We named him Caution.
Question of the Day
What’s your favorite team?
Green Bay Packers.
Chad Closs
Office Director, Principal
San Diego
- (619) 814-7012
- ccloss@degenkolb.com
Education
B.S., Structural Engineering, University of California, San Diego, 2007
M.S., Structural Engineering, University of California, San Diego, 2008
Registration
CA, Structural Engineer, License No. 5946
CA, Civil Engineer, License No. 75942
LEED Accredited Professional
Why did you go into structural engineering?
Heading into college, engineering was always something that I was interested in. My father was a small residential contractor and the idea of using math and science to design and build real world structures seemed like a lot of fun. One of my first engineering classes we got to crush concrete and pull apart samples of different materials to understand their properties. I was hooked after building a concrete canoe and applying these material principles I learned in class to compete against other schools in the ASCE conference.
Little Known Fact
I may have gone to culinary school if my preferred college choice, UCSD, didn't pan out. Instead I now watch cooking competitions and live vicariously through the chefs.
What’s your favorite team?
Deep down it will always be the San Diego Chargers football team. A piece of me left when they moved to LA.
Insung Kim
Director of Engineering Technology, Principal
San Francisco
- (415) 354-6502
- ikim@degenkolb.com
Education
Ph.D., Civil Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, 2008
M.S., Civil Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, 2006
B.S., Civil Engineering, Yonsei University, Seoul, South Korea, 2001
Registration
CA, Civil Engineer, License No. 77087
CA, Structural Engineer, License No. 5892
TX, Civil Engineer, License No. 103609
Why did you go into structural engineering?
Great Hanshin Earthquake and Sampoong Department Store Collapse in 1995.
Concrete bridges designed by Robert Maillard.
Little Known Fact
I was one of the documentary photographers recording the life of migrant workers in South Korea and directed a photography exhibition on their life and culture.
Question of the Day
What’s your favorite band?
Radiohead.
Jeremy Callister
Principal
San Diego
- (619) 814-7013
- jcallister@degenkolb.com
Jeremy has over 15 years of experience with Degenkolb and leads the Construction Engineering and Forensics efforts in Southern California along with providing structural engineering for many high-profile and award-winning projects in Healthcare and Higher Education. Jeremy joined Degenkolb in January of 2006 after receiving his M.S. in Structural Engineering from the University of California, San Diego in December of 2005. Jeremy’s projects include The Center for Coastal Studies at UCSD Scripps Institution of Oceanography, multi-award-winning OSHPD and Non-OSHPD Central Plant Expansions at UC Irvine and Construction Engineering services for Sofi Stadium in Inglewood, CA. Degenkolb Engineers provides structural and seismic engineering services to clients along the Pacific Coast.
Education
M.S., Structural Engineering, University of California, San Diego, 2005
B.S., Civil and Environmental Engineering, Brigham Young University, 2004
Registration
CA, Structural Engineer, License No. 5646
CA, Civil Engineer, License No. 72779
UT, Professional Structural Engineer, License No. 10742695-2203
AZ, Structural Engineer, License No. 65895
Little Known Fact
I have an identical twin brother who is a practicing attorney. I’ll let you decide which one is the good twin and which one is the evil twin.
Roger Parra
Senior Principal
San Francisco
- (415) 354-6422
- rparra@degenkolb.com
Education
M.S., Structural Engineering – University of California, Berkeley, 1994
B.S., Civil Engineering – University of California, Berkeley, 1992
Registration
CA, Structural Engineer, License No. 4510
CA, Civil Engineer, License No. 57543
CA, Professional Engineer, License No. 78302
Little Known Fact
I have one of the most enviable Degenkolb client’s around, as a project manager, I oversee work for the Constellation Brands.
