Located on a 133-acre site spanning two towns, the Delta Campus is a comprehensive commercial, industrial, and residential development designed to be constructed in three phases. The first phase, now complete, involved the construction of a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility for Omega Optical Inc., a leading worldwide supplier of optical filters for scientific research and instrumentation.
The construction site, originally farmland, was converted to a junk yard in the 1970’s. Although the junk yard was no longer in use, it required significant clean up. There were considerable permitting and construction obstacles, ranging from stream restoration and wetland impact avoidance to constructing an access road on steep terrain that met town road specifications. The complex permitting process required approval from numerous federal, state, and town departments and agencies.
The goal of the Delta Business Campus master plan was to provide the owner with an exceptional design reflective of a high tech industry in a rural setting. Since the owner sought to develop the land for industrial, commercial, and residential use, particular attention was focused on the setting of the manufacturing facility and its sensible relationship to the residential and commercial zones within the site.
LEED certification and sustainable design were important goals of the project: efforts were made to minimize stormwater runoff, use of recycled materials, capture the maximum possible solar gain, and use native species in the landscape design. Lumber from the site was used for construction, and the facility employs electrical co-generation. Special attention was paid to create a setting that would accommodate the needs of a high-tech manufacturing facility such as large trucks and loud machinery while providing employees with a comfortable, efficient place to work. The southern exposure and distant views were important assets to capture while stormwater runoff was directed to a central detention basin located at the center of the entry sequence.
The Delta Business Campus includes seven commercial/industrial office park sites and 40 housing units. Roads, utility infrastructure, a public commons, and bicycle/pedestrian paths were all designed by the firm, which also provided assistance with funding procurement.