Control Rooms

Industrial Control Room Construction for Process Facilities

Process control rooms are mission-critical spaces. They support the people, systems, and decisions that keep industrial facilities operating safely and reliably.

The McDonnel Group guides industrial owners and EPCs through control room construction with deliberate planning, disciplined coordination, and a proven process built for active industrial environments.

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Why Clients Choose McDonnel

Control room projects demand careful coordination between construction, operations, technology, safety, and specialized building systems. Whether the project involves a standalone process control room, a control building within an existing facility, or a new support space tied to a larger capital program, small misses can create operational headaches.

McDonnel helps clients reduce risk before construction begins, align stakeholders early, and maintain control through every phase of the project.

You can expect:

  • Preconstruction planning focused on safety, access, and sequencing
  • Coordination of architectural, structural, MEP, controls, cabling, and specialty systems, including DCS setting requirements
  • Experience supporting early delivery of the control room for commissioning and turnover to operations
  • Construction management that protects ongoing facility operations
  • Clear communication with owners, EPCs, engineers, and plant teams
  • Quality control focused on long-term performance and reliability

Control Room Experience

Much of our work is confidential. Below are anonymous descriptions of some of our experience with industrial control rooms.

Blast-Resistant Control Room for Renewable Fuels Expansion

McDonnel constructed a single-story, blast-resistant precast concrete control room as part of a major industrial expansion. The building included offices, conference space, control room functions, storage, and support areas, with exterior stairs, landings, and a covered walkway connecting the new structure to existing operations. The project demonstrates McDonnel’s experience delivering mission-critical control room environments that must integrate safely with active industrial facilities.

Process Control Room, Switchgear, Lab, and Admin Building

McDonnel delivered a 40,000-square-foot industrial building combining a switchgear room, process control room, three laboratories, and administrative space, all separated by fire-rated walls. The switchgear area required coordination around extensive cable tray systems and significant electrical infrastructure loads, while the control room included operator work areas, monitors, electrical equipment, and access flooring. McDonnel coordinated HVAC, electrical, structural, and specialty systems in a compressed industrial environment with limited overhead space.

Central Control Room Supporting Plant Commissioning

McDonnel delivered a central control room facility designed to support plant operations, commissioning, and long-term production. The building included raised access flooring, control room operations, laboratories, offices, locker rooms, clean agent fire suppression, cable tray supports, bus ducts, and structural steel framing for electrical infrastructure. The project required careful coordination of owner operational requirements and early delivery priorities so the control room could support commissioning and turnover to operations.

Integrated Admin and Control Buildings for LNG Facility

McDonnel delivered paired administration and plant control buildings for a major LNG facility. The control building served as the operational heart of the plant and included UPS battery backup rooms, redundant power systems, clean agent fire suppression, access flooring, recessed slab areas, and large-scale cable tray coordination. The administration building supported visitor check-in, security, kitchens, lockers, showers, laundry, and future expansion needs. Together, the buildings demonstrate McDonnel’s ability to coordinate complex control room and support building requirements on major industrial sites.

Types of Industrial Control Rooms

McDonnel supports the construction of:
  • Process control rooms
  • Blast-resistant control rooms
  • Central control buildings
  • Operator rooms and shelters
  • Control buildings within active plants
  • Industrial support and monitoring spaces
  • New construction, renovations, and upgrades

Built Around Operational Continuity

In industrial environments, construction cannot create unnecessary disruption. McDonnel’s process focuses on identifying risks early, planning for ongoing operations, and delivering spaces ready to support the facility from day one.

When control room performance impacts operations, there is no margin for error.

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