With the demand for data centres continuing to increase, a RIBAJ webinar heard the insights of architects and manufacturers specialising in this growing sector
The rise of big data, digital transformation and streaming as well as the accelerating march of artificial intelligence all add up to one thing: a ferocious demand for ever more data storage and processing. In the next five years, data centres, the engine rooms of these activities, will see significant growth with global data-centre capacity projected to double.
In September, Amazon Web Services announced that between 2024 and 2028, it was planning to invest as much as £8 billion in building and operating data centres in the UK alone. In the same week, the UK government unveiled proposals to designate British data centres as ‘critical national infrastructure’ at the heart of its drive for economic growth. This designation places data centres on a par with water, energy and emergency services, ensuring more government support.
But it’s not just about building more of these facilities. Their design is becoming more and more complex as designers ensure they are flexible enough to adapt to fast-paced changes in technology, and to more stringent sustainability standards.
There is also a trend to site data centres in and around urban areas, which can mean retrofitting existing buildings to meet their specialist needs. This brings a whole new array of challenges to the table – not least making data centres more attractive to communities they sit among.
How designers might help create data centres for this shifting landscape was the subject of a RIBAJ webinar held in November in association with Tate, which specialises in floor-to-ceiling solutions for data centres. The event, Future Proofing Data Centres, saw expert speakers address a number of technical issues and challenges, covering space use, load capacity, cooling solutions, energy efficiency, resilience and social value.
Kicking off the event from the London office of data centre specialist architect SNHA, a Woolpert Comany, were Benedict Hassell, associate and technical lead, and Irene Agudo Marques, senior architect and project lead. SNHA has specialised in data-centre design since 2011, growing from two to fifty-five employees. The two began by providing an overview of data centres, talking through the evolution from small on-site server rooms to large industrial-scale facilities. As might be expected, these latter sites are stiff with servers and IT equipment, cooling mechanisms and back-up generators. However, they also need a range of ancillary spaces.
‘There can be up to 200 people working on a data-centre campus,’ said Agudo Marques, ‘and those people require office spaces, canteens, meeting rooms and other wellness spaces.’
Her colleague emphasised the importance of scaling sustainability strategies to meet global, regional and local needs. Clients’ demands for renewable energy, water use and embodied carbon must be matched to regional regulations, climate conditions and the availability of low-carbon materials, said Hassell.
‘For example, in Europe, each country needs to develop its own interpretation of how to plan to meet the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive and there will be national sustainability requirements. And then for the sites themselves, there are going to be the needs of local communities, increased biodiversity and so on. There’s also social and economic sustainability to think about. If you’re in a region where there is a lot of good mass-timber product available, you could look at using that if the local regulations allow you to.’
Hassell and Agudo Marques shared case studies of how they applied these multi-scale sustainability strategies, such as leveraging district heating systems in cold climates and designing biodiversity-enhancing landscapes. They explained that it was much easier to use 100 per cent renewable energy in Nordic data centres because the grid there is already much greener. The greater adoption of district heating systems in the Nordics meant their waste heat could help the heating of nearby communities. This was not usually possible currently in the UK.
Madeleine Hilton, managing director at Gensler’s Birmingham office and a senior leader in its EU critical facilities and data centre team, highlighted her firm’s approach to designing data centres that are not only technically functional but also positively integrated into their surrounding communities. ‘This has led to innovative facade designs, landscape interventions, and public amenities that transform the perception of data centres from anonymous big boxes to positive, place-making assets,’ she said.
Hilton illustrated how Gensler is using techniques like articulated cladding patterns, green walls and urban parks to create data centres that are visually engaging and environmentally responsive. Agreeing with other speakers, she stressed that there is no one-size-fits-all solution, but rather a need for agility and adaptability to respond to the unique conditions of each site and community.
‘We aim to be respectful of local context and to go with communities on this journey capturing benefits of jobs, revenue, heat recovery and public spaces,’ she said. ‘Creating parks, playgrounds and nature reserves can strengthen a sense of inclusion for a local community.
Asked in the panel Q&A about adapting existing buildings, Hilton said Gensler had been involved in the conversion of industrial buildings into data centres for some time and this had brought challenges. ‘Naturally, you can drive greater efficiency if you are designing a bespoke building,’ she said. ‘With a conversion, we have to deal with the existing structure. Whether you can put plant on the roof is an important question, and you might end up using more of the site to place some equipment on the ground instead. However, we are now seeing conversion of inner-city high-rise office buildings, and that’s much more demanding. You must deal with the power supply that’s available, and also understand how you can reuse or manage the heat gains from the building. I think we’ll continue to see this trend as we can reduce latency by putting data closer to where it’s needed.
Tate Europe specification manager Gus O’Rourke said innovation in product design was an important factor in future-proofing data centres. To address adaptability, Tate has developed structural ceiling solutions that enable modular, flexible reconfiguration of data halls. The products also meet the performance requirements of increasing server densities and heavier loads through rigorous testing and third-party validation, he said, adding that Tate has led the industry in reducing the embodied carbon of its materials, contributing to the sustainability of data centre projects.
O’Rourke also emphasised Tate’s role as a trusted partner working closely with architects and designers to develop solutions addressing data centres’ evolving technical and operational needs.
As the pace of change in the technology accelerates, so will the evolution in the design and engineering of these facilities. Architects are well placed to lead the way.