Data centres take their place in the built environment

Data centres have seen a massive growth since Covid and in recognition of their importance to economic development have been classified as critical infrastructure by the government. Data centres are involved in almost every human activity and interaction. Located in urban settings, typically in industrial areas, they need access to good fibre networks. On most urban sites this means compact multi-storey buildings, to maximise density and make the business case for the developer client.  Data centres are also moving away from being an energy greedy neighbours and are poised to become net energy exporters to anticipated heat networks. A data centre can heat thousands of homes and their vertical forms can be a site for urban greening and the delivery of BNG.  Our expert panel will reveal the opportunities presented by data centres. As this type of building proliferates how do we develop data centres to take advantage from their integration into our cities?   Chairperson Steve McIntyre, Principal Environmental Consultant - Viritopia Speakers Alex Soto, Head of Sustainability - studio NWA Martin Wright, Chief Architect - Pure Data Centres Group Sam Grady, Director of Strategy - A Healthier Earth Jack Williamson, Associate Architect - Scott Brownrigg