BD+C Magazine: Data Centers Keep Cool While Staying Hot

According to Building Design + Construction (BD+C) Magazine, mega-facility data centers, which exceed one million square feet and 100MW in capacity, are impacting the industry in terms of what's getting built and where. Page Principal John Major shared details with BD+C Magazine about a Page-designed data center that's even more unique than its size.

As one of the 2018 Top Five Giants in the BD+C Data Center Sector rankings for architecture firms, the firm was sought out for its insights into industry trends. John explained the RagingWire Data Center in North Texas that Page designed has located amenities in the center of its first of five buildings on the campus. "Data centers aren't typically workplaces," he says. Data centers also aren't typically designed to be as attractive as they are efficient to serve as a showcase model for media, investors and other stakeholders. The design is fully integrated with RagingWire's brand identity.

All RagingWire facilities incorporate elements of the culture and or geography of their locations. For this Texas facility, the design team chose to work with the idea of a cloud and focused on the bringing this clearly into the lobby. Visitors enter through the vault of the secure space into the open lobby, which is a soaring space flooded with natural light from above. A cylindrical volume of yellow fritted glass clads the elevator and is the centerpiece of the room. The delicate custom light fixture hanging from the ceiling and details throughout the office space reinforce the idea of a cloud. 

Due to the nature of the mission critical industry, many of Page's projects are confidential but the firm has recently worked for clients ranging from federal to Fortune 500 sectors. Examples include the award-winning United Airlines Data Center and the Quarry Run Regional Operations Center that has been covered by a number of trade publications. 

To see the list of BD+C Magazine Data Center Giants, click here. 

To read the article in BD+C Magazine, click here. 

To learn more about Page's Mission Critical (Data Center) work, click here.