Our Process: Architect-Engineer Collaboration
AXO Architects has had the privilege of working with a number of great engineers over the years, and we consider our collaboration with them an integral part of our process. Especially on the design of technically complex buildings like data centers, the architect-engineer collaboration is paramount to ensuring the success of the project.
To give you a clearer picture, this collaboration can be compared to the process of designing a house. A house, practically speaking, exists to hold people and their furnishings. You shouldn’t design a house without understanding how its furnishings will be used and arranged. This requires knowing both the function of the furnishings and the space required for such functions. You must also consider the interactions between those different functions within the layout parameters and constraints, i.e., the walls, views, pathways, etc. And, you should remember that furnishings need to be adaptable and changeable. In short, the design of the house must support its furnishings, and the furnishings must take into account the design of the house.
You’ve probably already caught our drift here. In this analogy, the engineers consider what “furniture” is required for the necessary functions of the building, and we make sure the building is properly designed to support those furnishings. To maximize the functionality of the furnishings with the most efficient and effective building, both parties are in constant communication throughout the design and building processes.
But the building is not just a box that protects these furnishings from the elements. To be most effective, it needs to support and enhance their functionality. With a data center, there are two criteria that measure how successfully this is done: operations and economics. Operationally, a data center needs to be simple as well as flexible. By simple we mean not full of convolutions of piping, ductwork, and cabling. The systems need to find the most direct path to their end-use; they need to be easy to access and maintain. Flexibility is needed because the data center does not always function in the same way, meriting different requirements for different conditions. It is not unlike a living room that is easy to entertain in because the furnishings are placed to accommodate groups of people, but it also functions very well when sitting alone reading a good book.
Economically, the data center needs to find the most efficient solutions for the distribution of all the equipment. This reduces wasteful lengths of cable, conduit, ductwork and piping. This is not unlike a house whose rooms are sized and located to support the functions of daily living without excess. The successful data center, despite its size, has more in common with the country cottage than it does with the country estate.
As we collaborate with owners and engineers, we make a point to learn about each piece of “furniture” within a data center, and to understand its function and criteria for success. We fully engage with the engineers to understand redundancy methods, CFD impacts, floor loading, rack layout and rack cooling strategies, and any of the other functions required of the “furnishings” in the data center. By understanding more than just sizes and dimensions, and considering the whole technological puzzle, we can ensure a smoother design process that increases the operational and economic goals of the project.
The complexities of a data center can easily lead to chaos in the design process–and a less than optimized design. By respecting each other's roles, responsibilities, and knowledge, and collaborating well, the process is both highly rewarding and more likely to lead to a home the owner will enjoy.
