Working with a data center architectural firm: Things to discuss!

Data centers contain critical hardware, networking infrastructure, and resources, for an organization, and planning one has to be done with adequate care. Finding the right data center architectural firm for your project is the first important step. You need to find a company that has the experience, expertise, and understanding of handling common challenges in such commercial projects. Firms like Quebec data center architect Stendel Reich have worked on many projects, and they bring vision for projects that are often not easy to decode. In this post, we are sharing more on things that you must discuss with an architectural firm when you are planning a new data center. 

Project expansion and growth

When it comes to construction of a data center, it is absolutely necessary to think of future growth and expansion. Let the architectural firm know of what you expect from the project five years down the line, and they can plan the space accordingly, to maximize the floor space and rooms. 

Site considerations

If you haven’t figured out a site for the data center, you should let the architectural firm help and guide on that. You cannot have a data center anywhere – protection from natural elements and other risks is more than important. Site considerations must be discussed in depth, so that unwanted concerns can be done away with, and in many centers, data centers are constructed on an elevation on purpose. 

Cooling, climate control and fire protection

A good data center should be designed with these pointers in consideration. Climate control is an aspect that impacts network resources, hardware and infrastructure, and therefore, the design should be such that there is enough for additional cooling. Similarly, fire protection measures should be a part of the design. Intake, exhaust, and airflow management are other aspects to take note of. 

Consider Physical Security

Keep in mind that your business needs security even from other concerns, and therefore, it is wise to have a plan that incorporates this part too. Check with your architectural practice to know if the site has specific security concerns that must be addressed. Local firms have a fair idea of what is critical for a project and manage client concerns. 

Discuss their expertise too. Find an architectural practice you can trust, and don’t shy away from asking about the data centers that they have designed. Shortlist a few firms now and take your project ahead in a planned manner!