Data Centers

By Jason Skidmore

One of the most interesting projects I feel that architects get to be involved in at this time in history is the creation of data centers. This type of architecture in many ways is cutting edge and relatively new to the profession. It seems as if the requirements are easy enough to understand. It most be in an area that's mostly cold year round and has easy access to water. It makes plenty of sense, because if you have ever used a computer of any kind you know how much heat they can put off. There is one Norwegian data center that is in a cave and kept cool by water which is accessible because of a nearby fjord. If you would like to read more about the data center please visit the Gizmodo post at http://gizmodo.com/5870367/this-norwegian-data-center-is-built-in-a-cave-and-cooled-by-fjords. It is a rather interesting read. I hope that in the development of these data centers, that not only is the security, efficiency, and utilization optimized, but also that they are aesthetically pleasing to look at. It would be a shame for such a mark of our time in the grand scheme of humans not be interesting to look at.