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This blog stems from Bryden Wood’s Built Environment Matters podcast, where host Jaimie Johnston MBE interviews Lincoln Wood, Director of Design at Edged. During their conversation, Lincoln highlights the rapid evolution of data centers and how industrialized construction and sustainable power strategies are transforming these vital facilities.
Data centers have long been treated as one-off, large-scale engineering projects. However, Lincoln emphasizes that Edged’s approach differs, likening these facilities to repeated products that can be continually refined. He notes:
“From day one at Edged, my role as Director of Design is really trying to develop our language—call it our ‘kit of parts’—that is agnostic to site, that can address as much of the range of constraints a site can provide, and that allows us to have repeatable components we can manage, condition, and learn from as we deploy them in projects and see the site adaptation that occurs when we do that.”
By viewing each data center as part of a coherent system, Edged can design and build with greater efficiency. Rather than starting from scratch for every project, the team focuses on standardizing essential components, creating a ‘platform’ that allows for repeated deployments - each time with lessons learnt fed back into the model.
Traditional construction often requires multiple on-site trades performing one-off tasks, which can be time-consuming, costly, and prone to errors. In contrast, Lincoln points out that data centers, with their highly engineered interiors, are prime candidates for a more industrialized, standardized approach. By developing a core ‘kit of parts’, Edged can:
Lincoln’s background - ranging from carpentry to senior roles in construction innovation - has convinced him that detailed, standard designs can be scaled quickly and flexibly, making data center production more predictable.
One of the biggest challenges in the sector is the rise in AI-driven computing, which dramatically increases server rack power density and heat generation. This shift forces data center developers to adjust their strategies. As Lincoln puts it:
"I’m in conversations all the time, whether or not it’s a new client that’s asking for, you know, 100 plus KW per rack… it’s pushing us to innovate pretty hard."
More powerful servers mean that traditional air cooling can become inadequate. Lincoln suggests that the move towards alternative cooling methods - like liquid cooling - must balance innovation with the reliability needed to maintain near-perfect uptime. Robust testing and early collaboration with manufacturers and utility providers are key to ensuring new solutions are both effective and safe.
As data centers draw ever larger amounts of power, sustainability becomes central. Lincoln describes Edged’s parent organization, Endeavour, as taking a holistic view of energy usage and carbon reduction. He explains the vision behind it:
"We have a company that oversees us… called Endeavour… really trying to solve global climate challenges that we’re facing right now with regards to the access to energy to meet the demands of these colo tenants while not continuing to hurt our planet."
Edged aims to integrate on-site power generation - through microgrids, energy storage, or innovative cooling technology - to reduce reliance on conventional utilities. This approach supports resiliency and could allow facilities to feed surplus energy back into public networks. Though the transition to greener power is complicated, incremental steps such as more efficient cooling and reduced water usage can significantly lighten the environmental burden over time.
While data centers have traditionally been located on large, out-of-town sites, newer developments often need to be closer to urban areas. Latency requirements, local regulation, and land constraints mean that ‘cookie-cutter’ single-story facilities are no longer the only game in town. Lincoln points out that multi-story or retrofitted data centers may soon become more common, especially when operators seek low-latency connections in city centers.
However, building in dense urban environments introduces new complexities: community relations, architectural design considerations, and zoning regulations all come into play. The standardized ‘kit of parts’ concept helps here too, as a platform-based design can be more readily adapted to tighter sites or existing structures.
For all the emphasis on innovation, Lincoln reiterates that data centers are mission-critical: even minor downtime can be cripplingly expensive for operators. This means that adopting new methods - be they industrial construction techniques or cooling advancements - demands careful piloting and collaboration. He stresses that Edged’s approach is built on tested engineering principles, explaining:
"Everyone is on a learning curve… The workloads that exist now were unimaginable only a few years ago, so it’s not about replicating the old formula - it’s about rethinking it."
By leveraging both in-house expertise and external partnerships, Edged looks to mitigate risks while still pushing the boundaries of efficiency and sustainability.
Data centers are evolving from passive consumers of power to active participants in broader energy ecosystems. Lincoln views this trend as opening doors to cross-sector collaboration, particularly in areas like distributed power generation and advanced manufacturing. By championing an industrialized, adaptable, and sustainable model, Edged aims to prove that data centers can be both profitable and environmentally responsible.
Ultimately, the conversation on Built Environment Matters highlights the central role data centers now play in our digital world. They must accommodate the relentless pace of AI-driven innovation, adhere to growing sustainability demands, and adapt to varied site constraints. Through carefully structured design processes, forward-looking energy strategies, and a willingness to experiment responsibly, Lincoln foresees a future in which data centers become a positive force for both technology and the planet.
Listen to the full conversation here.
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