Data centres and technology

Data as the ‘new utility’

Data is now integral to our daily lives. Our work and leisure time depend on services powered by data, and we expect them to be fast, reliable and secure.

At Arup, we have long viewed data as a utility. By adopting this approach with our clients, our Uptime Institute accredited tier designers are able help deliver operational excellence, high performance and high-efficiency across all sectors of the industry including wholesale and retail colocation, telecoms, broadcasting, high performance computing and big data providers.

In addition, our Advisory Services team assists in mergers and acquisitions, optimising asset strategies and operations to get the most from their resources.

The future of data centres

As data centres become a core part of our essential infrastructure, operators will need to ensure the longevity of their sites, optimise for mission critical tasks and keep up with the latest hardware – alongside ensuring cost effectiveness and sustainability.

From providing solutions that better utilise existing infrastructure, to designing new ‘energy smart’ structures, we have successfully helped clients to achieve these goals.

For Arup, aiming for sustainable data centres is no longer sufficient.  We want them to be regenerative.  Our vision is to transition to a zero-carbon economy, ensuring data centres make a positive contribution to the world. 

Hyperscale & Edge

Arup’s data centre and mission critical specialists are innovators in technological facilities, working with some of the most complex and data driven companies, to meet today’s data needs.

Arup’s multidisciplinary data centre design teams are world leader’s in the design and construction of hyperscale data centres. Arup designs have been realised in multiple locations across the globe with over 2,000MW of IT capacity designed for industry leading tech giants and co-location providers. Combining the collective skills and breadth of experience allows Arup to support the entire life cycle of a hyperscale data centre project, from site selection due diligence, design, and ultimately successful handover to the Client.

More data – less energy?

Data centres are energy intensive. The sector currently accounts for around 2% of global carbon emissions - equivalent to aviation - and this is expected to grow to 3.5% by 2021. As our insatiable demand for data increases, finding ways to lower energy use is now a major priority across the data sector.

By considering how excess energy can be re-used, we have been able to consistently deliver major savings in both energy and water consumption for our clients through effective energy design and management creating and designing truly sustainable data centres.

Resilience, security and risk

Continuous and reliable access to data are cornerstones of the modern digital economy and that is why data centres are now a core part of countries’ infrastructure. Resilient and secure systems are integral for operators, with clients and individuals expecting secure data services. From natural hazards to malicious threats, we help our clients better understand their tolerance for such risks and provide advice on mitigations to enhance their business to adapt to growing demands for data.