Critical Facilities
Critical facilities are becoming more diverse as technology advances create market shifts. The industry’s next challenges include innovating in urban spaces, creating more energy-efficient operations, and achieving carbon goals.
“
Data centers will need to address concerns such as water scarcity, energy efficiency, and supply chain issues, particularly in major data center markets where available properties are scarce.
—Jackson Metcalf, Critical Facilities leader
20 Items
Future Digital Data Systems Data Centre
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Gensler’s Critical Facilities design team was tasked with planning the concept and schematic design for a first-generation Future Digital Data Systems (FDDS) data centre that maximises functionality and bestows an aspirational response.
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital Data Center
Memphis, Tennessee
When St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital partnered with Gensler to build a new data center on their newly expanded campus, the goal was to create a...
New York Power Authority (NYPA)
White Plains, New York
As part of their Strategic Plan, NYPA turned to Gensler to design their new Integrated Security Operations Center (iSOC), Innovation Zone, and Emergency...
Advocate Security Command Center
Confidential Location
The goal for the Advocate Security Command Center was to renovate an existing space and create a centralized security command center to serve Advocates 12...
Memorial Hermann Hospital System Network Operations Center
Houston, Texas
Memorial Hermann’s Network Operations Center lets them monitor the attributes of network and IT operations as well as the status of mechanical, electrical...
Charter Communications National Center West
Centennial, Colorado
As they looked to expand their National Center West facility near Denver, Colorado, then-owner Time Warner Cable turned to Gensler to lead the design, which...
Pacific Gas and Electric Company, Gas Operation Control Center
San Ramon, California
The client’s new Control Center in San Ramon represents an efficient and streamlined prototype for information sharing, and provides a frontline for public...
Software Engineering Company
Oregon
As part of a multi-year effort to consolidate this software engineering company’s worldwide data centers, three new regional centers are being engineered as...
Multinational Computer Software Company
Hillsboro, Oregon
Foregoing the typical fortress prototype, this data facility strikes a balance between the complexity of its equipment and the needs of those who work...
IBM Guadalajara
Guadalajara, Mexico
Deciding that its previously designed warehouse would serve better as a data center, IBM enlisted Gensler to adapt the original design to this new purpose...
Cleveland Clinic Data Center
Brecksville, Ohio
The Clinic treats 4.6 million patients a year through 26 health institutes, and its medical records (which are maintained digitally) need to be available...
Southwest Energy Company Renovation/Repurpose
Southwest, United States
When the economic downturn scrapped a ground-up project, Gensler’s design team had a new directive: repurpose an 80,000-square-foot, 40-year-old building...
University of Illinois NCSA Petascale Computing Facility
Champaign, Illinois
This state-of-the-art, LEED®-NC Gold-certified building, designed to withstand an EF-3 tornado, provides a secure, efficient operating environment for one...
High-Performance Research Computing Center at Princeton University
Plainsboro, New Jersey
Situated on Princeton’s Forrestal campus, this 47,000 square-foot project is the new home to powerful research computers capable of such highly technical...
Banner Health Technology Center
Confidential Location
The design and documentation of this two-story, 65,000-square-foot facility were completed using BIM modeling software, which integrates the mechanical...
Financial Services (Full-Service Insurance) Company
Rochelle, Illinois
Data center requirements often consign design to a box — typically a windowless one. Rather than conform to conventional constraints, Gensler used them to...
Fannie Mae Data Center
Urbana, Maryland
The first mission critical facility to achieve LEED® certification, this data center serves as the cornerstone of Fannie Mae's technology operations...
Financial Services (Auto Insurance) Corporation
Colorado
This Gensler-designed call center enables the client to be an employer of choice, while providing superior service to more than 700 independent insurers...
Financial Services (Banking) Company
Confidential Location, China
The final piece of the client's three-facility construction program, this state-of-the-art data center will be among the largest in China for domestic...
Project Cardinal
North Carolina, United States
Targeting LEED® Gold certification, this project serves as the prototype of the client’s next-generation data center program. At this fault-tolerant...
INSIGHTS
Blog
Data Centres and the Forgotten Landscapes of Digital Infrastructure
Through regenerative design, we can change the perception of data centers from ‘bad neighbour’ developments to community assets.
Research
Utilizing Waste Heat From Data Centers
We interviewed expert engineers and conducted case study reviews to understand how to reduce the steep environmental costs related to the energy consumption and carbon emissions from waste heat.
Blog
An Evolving Practice: Industrial Architecture
Today, we are seeing production and logistics facilities pop-up closer to, and even within, our cities and communities.
Blog
Using Algae to Offset the Carbon Cost of Data Centres
Data centres use about 1% of the planet’s electricity and are responsible for about 0.25% of the world’s carbon footprint. What if there were a way to capture those carbon emissions within the building itself?
Blog
Living (and Thriving) at the Edge of Technology
Edge computing, which locates more processing power closer to the end user, can improve performance, reduce costs, and help fuel the growth of next-generation technologies and applications.
Blog
Distribution Center Design and Last-Mile Logistics
Here are five considerations for setting up a successful logistics center that will meet the challenges in last-mile delivery.
Blog
Closing the Digital Infrastructure Gap to Keep Cities Connected
Why has the gap between broadband infrastructure investment and access to connectivity persisted, and how can cities create information services pipelines to bring broadband internet to more Americans?
Blog
As E-commerce Booms, Transportation Logistics Are Shifting to Meet Demand
Companies are looking for a faster and more efficient way to ship goods to consumers. Intermodal transportation could prove to be the most efficient and cost-effective solution.
Blog
Graph by Gensler: Spatial Analytics for Design
Introducing an advanced spatial analytics service that reveals the impact of design choices, visualizes behaviors, and maps human experience to drive better outcomes.
Blog
As Data Demand Surges, It’s Time to Invest in IT Infrastructure
The demand for data spurred by this health crisis has highlighted the need to invest in critical facilities infrastructure.
Blog
Creating Data-Rich Workplaces to Detect and Curb Viral Transmission
Workplaces can be optimized to collect population data — like thermal screening — so agencies and companies can make better informed decisions to protect the wellness of their people.
Blog
The Pandemic’s Lasting Effect on Our Healthcare System
After this crisis, we won’t return to business as usual. What should we consider as the new normal for healthcare systems?
CRITICAL FACILITIES TRENDS TO WATCH
Data centers will continue to go vertical to accommodate future growth.
As site availability and developable land become scarce, especially in primary markets, some companies are already planning vertical data center building types that can stack upward to fit into dense urban spaces and for anticipated growth.
To meet 24/7 demand, data centers will require a more robust, resilient power supply.
An uninterrupted power supply is critical to data center operation, which depends on the ability of utility companies to get power to the data center as quickly as operators need it. Data center resiliency will require new substations, modernizing parts of the grid, and independent systems such as microgrids.
By developing at scale, a new breed of colocation providers will transform the market.
A new cohort of data center developers with strong financial backing is gaining a foothold in top markets with plans to develop quickly at scale. Because they are building new, a substantial portion of their portfolio will be more efficient facilities with the latest technology, giving them an advantage over legacy facilities.
Community feedback is gaining influence over data center development.
Community scrutiny is increasing around acoustics, power, and water usage, especially in drought-stricken locations. Rather than unsightly boxes, communities want more sustainable data centers that are better integrated into the urban fabric. With community input, data centers can become better designed, more appealing community fixtures rather than something to conceal.
$
323
B
By 2026, the public cloud market will increase to $323 billion in the U.S., fueling massive growth and demand for data centers.
—
MIT Technology Review Insights and Statistics Technology Market Outlook
CRITICAL FACILITIES LEADERSHIP
David Fanning
Critical Facilities Leader
Dave is a Global Leader of Gensler's Critical Facilities practice and brings more than 20 years of experience in the sector. He has worked with several of the world's largest...
Joost Lansbergen
Critical Facilities Leader
Leading the firm’s Critical Facilities practice, Joost is a specialist in BIM and modern construction techniques. His experience with highly technical projects, focusing on...
Jackson Metcalf
Critical Facilities Leader
In his 17 years with Gensler, Jackson has led a variety of project types across the globe with a focus on critical facilities, commercial office buildings, and mixed-use...
Josh Rosenthal
Design Resilience Leader
Serving as Gensler’s Critical Facilities Design Resilience Leader, Josh specializes in the planning and management of complex technical projects that require particular...
NEWS
In The Media
![]()
Mission Critical Magazine
Gensler Critical Facilities Leader Jackson Metcalf Discusses Data Center Design Trends
Mission Critical interviewed Jackson Metcalf on the magazine’s “Thought Cloud” podcast exploring data center design trends from Gensler’s Design Forecast and how design can innovate these spaces.
May 26, 2023
In The Media
![]()
ThisWeekinFM
ThisWeekinFM Highlights 10 Trends That Will Change the Built Environment From Gensler’s Design Forecast 2023
From the office as destination to mobility to decarbonization and more, here are 10 trends and design strategies that are changing the built environment.
February 16, 2023
In The Media
![]()
Digital Journal
Digital Journal Named Gensler Among the Key Players in the Data Center Design Market
Gensler is featured in an annual growth market research report that details value chain analysis, price trends, opportunities, challenges, and strategic growth assessment.
January 09, 2023
In The Media
![]()
Electrical Contractor
Comarch Inc.’s New Gensler-Designed Facility
Comarch Inc.’s new Gensler-designed facility in Mesa, Arizona, “will showcase what is possible for the data center of the future” and include high-tech amenities and power redundancy.
May 13, 2022
In The Media
![]()
Building Design+Construction
Design Forecast 2022 Explores Top Trends and Strategies From Gensler’s 28 Practice Areas
BD+C explained how Design Forecast 2022 is both a “reservoir of information” and a “call to action” for the industry to lead in “creating a fairer, cleaner built environment.”
January 27, 2022
In The Media
![]()
ABC7
A New Headquarters for XNRGY
Gensler will design a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility and headquarters in Arizona for XNRGY
January 25, 2022
In The Media
![]()
BisNow National
What Is Driving the Growing Demand for Industrial Projects?
Gensler’s John Haba and Stephanie Burritt discuss the need for more industrial projects that incorporate more flexibility and advanced tech solutions to support future tenants.
January 28, 2021
In The Media
![]()
Data Center Frontier
Why Healthcare Data Centers Are Being Pushed Off-Premise
Gensler Critical Facilities Leader Jackson Metcalf weighs in on data center solutions in the healthcare industry, and the industry’s tolerance for change.
December 14, 2020
In The Media
![]()
D Magazine
Surges in Online Shopping Are Putting Pressure on Logistics Operations
It's critical to understand design requirements for converting or building new distribution centers that can meet the challenges in last-mile delivery.
September 03, 2020
In The Media
![]()
National Real Estate Investor
Critical Facilities Leader Jackson Metcalf Explains Why the Pandemic Is Accelerating the Demand for Modern IT Infrastructure
While healthcare and education have lagged behind other industries in IT, the pandemic led to more demand for modern infrastructure, thanks to a mass shift in remote working and learning.
June 01, 2020
In The Media
![]()
Bisnow
Here Are Best Practices That Are Driving Sustainability in Data Center Real Estate
Incorporating sustainable practices can attract tenants and result in long-term operating costs, which can be substantial for data center operators.
August 23, 2017