Digital Realty M1 Data Center

Digital Realty M1 Data Center | Ashburn, VA

DPR was selected by Digital Realty (DLR) for its 230,000-sq.-ft. “mega scale” prototype data center. Built to host a single tenant, the project required a unique approach. DLR worked collaboratively with the tenant and project team as the design evolved and adjusted needs accordingly. The confidential end user requirements incorporated a high-density rack layout, optimizing the dollar value of each rack.

Project Scope

With power and cooling accounting for 80 percent of the data center operating costs, customers are trending towards this high-density layout which reduces the distance in cable runs and networks, minimizing the cooling and space footprint and resulting in increased efficiency. Every two years, the number of transistors in a dense integrated circuit doubles, and the high-density layout also offers more flexibility for these future needs.

DPR incorporated lessons learned from past buildouts through installing all future steel supports to eliminate re-work at the roof and resequencing future equipment rigging to minimize the number of temporary roll-up doors. Now complete, Phase 1 includes a 6MW data hall. Once fully occupied, the building will have six separate data halls, built-out over the next two to three years, hosting 36MW of critical power.

Photo courtesy of Ulf Wallin
Photo courtesy of Ulf Wallin
Photo courtesy of Ulf Wallin

Completed in November 2018, the 230,000-sq.-ft. hyperscale data center leveraged the cost and time savings of using tilt-up construction.

Now complete, Phase 1 includes a six-megawatt (MW) data hall. Once fully occupied, the building will have six separate data halls, built-out over the next two to three years, hosting 36MW of critical power.

“We can’t thank all of you enough for your efforts to bring this one home,” Dan Kingman, Director of Construction for DLR, told the team. “This was an incredibly impressive performance by the DPR team. This was one of the most challenging and important projects Digital Realty has ever completed, and you more than delivered. Looking forward to continuing to build great things with you.”

Photo courtesy of Ulf Wallin

Completed in November 2018, the 230,000-sq.-ft. hyperscale data center leveraged the cost and time savings of using tilt-up construction.

Photo courtesy of Ulf Wallin

Now complete, Phase 1 includes a six-megawatt (MW) data hall. Once fully occupied, the building will have six separate data halls, built-out over the next two to three years, hosting 36MW of critical power.

Photo courtesy of Ulf Wallin

“We can’t thank all of you enough for your efforts to bring this one home,” Dan Kingman, Director of Construction for DLR, told the team. “This was an incredibly impressive performance by the DPR team. This was one of the most challenging and important projects Digital Realty has ever completed, and you more than delivered. Looking forward to continuing to build great things with you.”

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