Connect | London // Debate: The “universal design” fallacy - Can facilities standardize when workloads keep shifting?
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- Data Center Construction
- Open Session
Speakers
Charini Birunthaban
Technical Program Manager - Google Global Infrastructure, Google
Derek Allen
Group Director of Operations, Global Switch
Vice President Design, GreenScale Data Centres
Johannes Lähteenmäki
Business Unit Director , Habeo
Ivy Tavershima
Senior Technical Program Manager - AI Delivery, Microsoft
National Business Development Manager, Endress+Hauser
Portfolio Director - EMEA & Awards, DCD
AI has broken the idea of a universal facility template. Workloads and hardware are shifting faster than construction cycles, and tighter IT/OT coupling means power, cooling, and control systems must adapt to volatile compute behaviour rather than fixed design assumptions. With no stable baseline, standardisation is under pressure, modularity is becoming essential, and operators are questioning whether repeatable templates are still viable or whether continuous customisation is now the norm.
This session will explore:
- How shifting workload profiles and tighter IT/OT coupling are reshaping core facility design assumptions
- How modularity can create repeatable, adaptable, long term design paths
- How industry standards help or hinder operators trying to keep pace
- Whether standardisation remains viable or slows delivery and risks stranded assets