UK-based fund manager Hermes Real Estate Investment Management and GCE Data Centers launched two data center projects in the UK today, which once complete will bring a total of 108,000 sq ft to the UK’s data center market.

One site, Bracknell, south west of Slough - home to Equinix’s large IBX data centers - will cover 78,000 sq ft and provide 35,000 sq ft of technical space with provisioning of 10MVA power.

The other, Perivale, near Wembley inside London, is designed for 15,000 sq ft of technical space in a 30,00 sq ft data center build. It has an allocation of 6MVA of power.

The Perivalle site will be delivered in Q1 next year while the Bracknel site will come online in Q2. Both sites are being let by Jones Lang LaSalle and GVA Connect.

GCE Data Centres managing director Gary Lees said both sites will offer tenants a new model for filling space – what the company calls a ‘powered shell solution’.

The powered shell is a modular space designed to allow customers to either kit out their own data center operation, or fill it with containerized solutions.

“This is a new style of offer to the market, a powered shell that can accommodate modular or traditional data center configurations,” Lees said.

“Our approach allows maximum flexibility to occupiers seeing a powered shell solution where the independence and security of controlling the facility is important rather than taking space in a managed data center building.”

GCE and Hermes are not the only investors interested in this approach in the UK at present. In February, PMB Holdings announced a similar style of development, where the investors finance power and site acquisition and planning. Its project in Milton Keynes, costing £35m came online earlier this month.

Regarding the two new builds, the Bracknell site is 3.2 acres, and will be developed in three stages –or shells - of equal size. Powered shells or modular access are both on offer.

Power has already been secured for both sites, but the Bracknell site will have access to 2MVA from Q2 this year and 8MVA will be supplied once existing 33/11kV transformers at power provider SSE’s Bracknell sub station have been finalized for summer next year.

It is offering fiber connectivity from Cable&Wireless, Virgin Media, BT, SSE Telecoms and Global Cross/Level 3.

The Perivale development in the Perivale Industrial Park will sit on a 1.7 acre site and will consist of one single phased development with one power shell. It already has 6MVA secured from SSE which will come on site in Q1 2013. At this site Cable&Wireless, Virgin Media and BT will provide fiber connections.

Points of Presence for both sites are currently being considered at the Bank of England in central London, primary carriers and between both data center parks with dual 10GbE links.