Rethinking How Data Centers Should Be Built

Why data center delivery needs a strategic reset through modularisation

Paul Fitch, Global Technology Sector Lead at Currie & Brown, explores why conventional data center delivery models are increasingly struggling to meet the demands of a rapidly evolving digital economy. He presents a compelling case for modularisation as a strategic delivery approach, showing how earlier decision-making, greater standardisation, and off-site construction, can improve delivery certainty, accelerate project execution, and create more scalable infrastructure for the future.

Growth is accelerating, driven by AI and rising digital demand. Power demands are increasing, pushing more capacity into the same footprint, and adding heat and complexity to delivery. Teams are then revisiting designs mid-project to keep pace. Access to power is becoming a major constraint, shaping what can be delivered and when. Despite this, assets are still expected to come online quickly and with a high degree of delivery certainty.

The industry has responded by trying to move faster in the same delivery model. Projects start quickly, teams work at pace, and decisions are made continuously. Yet delivery timelines have not improved.

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