Article

Tech companies are redesigning data centers to address community concerns about their appearance. Gensler, a design firm, reported a 40% increase in employees working on data centers in the past year. Projects include a data center in the Netherlands featuring vertical gardens, a facility in Phoenix, Arizona, with a modern art museum-like facade and a community park, and developments in Alberta, Canada, with wood-colored exteriors to blend with the environment.

Historically, data centers have been seen as unattractive, leading to local protests focused on aesthetics, energy, and water use. In response to municipal pushback, tech firms are investing in architectural upgrades to mitigate negative perceptions, recognizing that design improvements are a cost-effective solution.