Designing a Data Center to Power AI

Gresham Smith transformed a 1 million square-foot warehouse into a cutting-edge data center, now powering 1.2 gigawatts of critical load for AI workloads through a remarkable retrofit. Our team tackled the complex site layout, carving out space for a fleet of natural gas microturbines for on-site power generation, battery energy storage systems for power conditioning and backup, and large-scale adiabatic chillers supporting a direct-to-chip liquid cooling system. These microturbines, mounted semi-permanently until utility power is available, ensure uninterrupted operation for the high-density IT environment, delivering an impressive 1,200 watts per square foot across multiple data halls.

Beyond the warehouse, Gresham Smith designed critical site buildings, including a custom guard house, a turbine control building, and three large electrical houses to support the facility’s infrastructure. We overcame spatial challenges—integrating cooling pipes, medium-voltage and low-voltage power distribution, and the extensive mechanical footprint—within an aggressive nine-month timeline. This project exemplifies our ingenuity in adaptive reuse, delivering a resilient, high-performance AI data center and a fully optimized site that pushes the boundaries of modern design.