Welcome, Welcome, Welcome! Its finals week and Episode 9! So, if you read Episode 8, you will notice the following announcement:
“Hello Everyone! I am currently having some technical issues with my transcription service I was originally using. But since I was already behind on posts, I decided to go ahead and just the episode links to Spotify and just post the rather horribly transcribed text as it stands now, with the understanding that once my finals are done this week, I will be uploading and fixing the missing posts by hand and attempting to untangle the rather horrible looking transcript I was given down below. For now, please enjoy the episode, and laugh at what was created. “
This is still true, as I am currently posting posts today, 12.07.2021. So, to make sure that everything is completely clear and transparent on when I edit and what, since this is for a thesis, I will be denoting with the date and pretty colors what and when I make changes. Since I am almost done with finals-2 tomorrow and a series of last minute assignments, I will be using the break to do an overhaul on the blog and catch up on everything. What this means for you, is that you will get several more BONUS episodes! And more Instagram and Facebook!
But while you wait on that, please enjoy the transcript down below, which will probably be edited as well, and the complete source list for this episode!
Transcript
Grab your AR glasses and measuring tape, it’s time for Architecture, Coffee, & Ink.
30 second Intro song
Hello, this is Hollywood C. and you’re listening to Architecture, Coffee, & Ink. A podcast dedicated to introducing concepts, detailing out designs, and tackling the architecture you might not realize the meaning behind. I’m your hostess and I am here today to start introducing you to the designs that make you wonder why.
tag line: So I ask you to brew your coffee, grab your sketch book and pen, and let’s begin.
Hello and welcome to episode 9! On this episode, I am going to be following up from my interview two weeks ago with Chuck Conrad, and expanding a little bit more on datacenters and design. But first an apology! My last apology ever, I swear-just kidding probably not. Now, if you notice, this episode is little late (a lot late). But it’s just last week so happened to be my first public presentation of my thesis as it stands at this moment. And now it’s finals week for me! So for my school, while we have discussed and presented in the small class, this is the last week was the first time I was presenting it in front of my thesis committee and the rest of the college. So to say I was super nervous is an understatement. However, based on my feedback, I decided to wait a few days to absorb the information and re-evaluate how I am going to push forward and where. Hence me skipping a week, but I am excited to announce that I am going to make it up to you! The next week two, this week and next week I will be giving everyone BONUS episodes in addition to my regular episode! First is to make up for the missing episode, and then to celebrate that Architecture, Coffee, & Ink is now #154 on the iTunes chart for design podcasts! To be totally honest, I never expected to even be on the top 500, much less 200, so I am completely blown away! Thank you everyone! Please continue to share! I have listeners on every continent expect Antarctica-even if was only 1 person, so I am extremely grateful. Please continue to send in feedback, let me know what I am doing that works, what doesn’t etc. I genuinely couldn’t do it without you. The Bonus episodes will come out over each of the weekends. My finals are going through Friday, so nothing like a nice fun episode to kick off the winter terms.
One of my professor’s said I should do like a Tik-Tok too, but I am really going to have to think on that, as I am not sure how going “Jinkies, it’s a Victorian!” is going to help. But I also know absolutely nothing about Tik-Tok as my last statement can attest to.
Anyway, that aside done…
So, again-this was a listener recommendation, so I am excited to full-fill the request! I have to say, it was kind a funny trying to interview my dad last week. While I promise I haven’t just been going through my phone book and asking random people to interview, he really was the best candidate to introduce the topic of IT- Information Technology. But for me, I always try to balance my knowledge of the topic with presentation. So I try to avoid going into excessive levels of nitty gritty detail, and it was a lot harder to avoid doing that with my dad that I realized, given how much he has talked to me about his career and really been my introduction to technology and mechanics as whole. So in light of that, we are continuing the topic here, with a few case studies, and discussing datacenters. But without further ado, let’s dive into Datacenters! Remember as always, to check your sources, check your facts, and check me! This is an entertainment podcast, and should not be your primary source of information-unless I am interviewing someone and it comes straight from their mouths. In which case, quote on!
So my dad did a great job breaking down things, and if you haven’t heard the previous episode, I really encourage you to stop and jump back to episode 8: It’s all about IT.
Don’t worry, I’ll wait for you.
So, first and foremost, we need to cover exactly what datacenters are, and how they operate within architecture. I feel like the previous interview gave a great example of how IT covers it and views it. So, to those in the profession that I have personally met, many IT professional have mentioned how datacenters are dead. But always with a caveat. Because honestly, it’s a gross over statement and simplification. The truth is, the original datacenters, when they were first introduced have evolved. So, it’s not so much that we have just stopped everything, boycotted tech, and given ourselves over to our robotic overlords, its more that the evolution of the field has caused a shift in how IT views it and how we as students of architecture view it. I say students, because in this case, it’s an ongoing evolving process, so I think it’s fair to say that as the field is actively unfolding before us, we are all students and learning. It’s not a long since abandoned practice, I mean, some articles I was reading from Archdaily were only published this year on “… Impact of Data production on Everyday life.” In the time I have been in school, I have slowly noticed an increased interest in data as a whole. Which has increased in proportion to lockdown procedures and the more we as a society switch to remote work and education. Not to say that those options haven’t always been available, but, they have undoubtably have been dramatically increasing as the COVID has dragged on.
So at its most basic definition, and this is a direct quote from Techopedia, “Data Center Architecture is the physical and logical layout of the resources and equipment within a data center facility.” Then the article goes on to list five aspects that it says all data centers need to include: “network, computing, security, physical, and information.” So I used this definition, because it gives us a starting point to branch off of. So in the interview last week, we also discussed several of these aspects, however, one of the things we also talked about, was how that rather pretty list of 5 things, is pretty much a general introduction. There is a lot more that needs to be considered in designs, and some of which really has to be discussed in conjunction with the IT department. One thing I always remember being pressed into me, was the need to assess first, and decide second. And that sounds like a fairly easy concept, but the truth is many times people react instead of evaluate. It’s just human nature, and in design charettes, that’s brilliant, you want to react, you want to spitball as many ideas as you can as quickly as you can, and then reassess and eliminate as needed. But with IT, it’s almost the opposite. I feel like situations like this serve as brilliant teachers. And this is probably in part due to the fact I have been leading a section all semester, but a lot of times, I really encourage people-designers in particular- to place themselves into an uncomfortable position. Learn something new. Lean into your discomfort, because that means you either know something is wrong and needs to be fixed, or you will be able to come out with a new skill and mindset as this discomfort means you aren’t yet familiar with it. And before anyone does anything dangerous, no, I am not encouraging anyone to do anything dangerous, please be safe, be smart-there is a difference between putting yourself into a new unfamiliar situation and learning something new and a dangerous situation.
But that warning aside, I noticed when researching this episode, that the 5 points, “network, computing, security, physical, and information” changed depending on what data center you are talking about, and more importantly what clientele their serving. So, a more public driven center, often referred to the clients as individuals, where are data centers that serve businesses, almost Business to Business style, will have more words like “storage systems, switches, routers, etc.” while both seem to throw out buzz words like confetti, the treatment of the topic crafts the conversations, and often the architecture. Particularly the interior design. Officially, there are four types of centers: Enterprise data centers, managed service data centers, colocation data centers, and cloud data centers according to Cisco.com.
Altogether, ArchDaily, refers to this as a quote:
“…very utilitarian aspect of the built environment, and yet they compose a particular kind of infrastructure within contemporary society, one that is fundamental to the development of everyday life. Rarely discussed within the profession, these new typologies have more recently penetrated the architectural discourse, raising questions about the architectural significance and design potential of the spaces sustaining the mechanics of today’s world.”
From <https://www.archdaily.com/949162/architecture-without-people-the-built-environment-of-machines>
Because I am in a weirdly quote heavy mood this week. But brings up a good point, that this is both a new and rare aspect of the profession. And what is most interesting is how they often times show up having an extra aspect of the design-they will incorporate time and efficiency into the design. With goes way back to Episode 7, about Space. We have to inherently embrace the 4 Dimension, but bring it into the real world application. So I am aware that was a rather dense sentence, but what I mean is, while IT is pretty much 4D, we as designers have to incorporate the it as it relates to the 3D.
So, I thought with that thought exercise down, let’s look at a case study. So one of my favorite Data Centers to study is actually a center that has been put into a converted abandoned mine. It contains roughly 145 acres of storage. What’s so fascinating to me is that they actually use some of the underground lakes in the caves for cooling, which is brilliant. It is apparently roughly 220 feet below the earth, which is 67.056 m if I converted it correctly. They have a super interesting and easy to use website, which honestly is half the reason I enjoy them, and it looks a lot like the entrance to the Stargate-ummm Cheyenne Mountain, entrance which honestly, just goes to show how much of a nerd I am.
Anyway, since it is underground, it was exciting to see that they still considered both security and fire ratings. So this mine was actually abandoned in the 1950s. So I am actually being super vague on purpose, because personally, I found several articles talking about how they don’t talk about the mine, and then the author of said articles listed on very, very public websites, exactly what the front entrance looked like, and what the signs leading up to look like. And yeah, no, I’m not going to add to that. So I am focusing solely on public information. Apparently, the miners used dynamite for expansion. If you don’t know, dynamite allowed for the rapid expansion, allowing for deeper digging. Dynamite wasn’t invited until 1860’s by Alfred Nobel, and while it allowed for the 5 decades of evolution, dynamite is also an extremely dangerous method, and if used incorrectly can destabilize the earth. On the flip side, it also allowed for them to get past sections of rock that they once couldn’t get around. Then once the mine was abandoned, they moved it. As the natural materials and conditions really helped with the needed conditions. Like when you leave your cell phone in sun too long, temperatures need to be control and levels of humidity to provide the best conditions for the equipment. Now, obviously some construction needs to be done, and at one point they opened up the company to independent and exterior companies to apply to be housed there. Or their servers and information housed there.
Now, I can’t speak for the professionals, I don’t know how many practicing architects listening have designed data centers, but as a student, I struggled in the beginning of my education to understand the requirements of how much the 4D needs and depends on the 3D. Now I am a big fabrication person, always have been, but 4D designs, were always walled off in my brain in the beginning. Now, I am referring way back to the first building I ever designed, when I thought okay, I will follow the codes and measurements I find to a T and I will be fine, I need X amount of space according to the code for this piece of equipment and this number of people. But in juxtaposition to that, I would walk straight out of the class, and talk to my dad and understand everything he needed, and how I needed to change the designs for him. Without consciously realizing that I was designing. It took time and understanding to finally pull everything together and realize that architecture and design are not a switch you turn off in your brain. Like oh, let’s turn the tech brain off and the design brain on, or vice versa. To be completely fair to myself, I am talking about the bloopers when I was first introduced to architecture, way, way back. But I imagine I amused quite a few people around me when I did this.
Instead Architecture is this living, breathing lifestyle choice. And it’s the struggle in the argument of form vs function leading design that captivates us. And now you know why we as architects walk around starring at buildings and talking pictures of infrastructure on vacation. We cannot help it, and we find our craft in everything. Or more accurately, we admire the craft of everything. Like I have stated before, either in class, or on the podcast, this semester is a bit of a blur, I think all art such be admired for its intention, even if you disagree with the success of its execution.
To finish up, the Irish Pavilion in the 2021, Venice Architecture Biennale, focused on data technologies as well. Dublin and Ireland have played a huge role in data in Europe. So it was wonderful to see the imagery that came up in the articles I was reading. It was commissioned by Culture Ireland, and curated by Annex. I only bring it up as a side note, because if you have some time and want to do a deep dive into a new topic, this is a pretty good starting point. My episodes are only so long, I can’t cover everything.
Thank you once again for tuning in, Once again a big thank you to all my listeners! A quick call to action: Please rate and review, share with your friends, neighbors, and family, your professor-whomever you think needs some architecture in their life. We again have a Facebook page and private group, both of which are under the same name: Architecture, Coffee, & Ink. The answer to the question-who is the host-is Hollywood, like the city. And second question is just your opinion, and I might just use it as a recommendation for a show with a little shout out. If you want to either be featured, or have a case study suggestion or perhaps just want to share a story of your favorite design or experience, you can either find me at Architecture, Coffee, & Ink the website is: https://architectureink.design.blog/ .
Insta is now architecturecoffeeandink! Just like the email address! Everything will be linked in the show notes. You can also email me at architecturecoffeeandink@gmail.com all spelt out without the ampersands or commas.
May your coffee mugs be full, and your ink wells never run dry.
60 secs end song re-looped.
Sources:
08, Rich Miller | May. “Iron Mountain Is Taking the Data Center Underground.” Data Center Knowledge, May 8, 2013. https://www.datacenterknowledge.com/archives/2013/05/08/iron-mountain.
Budd, Brandon. “Modern Data Center Design and Architecture L Serverlift.” ServerLIFT, November 3, 2020. https://serverlift.com/blog/modern-data-center-design-and-architecture/.
Cutieru, Andreea. “Architecture without People: The Built Environment of Machines.” ArchDaily. ArchDaily, October 9, 2020. https://www.archdaily.com/949162/architecture-without-people-the-built-environment-of-machines.
Cutieru, Andreea. “The Irish Pavilion for the 2021 Venice Biennale Explores the Impact of Data Production on Everyday Life.” ArchDaily. ArchDaily, May 17, 2021. https://www.archdaily.com/961734/the-irish-pavilion-for-the-2021-venice-biennale-explores-the-impact-of-data-production-on-everyday-life.
Google image result for https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/advancelocal/ic3bp6xdd5bwpgd3vdkrpdgn6i.png. Google. Accessed December 7, 2021. https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fcloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com%2Fadvancelocal%2FIC3BP6XDD5BWPGD3VDKRPDGN6I.png&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.pennlive.com%2Fnews%2F2021%2F01%2Finside-iron-mountain.html&tbnid=veY1cFPMSy6RdM&vet=12ahUKEwjHtdeNydD0AhVCOlMKHQGsA_4QMygKegUIARDEAQ..i&docid=mQbDeqqBQw6y8M&w=1354&h=763&q=iron+mountain+data+center&hl=en&ved=2ahUKEwjHtdeNydD0AhVCOlMKHQGsA_4QMygKegUIARDEAQ.
Google search. Google. Accessed December 7, 2021. https://www.google.com/search?q=ar%2Bglasses&rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS910US910&oq=AR%2Bglasses&aqs=chrome.0.0i433i512j0i512j0i433i512j0i512l2j0i457i512j0i512l4.1743j0j9&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8.
Google search. Google. Accessed December 7, 2021. https://www.google.com/search?q=black%2Blung&rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS910US910&oq=black%2Blung&aqs=chrome..69i57j0i433i512l2j0i512l7.3023j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8.
Google search. Google. Accessed December 7, 2021. https://www.google.com/search?q=datacenters%2Band%2Barchitecture&rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS910US910&oq=datacenters%2Band%2Barchitecture&aqs=chrome..69i57j0i22i30l2.4139j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8.
“The Iron Mountain Underground: Rock Solid.” Iron Mountain. Accessed December 7, 2021. https://www.ironmountain.com/resources/data-sheets-and-brochures/t/the-iron-mountain-underground-rock-solid.
jmurphy@pennlive.com, Jan Murphy |. “Pa. Student Aid Agency Tucks Its Data Center inside Huge Mine Abandoned in 1950s.” pennlive, April 26, 2021. https://www.pennlive.com/news/2021/01/inside-iron-mountain.html.
“Mining and Explosives.” Mining and Explosives | Mines Canada. Accessed December 7, 2021. https://www.minescanada.ca/en/content/mining-and-explosives.
Roser, Max, Hannah Ritchie, and Esteban Ortiz-Ospina. “Internet.” Our World in Data, July 14, 2015. https://ourworldindata.org/internet.
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Techopedia. “What Is Data Center Architecture? – Definition from Techopedia.” Techopedia.com. Techopedia, February 19, 2014. https://www.techopedia.com/definition/29867/data-center-architecture.
“What Is a Data Center?” Cisco. Cisco, November 16, 2021. https://www.cisco.com/c/en_in/solutions/data-center-virtualization/what-is-a-data-center.html.