Design

Local Interventions

Specify Design Requirements

Without aesthetic specifications, data centers tend to default to large and unwelcoming concrete buildings. The following requirements can help mitigate this default design. Facade and Principal Building Requirements Cities can specify requirements for aesthetic elements of data centers and require data centers to incorporate specific design principles, such as changes in building height, building step-backs […]

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Without aesthetic specifications, data centers tend to default to large and unwelcoming concrete buildings. The following requirements can help mitigate this default design.

Facade and Principal Building Requirements

Cities can specify requirements for aesthetic elements of data centers and require data centers to incorporate specific design principles, such as changes in building height, building step-backs or recesses, windows, and use of accent materials.

Strong example

The city of Phoenix, Arizona, specifies that building facades must contain architectural embellishments such as textural changes, pilasters, offsets, windows, and overheads/canopies. Buildings should include variations in colors, materials, patterns, and heights.

Shielding Mechanical Equipment from View

Data centers should screen and shield mechanical equipment so it is not visible.

Strong Example

In Prince William County, Virginia, data centers are required to screen all ground-level and rooftop mechanical equipment from view.

Establish Landscape Requirements

Local governments can require pathways, open green space on property lines, vegetation, and specific types of fencing. (Chain-link and barbed-wire fencing may be prohibited, for instance.)

Strong example

Phoenix, Arizona, requires two rows of large canopy shade trees, shrubs, and ground cover to mitigate the negative visual impact of data centers.

Strong Example

Prince William County, Virginia, specifies fencing requirements for data centers, stipulating that fences cannot be chain-link or barbed-wire.

Limit Building Conversion

Limit buildings that can be converted into data centers to prioritize other building use cases, such as housing.

Strong example

Atlanta, Georgia, stipulates that only buildings more than 50 years old may be converted.

Cautionary Example

The Houston Funplex, a landmark community center in Houston, Texas, was purchased by a private developer amid speculation that it may be converted into a data center.

Require Green Building Standards

Localities should mandate that data centers be built utilizing green building standards such as LEED,1 ISO 14001,2 or ISO 50001.3

Strong example

Minnesota introduced HF 4929, requiring certification for sustainable design or green building standards within three years of construction.

  1. USGBC, “LEED Rating System,” USGBC, accessed December 2, 2025, https://www.usgbc.org/leed. ↩︎
  2. ISO, ISO 14001:2015 – Environmental Management Systems — Requirements with Guidance for Use, 2015, https://www.iso.org/standard/60857.html. ↩︎
  3. ISO, “ISO 50001– Energy Management,” ISO, accessed December 2, 2025, https://www.iso.org/iso-50001-energy-management.html. ↩︎