In a deal illustrating the growing importance of data center design, national architecture and engineering firm HED (Harley Ellis Devereaux) On Monday announced its merger with Integrated Design Group, an architecture and engineering firm specializing in the data center sector.
Integrated Design Group (ID) was founded in 2003 and has established a strong reputation in the data center sector for its work with Digital Realty, RagingWire Data Centers, Compass Datacenters, Fidelity Investments and Verizon Wireless, among others. The company has offices in Boston and Dallas.
In announcing the merger, HED noted that the tremendous growth of the data center sector is tied to long-term changes in technology infrastructure. ID has been a leading participant in the design and engineering of hyperscale data centers, which have seen extraordinary growth.
“Data storage, transmission, and security are supporting almost every aspect of contemporary life,” said Toni Asfour, Managing Principal of the Boston and Dallas offices for HED. “Our leadership in this realm is long and deep; we bring market intelligence to all scales of this work. Our clients to date have included tech and retail corporations, financial, healthcare, pharma, and educational institutions, as well as multi-tenant, cloud, and hyperscale data center providers.”
As a digital transformation sweeps the world, Internet infrastructure will become a more meaningful part of our cities and suburbs. That places a premium on designs that can integrate with urban and suburban landscapes more cohesively. The industry’s history of uninspiring exterior design can cause tensions within communities, particularly those with residential developments nearby.
Rising Profile for Data Center Architecture
One response to this problem is improved data center design, an area where some of Integrated Design Group’s clients have been active players. Digital Realty began adopting glass exterior facades for many of its buildings, especially those facing major roads. RagingWire Data Centers has used color and landscaping in its projects, and its VA3 data center was recognized by Loudoun Design Cabinet as a pace setter in community-oriented, ecological design.
HED Chairman Peter Devereaux said the merger with Integrated Design Group and deeper push into data centers is a natural step for the firm.
“Bringing the ID team into the HED family is a step on our journey toward expanding our expertise to enable a greater impact for our clients,” said Devereaux. “Many of our clients in healthcare, higher education, and corporate work, for example, are seeking this intelligence and specialized expertise. This is an example of our strong ability to bring additional resources and insight to the table for our clients.”
“It also allows us to reach new audiences — both in this new market sector for HED and in all the sectors we can now better serve in the regions surrounding Boston and Dallas.”
HED serves clients in a broad range of market sectors (healthcare, workplace, housing, mixed-use, science and technology, higher education, pre K-12 and community education, mission critical, and data centers) from eight U.S. offices (Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, and Sacramento). See how HED advances your world at www.hed.design.
For more on Integrated Design Group and its work, see the recent feature on CAPRE Media, which interviewed founding partner Gary Murphy and Principal Dennis Julian about the firm’s accomplishments and outlook on the data center sector.
Data Center Frontier is edited by Rich Miller, the data center industry’s most experienced journalist. For more than 20 years, Rich has profiled the key role played by data centers in the Internet revolution.