Builders Group cements data center reputation.

Data centers, a bright light in an otherwise sluggish time for construction, may seem straightforward, but are really minefields for error from incomplete planning, according to George Figliolia, president of Builders Group, a New York-based construction company that has built out several such facilities in the past few years.

As an example, the firm cites its recently completed work for Switch and Data Facilities Company's 163,500 s/f complex in North Bergen, N.J.

"Data centers may appear to be relatively simple and straightforward, but their external simplicity belies a host of special considerations and the need for extensive pre-construction planning that allows for creative solutions through the build process," says Figliolia.

Sometimes called "server farms," data centers are the backbone of the Internet, and are specially designed to house thousands of web site servers in 24-hour, climate-controlled buildings that need massive electrical service and back-up systems to ensure they never stop functioning. Moreover, such buildings need tighter-than-average security to guard against intrusion or sabotage. In recent years, Builders Group has built data centers for Equinix, Depository Trust, SIAC, and British Airways.

At the North Bergen site, of which Hartz Mountain is the property owner, Builders Group started by gutting 136,917 s/f within the three-story building and removed all structures and equipment from the surrounding property and roof. Construction included 92,000 s/f of mechanical, electrical, and plumbing infrastructure, along with co-locaction rooms and office space.

Despite a four-month bureaucratic delay in the original eight-month construction schedule, Figliolia's firm managed to deliver a fully commissioned and operational structure by the original estimated customer-ready date.

Because Switch and Data needed to open the facility before the permanent chiller packages could be manufactured, Builders Group designed, installed, and commissioned temporary, high-efficiency chiller systems to serve the completed co-location and electrical rooms. The existing three-megawatt electrical service was upgraded to five megawatts, and an additional five-megawatt service was installed, for a total of 10 megawatts of power feeding the facility. The electrical and mechanical infrastructure is ready to support 200 watts per foot to the center floor.

"I think any builder would agree that no job is as simple or straightforward as it might appear at first glance," says Figliolia. "This building was certainly no exception. We look at every job as a challenge; first, to anticipate problems before they come up, and second, to find creative solutions to unexpected setbacks. That's the 'value added' we bring to our work."

In addition to its job for Switch and Data in North Bergen, Builders Group also is expanding the technology company's locations at 111 Eighth Avenue, 60 Hudson Street, and 65 Broadway, all in Manhattan.