Designing a High-Density, Fast-Tracked Data Center for Digital Realty in Ashburn
Building M at Digital Realty’s Loudoun III campus represents the next evolution of the company’s hyperscale data center design, an advanced, high-density facility delivered with remarkable speed and precision. Continuing HED’s long-standing partnership with Digital Realty, the team was challenged to deliver a 223,000-square-foot building that balanced performance, cost, and schedule efficiency while maintaining architectural continuity with the existing campus.
From the outset, time was the defining constraint. With an occupancy date set before design development began, the project required an expedited 11-month schedule from design through construction documentation. To meet this goal, HED collaborated closely with Digital Realty and DPR Construction, leveraging established supply chain networks and regional construction methodologies to accelerate procurement and assembly. Every decision, from systems integration to materials selection, was driven by the need for speed without compromise.
The design achieves this efficiency through modularity. HED introduced prefabricated, modularized mechanical and electrical systems that could be deployed quickly and scaled as needed. Each IT module aligns with Digital Realty’s proven POD configuration, allowing the overall computer room size to be 40 percent smaller than a standard DLR facility while maintaining full operational capability. This compact planning strategy optimized both construction costs and long-term operational flexibility.
At full build-out, Building M is designed to accommodate six hyperscale suites delivering a total of 36 MW of IT power. The first phase includes the complete building shell, powered base building spaces, and Suite M100, a fully equipped data hall with customer-facing areas, two CRAC galleries, four UPS rooms, and a main control suite. Each element operates within a distributed redundant system supported by four 2,100 kW UPS load groups, ensuring reliable and resilient power distribution across all capacity blocks.
The architectural design reflects the precision and consistency of Digital Realty’s brand. The building’s exterior mirrors its campus neighbors, maintaining a unified visual language while incorporating subtle refinements in detailing and proportion. Inside, the layout balances technical rigor with an elevated customer experience. The first floor includes tenant storage, offices, and client amenities, while the second floor features a 4,700-square-foot private office suite designed for operational and client use.
Through collaboration, technical agility, and disciplined execution, HED delivered a facility that exemplifies Digital Realty’s mission to scale intelligently. Building M demonstrates how speed, flexibility, and performance can align within a single design, advancing both the efficiency of data infrastructure and the strength of an ongoing partnership built on trust and shared innovation.