Technology companies fueling the artificial intelligence boom are rethinking the look and feel of data centers as community resistance intensifies against large-scale infrastructure buildouts. Once characterized by windowless concrete forms and industrial facades, data centers are increasingly being redesigned with architectural features intended to blend into their surroundings and reduce so-called NIMBY (Not In My Backyard) criticism.
Architecture firm Gensler reports a sharp rise in demand for design-forward data centers, noting that the number of its employees working in this sector increased by 40% over the past year. The firm is currently designing a data center in the Netherlands featuring vertical gardens, while a facility in Phoenix, Arizona, includes a rust-orange exterior reminiscent of a modern art museum and incorporates a two-acre public park. Planned facilities in Alberta, Canada, will use wood-toned exteriors to better integrate with the surrounding forested landscape.
Traditionally, data centers have prioritized function over form, with public concern largely focused on energy consumption and water use. However, aesthetic objections are now playing a growing role in local opposition, prompting municipalities to impose stricter design requirements as part of project approvals.
“When municipalities push back, clients are very willing to do what they ask,” said Jackson Metcalf, head of Gensler’s data center practice. According to Metcalf, architecture represents a relatively low-cost intervention compared to other data center systems, making visual upgrades an efficient way to address community concerns.
Since 2023, Gensler has tripled its data center design revenue to $127 million, largely driven by projects in the United States. Other firms are seeing similar trends. Neil Sheehan, who leads Woolpert’s data center design team, noted that limited site availability has strengthened local governments’ negotiating positions, leading to more stringent approval processes and higher expectations for contextual design.
As demand for AI infrastructure accelerates, developers are increasingly recognizing that architectural quality and community integration are no longer optional—but essential components of successful data center development.
