News & Insights
VIDEO: Designing facilities to the next chip model
Why this matters now
Each new generation of chips changes what data center facilities have to do. Power densities are climbing, cooling requirements are shifting, and the time between architectural changes keeps shrinking. Owners building today have to design for hardware they can only partly anticipate. Decisions about power topology, cooling architecture, and layout flexibility shape whether the building serves its purpose for years or has to be reworked sooner than expected.
What leaders are weighing
Data center leaders are weighing the cost of designing for future chip generations against the risk of building for a snapshot in time. They are deciding how far to push liquid cooling, how to size electrical infrastructure, and how to design for rack densities that may double or triple. There are tradeoffs around space planning, redundancy strategy, and the ability to retrofit without major disruption. Owners want longevity. Operators want reliability under changing loads. The right design choices respect both the silicon roadmap and the practical realities of construction and operation.
How Salas O’Brien is helping clients respond
Our data center team helps owners design facilities that hold up across multiple chip generations without overspending on speculation. We bring deep electrical, mechanical, controls, and operations expertise together with a clear-eyed view of where the industry is heading. We help clients identify which design choices preserve optionality, and which lock them in. Hear Fred Miller, John Hauge, Craig Petersen, and Curt Williams talk through how to design for what’s next.
John Hauge, PE
John Hauge is deeply experienced in leading building mechanical and plumbing system design and analysis for healthcare facilities. His passion for high-quality work sharpens his focus on the right planning, communication, and processes. John has a BS in Mechanical Engineering from California Polytechnic State University. He serves as a Principal for Salas O’Brien. Contact him at [email protected].
Fred Miller
Fred Miller brings three decades of leadership in data centers, power infrastructure, and mission-critical industries, helping clients align technical innovation with business strategy in an energy-constrained world. At Salas O’Brien, he leads commercial strategy for the mission-critical market, uniting multidisciplinary engineering teams to support AI/HPC, hyperscale, colocation, and enterprise clients. He focuses on helping owners and operators balance growth, sustainability, and economic performance as next-generation data centers take shape. Fred serves as VP, Data Center & Telecom at Salas O’Brien. Contact him at [email protected].
Curt Williams, PE
Curt Williams has extensive expertise in mission-critical projects and is known for delivering precise, constructible designs within tight timelines. His relational and collaborative approach fosters strong, long-term client partnerships, enabling him to consistently support projects across multiple phases and needs. Curt serves as a Managing Principal at Salas O’Brien. Contact him at [email protected] .
Craig Petersen, PE, P.Eng., ATD, CEM
Craig Petersen has over 25 years of experience in mechanical engineering focused on mission‑critical and data center facilities. He specializes in designing cooling systems that protect servers and networking equipment by efficiently removing heat and ensuring maximum uptime. Craig serves as a Principal and Lead Mechanical Engineer at Salas O’Brien.