This architectural design thesis is premised on research findings that data centres are a necessary evil and more needs to be done on the oft-overlooked socio-cultural front to address the disruptions they bring to the urban fabric. This is especially pertinent in an era where such placeless, mega-infrastructure of pure utility are increasingly being located at the terminal edge of the digital network to minimise latency to their end users — that is, within the very urban centres where we live, work, play and learn in.

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In the context of land-scarce Singapore, there is ironically an added economic pressure to encourage the growth of data centres beyond its own digital needs. The city state has decided to continue embracing their growth to maintain its reputation as the leading global hub for data centres, alongside a recent recalibration to favour the development of ones that demonstrate better environmental resource efficiency. Yet, going by this trajectory and considering the nation’s finite land supply, the renewed approach will not sustainably protect the interests of the social good in the long run with regard to better liveability and equitability.

 

The thesis thus reimagines what the future of Singapore’s data centres could be — resilient Cloud infrastructure that are decentralised, co-located with public amenities and enhance, rather than disrupt, existing rhythms of urbanity. The viability of this novel approach is demonstrated through The Cloud Terminus, a prototypical edge data centre co-located with a bus terminal and interlocked with a myriad of community facilities. Through this, it envisions how urban design and architecture can indeed play vital roles in alleviating land contestations between us and our burgeoning data centres, not only enabling both to co-exist symbiotically with newfound synergies and enhanced urban value, but also offering a more socially sustainable and equitable framework in how we can make better place of our Clouds.