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Home / Knowledge Hub / The Connectivity Podcast / EP43: Sustainable data center architecture – part I

EP43: Sustainable data
center architecture –
part I

Marina Otero Verzier is an architect and researcher who in 2022 received Harvard’s Wheelwright Prize for a project on the future of data storage. She aims to publish the first open-source manual for global data center architecture design, featuring examples of ecological, sustainable, and egalitarian data storage models used in data centers across the world. Marina Otero Verzier’s work is especially urgent at a time when digital-data production is outpacing the scalability of today’s storage solutions, and AI usage is on the rise.

In this episode, Marina Otero Verzier and Mattias Fridström discuss:

  • Trends driving the need for more sustainable data centers
  • Her awarded project on the future of data storage, Future Storage: Architectures to Host the Metaverse
  • The benefits of bringing architectural skills to the colocations industry
  • Insights from the data centers that Marina has visited across the world
  • Factors besides connectivity that matter when choosing a data center location, such as energy consumption, tax benefits, climate, access to water and land
  • Data center locations that Marina plans to visit next for her research
Mattias Fridström
Mattias Fridström—
There’s a certain kind of person who gets a little bit too excited about networks. Mattias is that guy. If he had a tattoo, it would be of a network. Mattias holds an MSc in Electrical Engineering from the University of Wollongong, Australia. He joined Telia in 1996 and has worked in a number of senior roles at Telia Carrier (now Arelion), most recently as CTO. Since July 2016 he has been Arelion's Chief Evangelist. Mattias’ passion isn’t limited to networks: He has played golf professionally and competed on a high level in both football and floor hockey.
Marina Otero Verzier
Marina Otero Verzier
Architect & Researcher—

Dr. Marina Otero Verzier is an architect and researcher. She is currently Dean’s Visiting Assistant Professor at Columbia University in New York City. In 2022 she received Harvard’s Wheelwright Prize for a project on the future of data storage.

 

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Her winning proposal Future Storage: Architectures to Host the Metaverse examines new architecture paradigms for storing data and how reimagining digital infrastructures could meet the unprecedented demands facing the world today.

Through field research, data collection, and prototype development, Marina Otero Verzier aims to publish the first open-source manual for global data center architecture design, featuring examples of ecological, sustainable, and egalitarian data storage models. By looking at cases in Australia, Chile, China, Iceland, Netherlands, Nigeria, Singapore, Sweden, and the United States, Marina Otero Verzier investigated spatial and material innovations. This work is especially urgent at a time when digital-data production is outpacing the scalability of today’s storage solutions, and AI usage is on the rise.

Listen to some of the previous episodes

Podcast
Season 4 - Episode 39

EP39: Data centers on the moon
Podcast
Season 4 - Episode 40

EP40: Edge computing, AI, cloud connectivity
Podcast
Season 4 - Episode 41

EP41: Social entrepreneurship in telecoms, challenging the incumbents
Podcast
Season 4 - Episode 42

EP42: Digital adoption, exponential technology’s impact on policymaking

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