We’ve been reasonably quiet with the #BuildBlog of late, with focus squarely on the deployment of additional capacity at London East, leaving little room for deep dives into progress (unfortunately!).
But we’re now back with this latest instalment, as we begin tracking progress on Data Halls 3 and 4.
Looking back on our last instalment of the build blog, Data Hall 2 was still very much under construction. This space is now fully fitted out as a private data hall for a single client, and is now under occupancy.
We’ve also got plenty of other updates to report across a range of areas within our London East facility, thanks to an ongoing development programme which extends beyond footprint capacity alone.
Let’s move onto the update photos. This first set were actually taken back in June, however the next instalment of the build blog ended up getting significantly delayed, so here they are:
This was the view across Pod 1 in Data Hall 2, as of June 2024The view across Pod 2, again in June 2024This is the A-side ODF in Data Hall 2 being pre-staged in the summerThe view across to ODF B, as works continued in Data Hall 2 this summerThe checker plate bash protection was also fitted to the perimeter of Data Hall 2 around this time – this is the view of ODF A being pre-stagedPre-staging the ODF enclosures allows for a speedier fit-out once the cabling process beginsSome of the control system cabling is being run overhead hereA view across Data Hall 2 as pre-containment works concludeThis view of LV Room B shows another UPS being rolled into place, ready to support Data Hall 3 in the near futureHere we see the A-side ODF in Data Hall 2 with some initial flood cabling underway, prior to termination – these are management cables, responsible for things like monitoring systems and CCTVThis is the internal view of a CREC control system unit, with the front cover and control screen removed, as internal terminations conclude ahead of commissioningData Hall 2 just prior to having the racks and containment rolled in for assemblyWe jump forwards slightly here, to a view across the now assembled Pods 1 and 2 in Data Hall 2 – this is taken from the rear of the hall, showing the custom layout for this client (the reasons for which will become clear further down in this post)
Now we can catch up in time to where things stand today, with the next run of photos from the past couple of weeks – apologies for any gaps in progress, we’ve been very busy!
Here we see Pod 1 inside of Data Hall 2, which is now handling live servicesThis is a custom, installed-to-request workbench area for the private tenant of Data Hall 2, which sits behind the shortened Pod 2Having access to your own private data hall allows for additional deployment options, such as these storage cabinets for spare componentsThis view across to Pod 2 in Data Hall 2 shows the inter-pod cable ladder in place, which is now handling active connections for this tenantThis is a view of both live pods in Data Hall 2, ahead of some final finishing touches, such as the pod door vinyls and some custom lighting options as selected by the clientHere we see the rear of Row D in Data Hall 1 – the next wave of racks will be deployed as part of Data Halls 3 and 4 in Q1 2024; we now have very limited availability, so get in touch early if you need assistance with spaceThe ground floor is in full development mode, as general non-essential access is now closedAs part of the next phase of development, works are now well underway for bringing Data Hall 4 online, with 3 to follow shortly thereafter – here we see one of the many cable drums in Data Hall 4, as it is prepared for installationThe ground floor arterial corridor for power cabling is now being filled with the critical power routes required for the next two halls at London EastThese routes support diverse critical power runs for rack PDUs, as well as supporting power for mechanical systemsThis is a cable entry aperture into Data Hall 4, which has been skinned to allow for easy fire sealing once all cabling has been finalisedHere are the CRECs in place for Data Hall 4, including all of the custom containment and blanking for the additional unit positions, matching the design for Halls 1 and 2The rear-facing air intake louvres have been cut in for both Halls 3 and 4, ahead of system commissioning in due courseHaving additional UPS systems in pre-staging will speed along the deployment time for Halls 3 and 4This view inside of LV Room A shows one of the newly arrived UPS systems undergoing some staging works, with internal access granted via removal of a side panelWe’ve also undertaken a round of improvement works in the front compound – we now have on-site EV charging via our fast-charger, which will be available for use very soonWe’ve also now marked out parking bays, and installed some Armco to better guide client movements in the front compound, and to protect the sliding vehicle gate more comprehensivelyOur loading bay has had some storage upgrades, including this full-height pallet racking wall, which has been loaded up with components to form part of our future expansion phasesWe’ve developed a custom storage solution for our APC PDUs, with some of our on-site stock shown here making use of this new hanging systemWe now have direct internal roof access, via this custom hatch, which has a detachable ladder system, for easy and quick personnel access to the roof for inspection of our hot air escape routesEach floor now has a dedicated waste handling area, allowing clients to dispose of both general waste and recyclables with greater easeAll toilets within the facility now have Dyson hand dryers, something we have carried across from our London Central facility – these are on backlit standoffs for an added luxury finishOur custom check in system has now been live across both of our facilities for a little while, with the introduction of our new QR code system – this has been performing well for clients, representing a massive improvement over the previous systemOur reception area now has the same Naturewall cladding as our Build and Break Area, and as found in some other common areas, to continue through this visual motifThis also effectively boxes in some major cabling routes, which is always welcomed over having such things on display in reception
As you can see, despite the delay in getting this build blog instalment posted, we’ve been rather busy.
We’ll continue to get our head down with development work on the run up to the new year, as demand for our services remains exceptionally high. We hope to have another update prepared for our avid readers in the next couple of months.
We also have some further news on the horizon with regards to continued expansion, which we hope to be releasing early next year. Needless to say, we’re very excited for what 2024 will bring.
