Data centers have quickly become critical utilities for the world’s cities because of the booming demand for computing power, generative AI, and other advanced technologies. To keep up, data providers are building these facilities at a rapid clip. One key challenge developers face is the amount of energy required to power these massive computing centers. Without new innovations, they will continue to generate unsustainable amounts of carbon.

To make data centers more sustainable, Microsoft has turned to mass timber construction because of its potential to significantly reduce carbon emissions. Gensler partnered with Thornton Tomasetti to build two groundbreaking mass timber hyperscale data centers for the company in Virginia. The facilities will also feature a new look and feel for both interiors and exteriors that celebrates the use of timber and creates an environment of wellness for their employees.

With these first-of-their-kind hybrid mass timber facilities, Microsoft is driving the future of sustainable data center construction forward. A hybrid cross-laminated timber (CLT) construction system will lower the development’s embodied carbon by 35% compared to conventional steel and by 65% compared to typical precast concrete. Microsoft’s hybrid datacenters are helping the company close the gap between its ambitious sustainability goals and the current demand for data.