Research, analysis, and perspectives on the built world.
Immersion cooling moves heat from chips to fluid rather than air, enabling power densities that conventional air cooling cannot reach. This guide explains single-phase versus two-phase systems, infrastructure implications for developers, vendor options in 2026, and the limitations that need to be modeled before committing to immersion in a new build.
June 13, 2026
BIM is the coordination backbone for data center construction, enabling clash detection, MEP coordination, and prefabrication support in projects where system density makes conflicts expensive. This guide covers the core BIM use cases, where AI adds value in 2026, practical limitations, and how developers should define BIM requirements before project kickoff.
June 13, 2026 ·5 min read
O&M handoff transfers custody, documentation, warranties, and maintenance data from developer to operator. Poor handoffs leave operators reconstructing asset registers and missing warranty claims for months. This guide covers the five key documentation packages, where AI helps compile and verify handoff data, and the contract obligations developers should include to enforce handoff quality.
June 13, 2026 ·5 min read
As of June 2026, 14 US states are considering or have implemented data center construction restrictions, with New York passing a one-year statewide moratorium. This piece explains the three forces driving the wave, what the restrictions look like in practice, and why regulatory risk now belongs in the first pass of site selection diligence.
June 12, 2026 ·4 min read
Speculative data center development has become a defining feature of the AI infrastructure cycle, with developers breaking ground on powered shells before hyperscale tenants sign. This piece covers why the spec build model is rational given grid constraints, how capital is structured without pre-leasing, and the three failure modes that break the model.
June 12, 2026 ·5 min read
Data center site acquisition has changed structurally: developers who win are completing substantive power and regulatory screening before signing LOIs. This post breaks down the five-step pre-LOI workflow, from geospatial power screening to LOI structure, and explains what AI can automate versus what requires human judgment.
June 12, 2026 ·5 min read
Brownfield and infill sites are back in the hunt because power, permitting and community alignment matter more than raw acreage. The winning sites already have industrial history, utility access and enough room for phased expansion.
June 10, 2026 ·5 min read
Microsoft’s zero-water cooling design shows where the market is headed, with lower water use and new siting options. The real question is where the technology is ready today and where it remains early.
June 10, 2026 ·4 min read
Large load tariffs are now a core diligence item for data center developers because they determine rate class, cost allocation, collateral and exit risk. This guide shows the review order, what AI can monitor and where humans still need to sign off.
June 10, 2026 ·4 min read
Water strategy is now a site control issue for data center developers. This piece explains how cooling choice, water rights, drought exposure and permitting interact before a site is under contract.
June 10, 2026 ·4 min read