Future-tech, a leading consultancy in mission-critical infrastructure, is proud to announce its role as lead consultant, architect, and MEP designer for Durham University’s £250 million Aykley Heads Data Centre. This state-of-the-art facility will house a supercomputer, supporting advanced research, high-performance computing (HPC), and data-intensive applications.
Located within Durham’s Innovation District, the Aykley Heads Data Centre is designed to enhance the university’s computational capabilities while fostering collaboration with businesses and research institutions. The facility will feature a data hall, public education space, offices, generators, and a delivery bay, ensuring a comprehensive infrastructure for cutting-edge computing.
Future-tech’s expertise in architectural data centre design, critical systems engineering, and sustainability has been instrumental in shaping the project’s foundation. The company has leveraged its industry-leading capabilities in site selection, strategic planning, and high-performance systems implementation to ensure the development meets the development meets the highest standards of efficiency, security, and environmental responsibility.
“Durham University’s Aykley Heads Data Centre represents a significant advancement in high-performance computing, and Future-tech is proud to contribute its expertise to this transformative project,” said James Wilman, CEO at Future-tech. “Our commitment to resilient, scalable, and sustainable data centre design ensures the facility will support the evolving demands of research and innovation.”
Engineering Excellence & HPC-Optimised Infrastructure
Future-tech has been at the forefront of designing high-performance environments tailored to the needs of supercomputing, AI-driven workloads, and advanced research applications. The company’s contributions to Aykley Heads Data Centre reflect its leadership in the following critical areas:
- Supercomputer Infrastructure – Designing a facility optimised for large-scale computational workloads, incorporating ultra-high power densities, advanced thermal management, and low-latency architectures.
- Liquid Cooling Systems – Engineering next-generation data centre cooling solutions, including immersion and direct-to-chip liquid cooling, to maintain operational stability and reduce energy consumption in high-performance computing clusters.
- Advanced Power Distribution & Redundancy – Implementing scalable power distribution systems to support fluctuating workloads while ensuring maximum uptime and resilience.
- Sustainable Data Centre Practices – Aligning infrastructure with industry-leading energy efficiency strategies, leveraging liquid cooling to improve thermal dissipation while reducing water and electricity consumption.
Advanced CFD Modelling & 3D Visualisation
Future-tech has integrated Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) modelling and 3D architectural visualisation into the design process for Aykley Heads Data Centre, ensuring optimal airflow management, thermal efficiency, and structural integrity.
- External CFD Modelling – Future-tech has conducted extensive CFD simulations to analyse airflow patterns, heat dissipation, and cooling efficiency across the facility. These simulations have informed the placement of high-density compute zones, ensuring maximum thermal performance while reducing energy consumption.
- 3D Visualisation & Rendering – Leveraging advanced 3D modelling and architectural rendering, Future-tech has developed high-fidelity visualisations of the data centre’s design, allowing stakeholders to assess spatial layouts, cooling infrastructure, and operational workflows before construction begins.
- Optimised Airflow & Thermal Management – CFD modelling has enabled Future-tech to refine airflow pathways, ensuring efficient cooling distribution and minimising hotspots within high-density compute environments.
Regional & Economic Impact
The Aykley Heads Data Centre is expected to attract data-intensive businesses, creating high-value jobs and supporting the local and regional economy. The facility will integrate low-carbon technologies, including heat storage and connection to a heat network, reinforcing Future-tech’s commitment to sustainable infrastructure.
Future-tech’s Track Record in Hyperscale & HPC Developments
Future-tech has played a pivotal role in delivering some of the most advanced hyperscale and HPC data centres globally, reinforcing its reputation for excellence. Beyond Aykley Heads Data Centre, the company has led mission-critical developments such as:
- Humber Tech Park – A £3 billion AI-focused hyperscale facility designed to support AI model training and high-performance computing. Future-tech led the architectural design and critical systems engineering, ensuring optimal energy efficiency, resilience, and scalability.
- Abbots Langley Data Centre – A £1 billion hyperscale facility designed to meet the growing demand for secure, AI-capable infrastructure. Future-tech spearheaded the architectural design and critical systems engineering, incorporating liquid cooling, redundancy planning, and optimised energy efficiency to ensure long-term scalability.
Through its expertise in engineering, consultancy, and project management, Future-tech remains at the forefront of global data centre innovation, providing world-class data centre solutions tailored to the evolving demands of high-performance computing and artificial intelligence.
More information on the Durham University Data Centre development can be found here: https://www.durham.ac.uk/about-us/estate-development/data-centre/
For further information on Future-tech’s involvement in Aykley Heads Data Centre, please contact info@future-tech.co.uk