Data center

A method of making a multi-level data center building comprising a building envelope and a plurality of data levels, the method comprising:

• creating each data level by defining on a floor of a building:
• at least twenty rack storage areas, each rack storage area being arranged to accommodate a row of at least ten server racks each capable of accommodating at least twenty servers, the rack storage areas separating alternating hot aisles and cold aisles;
• and,
• a cold air supply corridor for transporting cold air from air handling units to the cold aisles and for providing personnel access to the cold aisles, the cold air supply corridor being in fluid communication with the cold aisles through openings arranged along a first side of the cold air supply corridor;
• installing on each floor a plurality of air handling units for supplying cooling air to the servers via the cold aisles, each air handling unit comprising an adiabatic cooling unit;
• forming within each data level a warm air return path for transporting warm air from the hot aisles to the air handling units;
• forming in the building envelope at each data level:
• a plurality of intake openings each comprising a controllable intake vent for admitting ambient air into the data center building, wherein each controllable intake vent is in fluid communication with an air handling unit, and wherein each air handling unit is in fluid communication with at least one intake vent;
• and
• a plurality of outlet openings each comprising a controllable outlet vent for exhausting air out of the data center building, wherein each controllable outlet vent is in fluid communication with the warm air return path;
• and forming outside the building envelope an exhaust conduit for receiving warm air from at least one controllable outlet vent of each of the plurality of levels;
• wherein the rack storage areas, cold aisles, hot aisles, cold air supply corridor, warm air return path, and the air handling units are positioned within the building envelope.