Compass Datacenters
Leveraging offsite construction to help clients expand rapidly
U.S.-based Compass Datacenters has taken a unique approach to data center design and development, prioritizing efficiency and sustainability factors. The company leverages offsite construction to deliver new projects quickly and to help its hyperscaler clients scale more easily.
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Using “built to last” as a strategic anchor
Data centers are sometimes referred to as the central nervous system of the modern economy, and it’s clear they will be critical for the foreseeable future. That’s why “built to last” is a strategic anchor for Dallas-based Compass Datacenters. Telecom and data industry veteran Chris Crosby founded the company in 2011 with a focus on large, purpose-built data center campuses.
Leveraging offsite manufacturing
Compass manufactures most of its data center components offsite, an innovative approach that prioritizes efficiency and sustainability. Designing and configuring new data centers from a standard kit-of-parts helps Compass better control the quality and pace of construction while also providing the flexibility its clients need. The result: Compass is able to deliver new data centers quickly into a rapidly growing market, and its clients can scale more easily as their needs change.
Offsite manufacturing enables Compass to significantly reduce construction waste and improve worker safety. It has also given the company an advantage in building a diverse workforce in an industry where attracting talent can be a challenge. Crosby says Compass has been able to attract more women than would have been the case if it relied on traditional construction. In mid-2024, all of its construction managers in the U.S. were women.
Building with sustainability in mind
The built-to-last philosophy also helps Compass with sustainability decisions. For instance, the company uses both AI and a special carbon-sequestering technology to produce concrete on-site, reducing emissions. It employs only water-free cooling. It has invested in long-lasting low-carbon roofing materials for all its centers and uses hydrotreated vegetable oil instead of diesel fuel to power its generators.
Since it built its first data center in the southern U.S., Compass has grown to more than 20 data center campuses in four countries. Ontario Teachers’ first invested in Compass in 2016, attracted to the company’s innovative design approach and speed-to-market as well as its focus on single-tenant mega-campuses.
The fact of the matter is the places that have data centers are going to be the economies that thrive.
