Metropolis Magazine Interview

An Online World That Doesn’t Destroy The Real One, Metropolis Magazine, Audrey Gray

Excerpts from the article:

“Demand is spiking and it’s getting worse,” says Lee. “It’s time for us to take action.”

Drs. Julie Kriegh (lead instructor) and Chris Lee with Jan Whittington, UW College of Built Environments colleagues, spent 2020 doing just that, leading a multidisciplinary studio that challenged architecture students from UW, the University of Arizona, and the University of Pennsylvania to reimagine the modern data center, from design and material use to the role DCs play in our communities, all with the intent of getting to net zero any way they could. Google sponsored the course, offering funding and visiting advisors, and Microsoft hosted a kick-off workshop and sent DC experts to review the students’ work as well.

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We were looking for ways to turn a problem into a solution,” says Kriegh, an architect and UW affiliate professor, who brought Passive House experience and an expertise in sustainability tipping points to the class. “These companies are so large and data center growth is so rapid, they can drive the market with demand for lower-carbon materials,” she says.

Audrey Gray, An Online World That Doesn’t Destroy the Real One, Metropolis

Also, enjoy this podcast in which reporter Audrey Gray speaks to Drs. Julie Kriegh, PhD, AIA and Hyun Woo (Chris) Lee about the course and the sustainable future of Data Centers.