Working on groundbreaking Data Centres: Gijs’ story

When you walk through a data centre, you mostly see technology: cables, cooling, and steel. What you usually don't see are the people behind these complex buildings. At Haskoning, it’s all about that collaboration. The Dietzenbach Data Centre is the perfect example: a place where technology, strategy, sustainability, and international cooperation converge. Gijs Joosen, who worked on this project, tells us more.

Dietzenbach Data Centre: multidisciplinary power under time pressure

For Gijs, Architect and Leading Professional in Parametric Design, the Dietzenbach Data Centre is exactly the type of project that showcases what makes our work unique. It demonstrates how we function as an organization: multidisciplinary, international, technically complex, and incredibly dynamic.

The challenge was enormous: the client was hesitant about the location, and there were only six weeks to move from that doubt to a full building permit. “Virtually impossible,” says Gijs. “But with the strength of our international engineers and designers, we made it happen. The team calculated hundreds of variants and used digital tools, parametric models, and analyses to provide insight into possible configurations.”

At the same time, the focus wasn't just on technology. “Sustainability played a major role,” Gijs explains.“We implemented green facades, biodiversity elements, and demountable structures - choices made out of conviction and craftsmanship, not because the client explicitly asked for them, but because it’s truly part of our mission. That’s what I love about Haskoning

 

International and dynamic: the standard within MCF

What characterizes the work at our Data Centre group -also known as Mission Critical Facilities (MCF)- is the international project culture. Dietzenbach is a perfect example: teams from the Netherlands, Germany, and England collaborated intensively, forming ever-changing project teams.

“It’s not a long-term secondment,” Gijs explains, “but you are working internationally every single day. That is the standard within MCF. You work in temporary teams with an enormous variety of disciplines, from fire safety experts to energy engineers. You’re constantly getting to know new cultures and people while working on groundbreaking puzzles. It literally makes your perspective limitless.”

The power of the combination: technology and expertise

According to Gijs, the real value of Haskoning lies in the combination of advanced technology and human domain knowledge. “Technology alone is never enough; you need specialists who understand what makes sense both technically and economically. That reliability is essential: if we say something will work, it will work.”