Data Center Support Buildings: Power, Cooling and Security Structures in Denver

Switchgear rooms, generator yards and chiller plants decide whether a data hall stays online, and they are built with the same tolerance for failure as the hall itself, which is none. We build the support structures around data center campuses and enterprise server facilities in the Denver metro: electrical buildings, prefabricated power-block pads, generator enclosures, fuel storage containment, cooling plant buildings, security gatehouses, loading and staging buildings, and the warehouse space that holds spares.

These buildings are modest in size and heavy in coordination. A switchgear building is mostly a concrete box with exact floor penetrations, equipment pads set to the quarter-inch, cable trays, grounding grids and fire separation. A generator yard is slab, containment, sound walls and conduit. A security building is blast, ballistic or access-control rated, depending on the owner's program. None can be late, because the hall cannot energize until they are done.

We work for owners, developers and the engineering firms that design these campuses, as a builder who understands that the electrical equipment schedule, not the building, sets the critical path.

Why Support Buildings Cluster in the North and West Metro

Large technology and defense employers shape the demand for secure, power-dependent space. Broomfield's 2023 annual comprehensive financial report, as summarized publicly, lists Oracle America with 1,650 employees, Intermountain Health Care with 1,550 and BAE Systems with 1,100 as its three largest employers. Employers of that kind depend on resilient power and communications, and the buildings that carry those utilities have to be built to a higher standard than the offices they serve.

Beyond the corporate campuses, the metro offers rail, interstate and utility corridors that suit mission-critical facilities. Broomfield sits between Denver and Boulder along U.S. 36 and I-25, and owners in the data center industry who evaluate the metro weigh fiber routes, utility power access and the depth of the skilled trade base. We build the structures that make those sites work.

Code, Energy and Wind Resilience

Support buildings are permitted like any other commercial structure, but power and energy rules weigh heavily. Colorado HB22-1362 requires any county or municipality that updates a building code on or after July 1, 2023 to adopt an energy code at least as stringent as the 2021 IECC along with the state's model electric and solar ready code, and from July 1, 2026 the benchmark becomes the state's model low energy and carbon code. Cooling plants, lighting and envelope choices are reviewed against whichever edition the local jurisdiction uses.

Wind loading matters as well. The Marshall Fire of December 30, 2021 produced wind gusts up to 115 mph and forced evacuations in parts of Broomfield, a reminder that exterior equipment, roofs and enclosures should be detailed for the metro's wind and fire exposure. We specify tie-downs, non-combustible cladding and defensible clearances to match.

What We Build Around the Hall

The scope usually begins with equipment pads and foundations for generators, transformers, switchgear and cooling equipment, followed by electrical rooms, battery rooms and chiller buildings. We pour housekeeping pads, trenches and duct banks for the power and fiber runs, and coordinate equipment setting with the manufacturers' crews. Detailed work on underground electrical duct banks and yard lighting and electrical site work overlaps with this package.

Above grade we build masonry or insulated metal panel enclosures, sound walls around generators, fuel containment, security gatehouses, perimeter fencing and vehicle barriers. Our fencing and security integration scope covers gates, cameras and access control rough-in. Inside, we coordinate cable tray, grounding, lighting and fire protection so the commissioning team inherits clean rooms.

Equipment Lead Times Set the Schedule

Switchgear, generators and transformers can carry the longest lead times on the project, and a building that finishes early sits empty until the equipment arrives. We build the schedule backward from the delivery dates, release foundation work to match, and protect the pad and enclosure from weather until the equipment is set. Our long-lead procurement management practice tracks submittals, factory tests and shipping dates so surprises surface early.

Winter concrete protection and utility coordination often occupy the schedule's middle. Utility service energization, inspection windows and owner commissioning tests are sequenced with the electrical contractor, and we keep finished rooms clean and sealed to avoid dust in energized equipment.

Inspections cluster at the end of these jobs: structural, electrical, fire alarm, fire suppression and final building inspections can all fall within the same few weeks. We pre-inspect our own work, assemble test reports and closeout documents as we go, and request inspections in the order that releases the next trade, so the final stretch does not become a bottleneck for energization or for the owner's commissioning agent.

Clean Work Around Energized Equipment

Support buildings often sit beside energized or soon-to-be-energized gear. We follow lockout and tagout procedures, maintain approach distances, control dust and moisture in electrical rooms and keep cranes clear of overhead lines. Crane lifts of switchgear, generators and transformers are planned with lift engineers and ground-bearing checks, since an overturned pick can destroy equipment worth more than the building.

Security protocols apply to every crew on site, too. Badging, vehicle screening, escorted deliveries and photography limits are routine on data center campuses, and we brief every worker before they enter. We also coordinate with the owner's safety group on hot work and confined-space permits in manholes and vaults.

Connecting Support Buildings to the Main Facility

The support buildings are the sibling of the main hall, which we cover under data center construction, and the same project teams often manage both. Owners asking for a data center building frequently split procurement so the support structures start early and ready the site for the main shell.

Get the Power and Cooling Buildings Right

Send us the equipment list, the site plan and the target energization date. We will build a schedule around your lead times and price the structures as a package.

Common Questions

Which comes first, the support building or the equipment?

The foundation and building shell usually go first, so the structure is ready when equipment arrives. We coordinate with manufacturers on pad tolerances, embedded plates and rigging paths. If the equipment is late, we protect the open building and keep the pad covered.

Can support buildings be prefabricated?

Many are. Prefabricated electrical rooms and power skids shorten field time and arrive tested, but they still need engineered foundations, utility connections and craning. We evaluate site-built versus prefabricated for each building, based on schedule, site access and the owner's standards.

How do you handle security on a secure campus?

We comply with the owner's badging, escort and vehicle rules and brief every worker before they begin. Deliveries are scheduled and screened, and photography is restricted. We plan our laydown and trailer locations to match the owner's security perimeter.

What energy code applies to a support building?

The code edition adopted by the city or county where the site sits. Colorado's HB22-1362 sets minimum energy benchmarks that jurisdictions must meet when they update building codes, and local amendments may add requirements. We confirm the applicable edition early and design the envelope and cooling plant accordingly.

Can the same crew build the support buildings and the main hall?

Yes, and it often saves time because the site logistics, safety program and inspection relationships carry over. Owners also split the packages so the support buildings start early, which lets pads and equipment rooms be ready ahead of the main shell. We structure the contract to fit your procurement approach.

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