Our new FRN2 data centre is now at the point where the project is starting to look real on site – the steel structure is up, the stair steelwork and precast units are nearly in place, the architectural metalwork has been fitted into the frame, and the faceted roof structure is taking shape. This tangible progress bucks the well-publicised construction challenges that the wider data centre industry has faced and marks a significant step forward in our commitment to delivering in-demand data centre capacity in a timely and sustainable manner.
FRN2 data centre construction – an update
Posted on in News
Taking shape
More than what you can see on site
With a construction project of this size, this visible progress is only part of the story. By the time steel structures, slabs and rooflines are visible on site, months of planning, surveys, design work and coordination have already happened behind the scenes.
Following the RIBA Plan of Work (an eight-stage planning framework for managing building projects in the UK), nothing much is visible to the outside world until Stage 5. That can make construction look sudden when it is anything but – the physical build now on show is really just the tip of the iceberg.
The groundwork
Before anything was visible on site, FRN2 moved through the early stages that set the project up properly – strategic planning, site appraisals, budget reviews and risk assessment. This was followed by briefing, feasibility studies and programme planning, before progressing through concept design, spatial coordination and technical design. This meant securing planning approvals, carrying out surveys and site investigations, developing the design in detail, procuring contractors and setting up the site for construction, none of which are particularly photogenic – but without these elements, the visible construction phase wouldn’t be possible.
Moving into the construction phase
Once the project reached Stage 5 of the RIBA framework (manufacturing and construction), the pace of visible change increased. The site was cleared and prepared, earthworks began, and drainage and below-ground infrastructure were installed, including incoming utility corridors and attenuation tanks. Foundations and retaining structures followed, then the concrete works for slabs, plinths and other structural elements.
After that came the anchor bolts for the steel columns, the steel frame itself, followed now by the installation of the stair steelwork, the addition of precast units, and the fitting of architectural metalwork. At FRN2, the frame has gone up quickly, and the building’s curved form is now starting to emerge. The latest activity has changed the look of the site at speed and with the roof construction now beginning, FRN2 is moving into its next clear phase.
What comes next
FRN2 is still very much a live construction project, but the shape of what is coming is now clear. What was, for a long time, mostly hidden in drawings, surveys, technical packages and enabling works is now becoming a physical building. And with FRN2 due to go live in 2027, our MCR2 data centre in Manchester, launched in June 2025, will soon be the older sibling in the Datum family. If you would like to see that growth up close, get in touch or come and visit us at our Farnborough and Manchester data centre sites.