In this new Employee Spotlight, Design Associate Nelly Koch shares how the modular, scalable approach from Edged is built to meet the power and performance demands of the AI era
Behind every Edged data center is a design philosophy built for speed, scale and the future of AI. In this spotlight, designer Nelly Koch takes us inside her process and explains how thoughtful architecture and engineering come together to shape the AI-ready campuses of tomorrow.
AI has greatly shifted how we approach design. Higher rack densities mean we need more flexible cooling strategies and smarter power distribution. It’s pushed us to rethink our template buildings to handle these demands without losing efficiency. We’re iterating faster, while collaborating closely with our mechanical and electrical teams, and constantly refining our layouts to try and stay ahead of what’s coming next.
All our buildings are designed to be as sustainable as possible. This means using all the technology available from our sister companies. ThermalWorks’ cooling systems are integral to our designs, allowing us to deploy both air and liquid cooling, all without consuming any water.
Our strategy at Edged centers around modular/scalable design. We always start with the technical components, such as power and cooling. The space required by that equipment, in a sense, shapes the rest of the building. Then we look at how we want the building to scale, as that drives the design of the individual electrical and mechanical systems, as well as the structure of the building itself.
Prefab buildings, especially prefab modules are probably the most fascinating new idea out there, for me on a personal level. Designing and delivering a pre-vetted kit of parts to be delivered onsite, more or less ready to go, is such a cool concept. It allows you to control quality in a factory setting and minimize disruption on-site, which in turn speeds up project delivery and massively reduces waste, both of material and time.
Working at Edged gives me the flexibility to live and work the way I love, where I love being. I am able to live in the mountains, while still traveling to sites and staying connected with coworkers. It also gives me the ability to balance my passion for skiing and hiking. Endeavour aims to preserve the environment through technology, so I really appreciate the fact that working here gives me the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors fully. Our data centers will help keep snow in the mountains for years to come.
Edged also gives me space to contribute beyond my day-to-day projects as an officer in Endeavour Women in Tech (EWIT). I’m really passionate about mentorship and helping more women see themselves in technical and leadership roles. It’s something the company truly supports, not just in words but in action, and that means a lot.
