UTC Swindon ‘Build a Data Centre’ Challenge Day

There’s nothing quite like seeing 40+ Year 10 and Year 12 students reimagine the future of data centre design – and that’s exactly what happened during a recent Challenge Day at UTC Swindon.

With just a brief to design and build a brand-new data centre from scratch, we saw ideas ranging from underground bunkers and triangular prisms to doughnut-shaped campuses and oil rig-style facilities. Safe to say, imagination was in no short supply.

Data centre location considerations

The first challenge of the day: where in the world would you build your data centre?

Students were encouraged to think beyond the obvious, weighing up everything from land value and construction costs to climate, political stability and the risk of natural disasters. While many opted for cooler Northern European locations, others pushed the boundaries, choosing places like Canada, Siberia, and even Egypt. Justifying these decisions was a key part of the task. Most chose to build near large bodies of water, either to harness renewable energy or to simplify cooling.

Designing with purpose

Once they’d chosen a location and refined their design, it was time to build, with cardboard, CAD, Minecraft, Roblox, or whatever else the students wanted to use.

Each team had to consider what their build would actually involve:

• What materials would they use?
• How would they fit the space out?
• Where would their power come from?
• How would they make their build more sustainable?

Security was also high on the agenda, from physical barriers to cybersecurity features.

Some students built entire power sources into their designs (nuclear stations and hydroelectric dams included), while others opted to plug into the grid with backup from solar, wind, or onsite generators. Almost all acknowledged how critical power resilience is to keep data centres running, and thought carefully about their contingency plans.

The business of building

Throughout the day, students kept an eye on their budgets. Costings ranged anywhere from £1 million to £500 million. It wasn’t about getting the numbers spot on, but about recognising how many different costs are involved in bringing a data centre to life – from power and infrastructure, to racks and staffing. And they really got it.

Presenting the vision

Towards the end of the day, students presented their final designs to a panel of employers, including two members of our own team, Laura Edmunds and Aaron Harrod.

Many had built physical models out of cardboard and other materials, while others used digital tools to bring their ideas to life.

At UTCs, it’s not unusual to see a mix of tech – from 3D design software to platforms like Minecraft and Roblox – and it’s a brilliant way to keep every student engaged.

A project for everyone

What makes days like this so powerful is that they don’t just speak to engineers or computer scientists. This is collaborative, multidisciplinary work.

Budding artists created architectural sketches. Mathematicians developed cost models. Future writers put together compelling business cases. Scientists explored the ins and outs of cooling and power systems. Everyone had a role to play – and that’s what makes it special.

We feel incredibly fortunate to be invited to events like these and to see the real-time impact that programmes like the Digital Futures Programme are having. They’re opening doors and planting seeds for the future.

Take Ursula, for example. She’s 14, already studying Systems at GCSE thanks to a nudge from her older brother (also at UTC Swindon), and after one careers fair, she’s now got her heart set on becoming a data centre technician once she finishes her A Levels. That’s the kind of spark these days can ignite!

If you’re interested to know more about the Digital Futures Programme and the schools that take part, drop us an email: connect@dataxconnect.com