Hatem Attia, Director of Engineering at DCI Data Centers, on navigating high-density tech shifts and building for an unpredictable digital future
DCI
Hatem Attia, Director of Engineering at DCI Data Centers, on navigating high-density tech shifts and building for an unpredictable digital future
Data centres are the pinnacle of building engineering design. Where standard commercial architecture allows a margin for error, digital infrastructure demands absolute precision. Get an assumption wrong in an office block and it might go unnoticed for years – but get it wrong in a data centre and the flaw will surface within months, bringing down critical global systems with it.
For Hatem Attia, Director of Engineering for DCI Data Centers, that high-stakes reality isn’ t a deterrent – it’ s the entire drawcard. Leading the design and engineering function across the firm’ s Asia Pacific portfolio, his fascination with the sector stems from its sheer intolerance for miscalculation.
“ Data centre engineering is about designing for resilience and uptime, with tolerances that don’ t forgive you,” he explains.“ If you get an assumption wrong in a commercial building, chances are nobody will notice, but if you get it wrong in a data centre, this issue will surface in the first year. So, it’ s been challenging but that’ s why I feel it’ s the pinnacle of building engineering design. I’ m hooked on data centre design.”
Hatem’ s journey into the sector wasn’ t immediate, but it proved transformative.
4 dcidatacenters. com