Operating world-class hyperscale data centers in China, our strategic investment partner, Chayora, has over a decade 
of professional experience in data center construction and operation. Tina 
Tsui, Chayora Marketing Director, takes a closer look at how Chayora achieved a record-setting delivery of a build-to-suit data center for a global hyperscaler. Learn more below:
Project Overview: This project aimed to build a reliable and efficient hyperscale Build-To-Suit data center in greater Shanghai for a leading Internet company, supporting its continuous business growth and dynamic operations. From conceptual design to civil construction, the Chayora team leveraged deep industry expertise, sophisticated project management, quick decision-making, and proactive communication and collaboration to deliver the premium-built five-story data center in just over 7 months, establishing a new benchmark in the industry. The project featured an innovative air-liquid compatible HVAC system, offering customers highly versatile configurations and flexible expansion capabilities to meet their high standards and adaptability needs. After delivery, the data center successfully supported the customer during peak business periods, ensuring seamless continuity and expansion of their operations.
“Throughout the project, Chayora demonstrated exceptional professionalism and dedication. They remained on-site day and night, including weekends, working overtime to meet the deadlines. Despite facing extreme weather challenges like scorching heat, plum rains, and typhoons, they persevered and successfully delivered the project on time with high quality in just over 7 months. We sincerely appreciate the leadership and project team at Chayora for their strong support. Their hard work and ingenuity turned what seemed like an impossible task into a reality, setting a new standard in data center construction and delivery.” – A Leading Hyperscale Customer
Key Challenges: The main challenge of this project was delivering a high-quality, scalable hyperscale data center on an extremely tight timeline while meeting the high standards and specifications of this leading Internet company. The client expected the data center to remain agile and at the forefront of technological advancements. Chayora optimized the design and construction process to meet these needs, introduced refined cross-construction project management, and implemented an efficient air-liquid compatible HVAC system.
This approach provided the customer with broad customization options and flexible expansion, addressing their dynamic business needs economically and efficiently. The Chayora team demonstrated excellent teamwork and precision execution to achieve the goal of ultrafast delivery. Finally, the team completed the design, construction, and delivery of a five-story hyperscale Build-To-Suit data center in just over seven months. Throughout the project, the team ensured that the data center fully met the customer’s high standards for quality and performance and successfully overcame operational and maintenance challenges, including extreme weather conditions like typhoons. This dedication supported the continuity and growth of the customer’s business.
Solution: Chayora delivered a world-class, hyperscale Build-To-Suit data center tailored to the specific needs of this client through seamlessly integrating deep technical expertise with optimized project management processes. Its solution included a high-standard electromechanical design, an innovative air-liquid compatible HVAC system, and a strong focus on data center reliability, security, and scalability. To meet the customer’s stringent performance requirements, going from inception to completion in an extremely short timeframe, the project included enhanced management and construction processes, and Chayora’s operations team was involved from the outset, ensuring a smooth transition from design to long-term operations, thus laying a solid foundation for reliable ongoing maintenance. Also, Chayora’s team members were stationed on-site for extended periods, fully committed to delivering premium services daily and responding promptly and effectively to any issues. This approach fostered and cemented a collaborative, win-win partnership with the customer.
1. Technological Innovation:
- Electromechanical Innovation: Chayora adopted industry-leading electromechanical design standards to ensure efficient and reliable data center operation, providing a solid foundation for the continuity of the customer’s business operations. We worked closely with local authorities, engaged early in the mechanical and electrical construction, and implemented a more efficient cross-operation between civil engineering and mechanical systems. Such an approach has preserved the independent system design and significantly shortened the project delivery cycle.
- Hybrid Cooling: Our innovative air-liquid compatible HVAC system maximized energy efficiency while maintaining higher system redundancy, boosting the data center’s reliability and scalability. This design also enhances the data center’s flexibility, simplifying future dynamic refresh due to technological changes or evolving business needs.
- Safety & Security: Chayora has demonstrated innovation in security management by implementing advanced protocols and innovative strategies. These measures comprehensively ensure physical and network security, meeting the customer’s stringent security requirements. We also strongly emphasized on-site safety during construction, creating detailed inspection rules to ensure the effective implementation of safety measures. Moreover, we fostered a safety culture across all project teams, ensuring compliance with safety rules, preventing accidents, and protecting the safety of personnel.
2. Win-Win Collaboration:
- Elite Team: Chayora’s team brings together industry experts with diverse backgrounds and a broad international perspective. Their excellent skills, performance, and teamwork throughout the key stages of design, construction, and operations earned the trust and high recognition of the customer.
- Deep Cooperation: Committed to fostering long-term partnerships with the customer based on transparency and trust, Chayora engaged in active communication, information sharing, resource integration, and preventive risk management. This approach has allowed the team to efficiently overcome various project challenges and ensure on-time delivery and smooth implementation.
- 100% All-In: To meet the unique needs of Build-to-Suit hyperscale data center customers, Chayora team members remained on-site for extended periods, fully immersing themselves in their daily deliverables and providing the best service to the customer. Going above and beyond, we also actively learned and anticipated customer’s potential needs, adjusting our plans through proactive communication and strategic planning. When challenges arose, our team responded swiftly, made quick decisions, and executed effectively, fostering a collaborative, win-win, trusted relationship with the customer.
3. Project Management:
- Time Management: Faced with the incredibly tight timeline of delivering the project from inception in just 7 months, Chayora showcased refined project control capabilities. We optimized the construction interface, refined the drawings, and implemented dynamic adjustments and ultra-fine rolling plans to stay flexible and adapt to evolving project requirements. Through the daily morning and evening meetings, we closely monitored and resolved issues in real-time, ensuring smooth progress on-site and effective coordination across construction teams. Additionally, we worked closely with local authorities, engaged early in the mechanical and electrical construction, and implemented a more efficient cross-operation between civil engineering and mechanical systems. Ultimately, not only was the five-story hyperscale Build-To-Suit data center delivered on time, but we had also completed the on-site construction more than 10 days ahead of schedule which gave us additional time to polish the finer project details, demonstrating the team’s exceptional project management skills and efficient execution.
- Overcoming Challenges: Despite the dual pressure of a highly compressed project timeline and strict quality requirements, the Chayora team showcased exceptional problem-solving capabilities. By proactively identifying and analyzing potential construction risks and challenges, we implemented targeted solutions such as specialized facade insulation techniques to accelerate the construction schedule and using new materials for interior plastering, which improved efficiency and reduced costs. In electromechanical and civil engineering, we adopted innovative cross-construction methods, enabling concurrent operations and significantly shortening the project delivery timeline. These forward-thinking strategies addressed customers’ needs for scalable, air & liquid cooling compatible data center systems. They ensured that the project stayed on track for timely and high-quality delivery, reflecting the team’s unwavering commitment to excellence and ability to tackle challenges head-on. Through these efforts, we successfully overcame the obstacles of a tight construction schedule and demanding tasks, ensuring the project was delivered smoothly and on time.
- Quality Control: Chayora implemented a robust quality management system throughout the project to ensure that every aspect of construction, from product delivery to on-site work, adhered to the highest standards. We conducted rigorous quality control checks and safety inspections on all incoming materials and equipment, addressing potential issues before they could arise and preventing delays. Our comprehensive management system includes cost control measures, routine inspections, thorough testing, and the creation of a shared quality issue database, ensuring that both construction quality and project timelines are consistently upheld.
- Cost Control: Chayora has effectively managed the delivery of materials and equipment through close collaboration and detailed demand analysis with the customer. Our thorough approach allows us to promptly address and resolve any issues identified during inspections, helping to control project costs and prevent additional expenses arising from quality concerns. Our quality management system is standardized and comprehensive, ensuring the project adheres to established processes and standards while maintaining strict cost control.
4. Operations Excellence:
- Proactive Involvement: Chayora’s Operations and Maintenance (O&M) team has been involved from the beginning and plays a key role throughout the project. Focusing on long-term operational effectiveness, we ensure that the O&M team is actively engaged in suggesting optimizations to ensure a smooth transition from design and construction to operations. Faced with tight delivery deadlines, the team overcame challenges such as cross-testing and coordinated operations and maintenance to ensure efficient operations, business continuity, and the long-term maintainability of the data center.
- Comprehensive Incident Response Plan: Chayora has developed a robust incident response mechanism to ensure the data center remains operational and can recover swiftly in potential risks or emergencies. This system covers critical areas such as disaster recovery, business continuity, power supply, environmental control, network security, physical security, and personnel safety, providing a solid foundation for the stable and reliable operation of the data center.
- Peace of Mind: Chayora’s operations are guided by a comprehensive Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) system, ensuring safe and efficient management. The O&M team conducts daily inspections, intensive checks during key customer business periods, and regular assessments. Continuous optimization practices are also in place to enhance service quality and guarantee the long-term reliability of the data center.
- Talent Development: Chayora has established a robust training and development program for its O&M team, which includes assessment and regular drills. This ensures that new employees quickly adapt to the working environment and are equipped to meet customers’ diverse operational and maintenance needs. At the same time, the company has established a comprehensive team building and talent development system to ensure team stability and foster career growth.
5. Broad System:
- Service System: Chayora’s meticulously designed service system integrates comprehensive strategies, processes, and methodologies. The system’s design, construction, and operation not only adhere to Uptime Institute international certification standards but have also been optimized to meet the stringent demands of domestic Internet customers for efficient operation and 100% uptime of their hyperscale Build-To-Suit data centers. This service system ensures consistency and high quality, effectively minimizing discrepancies caused by human factors and guaranteeing reliability and stability in service delivery at the cutting edge of the industry.
- Ecosystem: Chayora has developed a comprehensive and efficient ecosystem through its extensive network of suppliers and partners. This ecosystem adapts flexibly to the high standards of Internet customers throughout the key stages of hyperscale data center design, construction, and operations. Chayora provides complete support from concept to implementation. Through deep collaboration with ecosystem partners, Chayora ensures high-quality, on-time project delivery while supporting customers in achieving their long-term business goals and promoting sustainable business growth through agile service capabilities. Anticipating potential changes in the customer’s future business needs, Chayora has designed a flexible solution supporting air and liquid cooling techniques that ensures the data center can quickly adapt to evolving customer requirements, thus showcasing the adaptability of Chayora’s ecosystem.
Results and Benefits
The successful completion of this project not only marked the total fulfillment of the customer’s specific needs across all disciplines but also achieved the record-setting delivery of a premium-built five-story hyperscale Build-To-Suit data center from inception in just over 7 months. This extraordinary accomplishment has set a new industry benchmark for success. The project’s ultra-efficient execution has also provided a solid boost for the customer’s business roadmap, ensuring smooth operations during peak periods and strong support for future dynamic business needs. This achievement is a direct testament to Chayora’s professionalism and Build-To-Suit capabilities, significantly enhancing our competitiveness and brand influence within the hyperscale data center industry.
Guided by our team motto of “Be an Efficient Go-Getter,” Chayora has demonstrated its commitment to this principle throughout the project, delivering exceptional value through efficient means with tangible results. Looking ahead, Chayora will continue to refine its data center solutions, including our high-density offering in response to the rapid growth of Artificial Intelligence and Generative Computing (AIGC), leveraging its strong financial foundation and agile management to offer customers long-term, stable, and reliable service options.