Learning Goals
Students will be able to investigate how data center campuses affect energy use, water systems, heat, biodiversity, noise, traffic, and displacement by analyzing local maps, zoning documents, utility data, and community testimony.
Students will be able to evaluate competing design solutions for data center siting and resource use by comparing cost-benefit tradeoffs for energy, land, and community impact.
Students will be able to synthesize oral histories, resident quotes, and community feedback into an evidence-based problem definition for a just data center campus.
Students will be able to define a site-specific design problem for a data center campus by translating user needs, zoning constraints, and cultural values into criteria and constraints.
Students will be able to prototype a data center campus concept using annotated drawings, scaled models, and visual callouts that respond to environmental justice concerns.
Students will be able to refine a campus proposal by using peer critique, stakeholder feedback, and testing evidence to improve performance, aesthetics, and community fit.
Students will be able to justify design choices for a culturally responsive data center campus through a written and oral argument that cites scientific, civic, and community evidence.
Products
User Research Portfolio and Concept Prototype Board
Each student will create a research portfolio documenting firsthand user interviews, observations, source analysis, and a refined problem statement for the site. The portfolio also includes one individual concept prototype board that translates those findings into a testable campus idea with annotations and rationale.
Just Data Center Campus Proposal and Public Advocacy Campaign
Teams will develop a collaborative campus proposal with annotated CAD drawings, a scaled model, data visuals, and a public-facing narrative for authentic stakeholders. The package also includes PSA media, a policy memo, and exhibition materials showing how community feedback shaped the final design.
No rubric has been generated yet.