A data centre can have financing, land, power and contractors in place. But if the next phase requires 50 or 100 workers coming in from outside the area, a very practical question arises: Where are they going to live?
Forenom finds that housing capacity can have a direct impact on project logistics. Some teams may be on site for only a few months, while project managers and specialists can be assigned for several years.
“It can become a capacity constraint. You have the financing, you have the power, you have the contractor in place, and then you find out you need 50 people—but there aren’t 50 available homes,” says Per Bøje Hansen, Commercial Director at Forenom.
Early planning creates more options
According to Per Bøje Hansen, three to four months’ notice is ideal. That provides time to map available housing capacity, find accommodation close to the site and reduce unnecessary transportation.
If the need only becomes clear shortly before employees arrive, the options are fewer and more expensive solutions may be necessary.
“If we are involved in the planning three to four months in advance, we have far more options for finding the right solution close to the project. If the need comes up the day before, the alternatives are fewer—and often more expensive,” he says.
Forenom therefore works to connect the staffing plan with housing needs over time, rather than looking only at the project’s total headcount.
Temporary demand can create lasting value
Early involvement can also open up options beyond the existing housing market.
Among other things, Forenom works with converting existing properties into project accommodation. In Fredericia, the company has recently been involved in a solution where the units can later be used as student housing.
The next project is in Kolding. In other locations, former schools and nursing homes are among the properties being explored.
In this way, a temporary need can help trigger the conversion of vacant buildings and add local housing capacity, rather than simply increasing pressure on the existing market.
Housing conditions also affect retention
Forenom is also seeing more companies request private rooms and better living conditions for their employees.
When people work far from home for months or years, sleep, commuting time and day-to-day living conditions can affect both well-being and retention.
For large data centre projects, accommodation is therefore about more than finding a bed.
When staffing needs must be scaled quickly, housing capacity should be planned as part of the project infrastructure—not treated as a task to solve only when employees are already on their way.
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