Equipment and technology ·
Toronto design firm outlines planning challenges for data centres
By Workvado / Litequo LLC · Published · Updated
A new design-focused feature examines how power, cooling, noise and urban integration shape data-centre proposals as municipalities develop review frameworks.
A Daily Commercial News feature published October 26 examines how architects and planning consultants are addressing municipal concerns about data-centre development. Toronto-based WZMH Architects and Weston Consulting discussed cooling choices, noise mitigation, power supply, site selection and planning studies. Their comments describe issues in project design and approvals; they do not announce a new facility approval or establish that every data centre uses the same system. The report’s publication is the current event, while the planning practices it covers apply across proposals at different stages.
Infrastructure choices affect site design
The article explains that water-cooled chillers can require ongoing water supply, while closed-loop air-cooled systems avoid a continuous water connection but can be less energy-efficient. It also notes that developers must address power needs, generator noise, security and space for specialized equipment. These choices affect more than a mechanical room: they can determine whether a site needs new electrical infrastructure, how equipment is screened, and what studies a municipality needs to assess potential impacts.
Toronto City Council’s July 2026 action on data-centre review called for a comprehensive look at planning policies, zoning, servicing, environmental and energy impacts, and public engagement. It also requested consideration of noise, water use, grid connection and other operational issues. That official review is a local policy context, not a citywide ban or final new rule. The October design feature helps explain why those questions arise in project submissions and why site-specific engineering matters.
A planning pathway can shape construction scope
For developers and contractors, early due diligence can expose constraints before design is locked. Weston Consulting described site selection, electrical capacity, municipal policy and technical reports as early-stage issues. A site with limited power capacity may require a dedicated substation or utility upgrades; a cooling strategy can change the water and piping scope; generator noise can require acoustic modelling and enclosure design. These are project-specific possibilities, not confirmed scopes for any one site in the article.
The feature describes different municipal approaches: some communities have used interim controls while studying the land-use impacts, while Toronto is conducting a citywide review. Developers need to establish which approvals apply to the property, what use category governs it, and whether a temporary control affects new applications. A planning framework can influence time and cost before construction bids are issued, while utility coordination may run on a separate schedule. Contractors assessing a potential package should understand whether site plan approval, rezoning, power service and environmental review are complete or still evolving.
Data centres are often viewed as mechanical and electrical facilities, but their massing, service yards, noise sources and fit with neighbouring uses also require architectural and urban-design decisions. A facility in an established district may use a different approach from a large suburban campus. The feature points to waste-heat reuse as one possible design response, where a facility’s rejected heat could serve nearby buildings; it does not report a completed district-energy installation in Toronto as an outcome of this article. For construction teams, the central message is to treat cooling, power, noise and land-use planning as connected inputs. Resolving them early can reduce redesign risk and make bid documents more stable. Municipalities, owners and designers still need to disclose the assumptions behind each project: electrical demand, water strategy, backup generation, mitigation measures and servicing requirements. The October feature adds practical design context to an active policy conversation, without announcing a permit, contract award or construction start.
- Feature publication date
- October 26, 2026
- Key design topics
- Cooling, power, noise, site planning and approvals
- Toronto policy context
- Council requested a city review in July 2026; no final new rule in the feature
Sources
- Architects, design firms address municipal concerns over data centre development, Daily Commercial News, read October 27, 2026
- Agenda item 2026.MM43.75: Ensuring Due Diligence on Data Centres in Scarborough Southwest, City of Toronto, read October 27, 2026