Location and Use - Data Center

[DeweyVT03]

I was reviewing the data items for Location & Use categorization of properties, and I believe you may need a category for the large commercial structures that are used as Data centers. They are unique from other commercial buildings.

Secondarily to that, I don't see "Warehouse" listed anywhere either - whether that would be commercial or storage type.

[thegioserg]

I'm not with the NERIS team, but I took a look at the Civic Location Module.

The mod_civic_location has a field for "place" tied to type_loc_place (core value set), which includes an option for "Warehouse." This seems appropriate because the use of a building doesn't necessarily describe the structure itself. This is where the Civic Location Module, paired with secondary schemas, comes into play.

Regarding Location Use, I think you have a valid point.

The NFIRS crosswalk for type_location_use (core value set) ties NFIRS Property Use Code 635 - "Computer Center" to NERIS Use "Commercial - Office / Other Technical Services."

Before reading this, I would have assumed that a data center aligns more with a storage facility, especially standalone data centers which are becoming more common. After skimming NFPA 901 (the 2021 edition isn't aligned with NERIS yet), I saw that Property Use 635 falls under Series 6 - "Basic Industrial / Utility / etc.," Subseries 63 - "Communications, defense, document facilities."

I agree that the use of a standalone data center has distinct traits compared to commercial buildings. I would argue it aligns more with the Utility / Misc. Classifications in NERIS. It could fall under "Energy Facility / Infrastructure":

• Occupied infrequently or with a limited number of persons
• High power demand
• Sensitive electronics
• Serves a utility purpose, sometimes critically