On the surface, a colocation suite buildout looks like a straightforward modular project. You’re putting wall systems inside an existing building, defining tenant spaces, and moving on to the next one. The reality is that colocation environments carry a set of requirements that most modular vendors simply aren’t built for.
Colocation data centers operate under a set of requirements that are fundamentally different from any other environment where modular wall systems get specified. Building within a colocation facility means navigating requirements that don’t exist anywhere else in the modular world: multiple tenants sharing the same floor, strict security requirements, a substrate that doesn’t anchor like a standard concrete slab, and a delivery schedule where delays have real financial consequences downstream.
The common assumption going into a colocation project is that modular is modular. In reality, not all modular is the same. A vendor who knows this environment designs for it from the beginning, the right wall system, the right prep, the right coordination, so that big problems never make it to your job site.
There are several design decisions in a build to suit colocation data center project that separate a clean, efficient installation from one that generates rework and finger-pointing in the field.
In a colocation campus, the wall system is a part of the security infrastructure. When multiple tenants share the same floor, solid walls prevent anyone moving through the facility from seeing whose equipment is inside a suite, what hardware is running, or which organizations’ data is being processed. That matters whether you’re building a HIPAA-compliant healthcare suite or a standard multi-tenant enclosure.
Every suite needs wall penetrations for power runs and cooling connections. When those openings get cut in the field, it’s slow, imprecise, and adds labor hours to a schedule that’s already under pressure.
Finding a supplier to work early with you in the design and engineering process is key. Overlaying drawings to identify penetration locations and pre-cut framed openings at the factory before panels ship is an easy step to add in the manufacturing process. By the time the system arrives on site, that coordination is already done and field crews are assembling rather than improvising. Where penetration locations aren’t finalized before panels need to ship, some field cutting still happens, but moving as much of that work upstream as possible makes a measurable difference in both installation speed and finished quality.
The access control hardware used in colocation environments goes well beyond a standard door lock. Card readers, biometric panels, request-to-exit sensors, door position sensors, and power-over-ethernet runs all have to mount somewhere, and a standard modular door frame doesn’t have the depth to accommodate them cleanly.
Working with your supplier to proactively create a door frame system built to accommodate the full range of colocation access control hardware at the factory, eliminates the field modifications that slows many installs down.
Raised flooring is the data center standard for good reason: cooling, power, and cabling all run underneath, and the access panel system lets operators reconfigure rack positions without tearing up the building. The challenge comes when you need to anchor a modular wall system to that same floor.
Unlike a standard concrete slab, raised flooring is a composite of steel underframing, pedestals, and access panels, and anchoring requirements vary depending on the specific system in place. That’s why early collaboration with your engineering team matters. Starrco’s in-house engineers work directly with data center teams to assess the substrate and develop an anchoring approach that’s designed for your specific floor conditions from the start.
Colocation is a gold rush right now. Campuses are being built fast, suites are being sold before they’re constructed, and every contractor in the supply chain is dealing with the same pressure: get it done fast and get it done right.
Working with an experienced modular vendor who factory-preps as much as possible is your best timeline strategy. When door frames arrive on site already spec’d for access control hardware, when framed openings are pre-cut to drawing, and when the wall system is engineered for your specific floor conditions before installation begins, you’re not coordinating trades and technicians after the fact to make the space usable. That kind of upstream preparation can shave days or even weeks off of tenant move-in timelines, which in a colocation environment has a direct impact on lease revenue and operator commitments.
The right vendor brings colocation-specific design knowledge, an in-house engineering team, and a track record of delivering on time. Starrco’s lead time for colocation suite work is 6-8 weeks and we stand behind it. That’s a commitment our team is built around delivering consistently.Ready to get started on your next project? Request a quote and our team will be in touch.