Australia’s data centre sector is in the middle of a construction boom. Hyperscale operators - AWS, Microsoft, Google, Oracle - are investing billions in Australian capacity, while domestic operators like NEXTDC, Macquarie Data Centres, and Equinix continue to expand across Sydney, Melbourne, and increasingly into Perth, Adelaide, and Brisbane.
For architects, developers, and builders working on these projects, the facade is not the headline item. The focus is on power, cooling, redundancy, and connectivity. But the external envelope still needs to satisfy the National Construction Code, protect equipment worth hundreds of millions of dollars, and last the life of a building that will operate around the clock for decades. Aluminium cladding systems are a natural fit for this building type - and the reasons go beyond aesthetics.
Valmond & Gibson supplies aluminium facade systems to industrial and commercial projects across Australia. This is a practical guide to why aluminium works for data centres, what the NCC requires, and which systems suit which parts of the building.
What NCC classification applies to data centres?
Data centres are typically classified as NCC Class 7b (storage and commercial) or Class 8 (laboratory or factory-type process), depending on how the certifier interprets the function of the server halls. Some data centres include Class 5 office components for network operations centres or customer meet-me rooms.
For multi-storey data centres - increasingly common in land-constrained urban areas like Sydney’s Western Corridor and Melbourne’s inner suburbs - the NCC requires Type A construction. External walls on Type A buildings must be non-combustible, or the facade system must satisfy the deemed-to-satisfy provisions for the relevant building class.
In practical terms, the external cladding, framing, and cavity materials all need to satisfy non-combustibility requirements under AS1530.1 - or the project needs a performance solution from a fire engineer. Most data centre projects prefer the deemed-to-satisfy pathway because it is faster to certify and avoids the cost and program risk of a performance solution.
Aluminium is non-combustible when tested to AS1530.1. This is not an assumption - it is a tested outcome specific to each product. interloQ interlocking rainscreen panels are tested by CSIRO (Report FNC12595) and classified as non-combustible. element13 solid aluminium panels are tested by CSIRO (Report FNC12545) and classified as non-combustible. These are product-specific test results from a NATA-accredited laboratory, which is what certifiers need to see.
Why is fire performance so critical for data centres?
Fire risk in a data centre is existential. A single facility can house IT equipment worth $500 million or more. Tenants have contractual uptime requirements measured in fractions of a percentage point. A fire event that damages the building envelope or triggers suppression systems has consequences far beyond the cost of physical damage.
Operators and their insurers assess fire risk at every level of the building design. A non-combustible external envelope removes one variable from that equation entirely. No ambiguity, no reliance on fire-retardant treatments that degrade over time, and no need for ongoing inspection to verify the cladding material has not been compromised.
This is why solid aluminium cladding - not composite panels with polymer cores - is favoured by data centre designers. Aluminium composite panels (ACP) with polyethylene cores were at the centre of the combustible cladding crisis in Australia. Solid aluminium panels like element13 are a fundamentally different product - 3mm solid aluminium with no core material, tested to AS1530.3 with ignitability 0, heat 0, flame 0, and smoke 1.
How do data centres handle cooling and ventilation at the facade?
Cooling is the single largest operational cost in a data centre after power, and the building facade plays a direct role in how cooling systems interact with the external environment.
Most data centres use a combination of mechanical cooling and free-air or evaporative systems that draw ambient air through the building. These require large air intake and exhaust openings - often spanning entire elevations. The facade in these zones needs to allow maximum airflow while screening mechanical plant from view.
conneQt aluminium battens are well suited to this application. Configured as horizontal or vertical screening elements, they create a ventilated facade zone that allows air to move freely while concealing plant equipment behind a clean, uniform appearance. The battens are non-combustible (same 6060/6063 alloy as interloQ) and available in powder-coated finishes to match the rest of the facade.
For car park levels - common in multi-storey data centres - conneQt battens provide the open ventilation that NCC requires for enclosed car parks while maintaining the visual consistency of the overall building.
What does the facade need to do on a data centre that operates 24/7?
Data centres do not close. They operate continuously, and the building systems that support them - including the facade - need to perform without disruption for the life of the building. You cannot scaffold an entire elevation of a live data centre the way you might on a commercial office building during a refurbishment cycle.
This places a premium on durability and low maintenance. Aluminium does not rust, rot, or delaminate. Powder-coated finishes (Interpon D2525 on interloQ, PPG PVDF on element13) are formulated for long-term UV resistance, corrosion resistance, and gloss retention. Both interloQ and element13 carry warranties of up to 20 years when installed by a qualified installer.
For data centres in coastal locations - and several of Australia’s major data centre precincts sit within 30 kilometres of the coast - aluminium’s inherent corrosion resistance is a practical advantage over steel-based systems that require ongoing protective coatings.
element13 panels are also hail impact tested to ANSI FM 4473 (Ian Bennie & Associates, Report 2020-090) - a relevant performance characteristic for large, exposed facilities in hail-prone regions.
Which aluminium systems suit which parts of a data centre?
A data centre facade is not one uniform surface. Different zones of the building have different functional requirements, and the facade system should respond to those differences rather than forcing a single solution across the whole envelope.
element13 - main facade areas and server hall zones
The external walls enclosing server halls, electrical switchrooms, and UPS rooms typically require a solid, non-penetrated cladding system. element13 3mm solid aluminium panels provide a clean, unbroken facade surface with no visible fixings in a concealed-fix configuration. The visual result is a solid, secure-looking envelope that communicates exactly what a data centre operator wants: this facility is closed, controlled, and secure.
element13 is available in stock colours (Opal, Salt, Tungsten, Charcoal, Carbon, and metallics including Silver, Mercury, Iron, and Nickel) with no minimum order quantity. For data centre facades where the colour palette is typically restrained - dark greys, metallics, and corporate neutrals - stock availability means faster procurement.
conneQt - mechanical plant screening, air intake zones, and car parks
Cooling plant, generators, transformers, and air handling systems need to be screened from view but also need unobstructed airflow. conneQt aluminium battens in horizontal or vertical configurations provide the open screening these zones require. The battens integrate with the same subframe and fixing systems used for interloQ and element13, so the transition between solid cladding and open screening is clean and coordinated.
interloQ - office areas, visitor entries, and architectural expression
Where a data centre includes office space or a visitor-facing entry, the facade can benefit from more visual variety. interloQ interlocking rainscreen panels introduce depth, shadow lines, and texture without compromising fire performance. The interlocking panel design means individual panels can be replaced without disturbing adjacent panels - useful for areas with higher foot traffic.
Does aluminium support sustainability ratings for data centres?
Data centre operators are under increasing pressure to demonstrate environmental credentials. Green Star ratings, NABERS Energy ratings, and corporate ESG commitments all influence facade selection.
Aluminium is 100% recyclable without loss of properties. The energy required to recycle aluminium is approximately 5% of the energy required to produce primary aluminium. For a building type where lifecycle thinking is standard practice, this matters.
A ventilated rainscreen facade - whether interloQ or element13 on a drained and ventilated cavity - also contributes to the thermal performance of the envelope. The ventilated cavity reduces heat gain through the wall assembly. Given that cooling can account for 30-40% of a data centre’s total energy consumption, any reduction in heat gain has a measurable operational benefit.
What about construction speed?
Data centre construction programs are aggressive. Hyperscale operators measure time-to-market in months, not years. A delay to the facade program delays weathertight, which delays fit-out, commissioning, and revenue.
Valmond & Gibson holds stock of standard element13 colours and interloQ profiles in Sydney, so lead times for standard configurations are measured in weeks rather than the months required for custom-manufactured or imported products. For a project team under program pressure, sourcing facade materials from Australian stock can be the difference between hitting a milestone and missing it.
For architects, developers, and builders working on data centre projects, the facade decision comes down to fire safety, durability, functional performance, and program certainty. Aluminium cladding systems address all four - and the product-specific test evidence, stock availability, and technical support make that case straightforward to document and certify.
Related Reading
- Aluminium Cladding for Industrial and Warehouse Buildings
- Green Star Ratings and Aluminium Facade Systems
- conneQt Aluminium Battens: Design Flexibility for Facade Features
- Concealed vs Face-Fixed Cladding: Which System for Your Project?
Last updated: 4 April 2026