Luis Lopez is our technology market sector lead for Latin America. Luis has a wealth of experience in the construction and delivery of data centers across Latin America for some of the technology sector’s leading organizations. He worked on the first hyperscale data center in Mexico and the region’s Global Crossing Network — a complex project encompassing both undersea and land-based cables spanning the United States, Mexico, Panama, and various other South American countries.

Tell us a bit about yourself – your role and career journey  

I began my career in the telecoms industry in 1991 helping to build Mexico’s first fiber optic network for long-distance services. I started working at ArchTam four years ago, as a senior data center project manager, where I managed third-party projects and served as a client account manager for one of ArchTam’s major clients in the technology sector.

During the last year and a half, I have been working in-house for one of our clients managing their construction projects and as a technical consultant on the design of data centers. Over the last four years, I’ve worked on a total of nine data center projects in Mexico — three as a technical advisor focusing on design and construction administration and seven as a construction manager and customer representative.

Talk to us about a project that has impacted or been a major highlight of your career. How is it solving the challenges and issues many tech companies and communities are facing today?

A significant project that has been a highlight of my career is the recent hyperscale data center deployment in Queretaro, Mexico.

The immense scale of these data centers meant I had to manage three construction projects at the same time. Two of the projects were from one lease provider and one was from another, so that was really challenging to handle. Typically, each new data center project holds 4 megawatts as an initial phase, but this project required us to manage a total of 12 megawatts in one go across three different projects.

Another really interesting project I’ve had the opportunity to work on in my career was the Global Crossing Network — a complex project encompassing both undersea and land-based cables spanning the U.S., Mexico, Panama, and various other South American countries. I started as the first employee of Global Crossing Mexico and, in just three years, our small team of seven people had handled nearly $4.2 billion of projects across diverse networks, including undersea and terrestrial fiber optic systems.

As the project evolved, I transitioned to oversee the work as the construction and operation director in Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean, facing significant challenges including requests, negotiations and planning.

What are some of the unique challenges you are facing in designing/managing data center construction and how are you overcoming them?

One of the unique challenges I’ve faced working in the sector in Mexico was when we introduced a new data center facility concept that hadn’t been used country before. When ArchTam embarked on the project three years ago, we were pioneering the construction of hyperscale data centers in Mexico, now, there are about 12 of these types of data center projects in the area.

Dealing with new technology to support operations while maintaining a compressed schedule posed significant challenges. ArchTam’s role involved project management, which included coordinating, reviewing, and advising on project management and construction management for general contractors, lease providers, and our end client.

I leveraged my extensive experience of major construction projects, including airports, stadiums, and seaports, along with my history of managing large teams to address these challenges. These hyperscale projects involve substantial megawatt capacity, with initial phases ranging from 16 to 64 megawatts, and some will reach up to 70 megawatts. To put that in perspective, the combined power consumption of the upcoming data centers could be nearly twice that of Queretaro city, including the industrial area, which is one of the fastest growing in the country.

How is the digital evolution shaping data center construction management practices?

The digital evolution has significantly shaped construction management in the data center space. Cutting-edge technologies like 360-degree modeling and advanced AutoCAD extensions facilitate 3D modeling of buildings, aiding in project visualization, clash identification, space optimization, and progress tracking. They help us to ensure projects stay on schedule, within budget, and efficiently allocate resources.

In terms of data center construction management practices, the pandemic accelerated data consumption, leading to increased power demands worldwide, including in Mexico. The development of hyperscale data centers will provide better support for various industries and improve real-time processing and efficiency. These data centers are essentially the backbone of cloud services, which encompass the storage and processing of vast amounts of data. They also notably serve as backups for critical equipment, safeguarding businesses from catastrophic events.

Small data centers are strategically placed near industrial and financial hubs, serving as the edge and last-mile connectivity points. These data centers, linked to larger hyperscale facilities through high-speed connections, represent a revolutionary shift in IT processes and automation, extending beyond traditional financial clientele.

Many different clients and applications in real time processing are going to benefit from the development and delivery of these new types of data centers and I’m proud to be a part of bringing them to life.

The post Digital Infrastructure: Meet Luis Lopez appeared first on Blog.

Santiago Gaja has experience in offshore environmental assessment projects and numerical modeling of the ocean in the Gulf of Mexico. He leads ArchTam’s Offshore Environmental Risk Assessment Team in Mexico and coordinates deep water oceanographic surveys for environmental assessments. He has worked on coral reef restoration and monitoring and is focused on developing long-term coastal restoration projects.

Tell us about what inspired you to join the industry

Born in landlocked Mexico City, the first time I stepped on the beach as a child, I was mesmerized by the ocean and the relaxation it brings. Since then, I always wanted to replicate the feeling of joy that came from playing in the waves and relaxing on the beach. During my 20s, I was surfing and diving regularly and became more curious about what’s beneath the waves.

That mystery under the sea led to a Bachelor of Science in Oceanography and a Master of Science in Physical Oceanography, where I worked with an Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) to measure ocean waves and how fast water is moving across an entire water column. I started my career in the Gulf of Mexico doing numerical modeling of ocean waves and spent two years working at the Mexican Petroleum Institute, which conducts research for Pemex, the Mexican state-owned petroleum company, primarily doing ocean waves forecasting.

I then returned to the academic and research environment to pursue a doctorate in Coastal Engineering, with a focus on ports design, coastal morphodynamics and ocean renewable energy. Through LinkedIn, I received an invitation to participate in one of ArchTam’s environmental projects, and this opened the door to a career working on diverse proposals and projects with people from around the world, from a hydrodynamic ADCP survey in Colombia, to artificial reef development with my colleagues in the U.S., to a wind offshore feasibility study with our UK team, to process hazard analysis software tool (PHAST) modeling with my colleagues in France. Alongside my project work, I’m able to focus on science and continue my research as part of professional development. I have the best of both worlds!

What is your favorite ArchTam project that you’ve worked on and why?

In 2021, I co-led a Marine Sediment Quality Assessment around two exploratory drilled wells to assess the impact of exploratory drilling in marine deep water benthic ecosystems. This was my first project as a survey lead in the Gulf of Mexico. I handled coordinating the sampling plan and field operations. We completed the survey on schedule with zero incidents (during the coronavirus pandemic), and with excellent sampling results.

Previously, on a project like this, the private company would contract a vessel and put all the instruments into the vessel, which took a lot of time and money and added substantial risk, but on this project, our client used a Mexican vessel owned by the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM). This project has laid the foundation for future joint exploratory projects between the academic community and private companies in Mexico. The university’s vessels facilitate the research needed by the private companies and the university now has the means to maintain its vessels and boats.

Tell us a story of how your work positively impacted the community.

While working on my master’s thesis, I was involved with a non-government organization (NGO) in Akumal, which is in the Mexican Caribbean in the Yucatán Peninsula — very close to Cancún. When I started with ArchTam, I reconnected with the NGO to propose working together on ecosystem conservation and restoration. This led to volunteer work for coral reef restoration in Akumal, restoring two coral species, cleaning out-planted coral fragments and monitoring the reef to better understand reef health indicators, such as diseases and invasive species.

We’re also working with the NGO to establish long-term practices for reef conservation. This includes encouraging the hotels and tourist consortium to invest more in coral conservation and helping them to understand why this is mutually beneficial. The coral protects them from hurricanes, flooding and storm surge. If they don’t have the coral, then they won’t have the beach they use for tourism.

Share a piece of career advice

Don’t let the fear of what other people may think stand between your ideas and your professional development. Don’t be afraid to speak up! If you have ideas that will help your project, share them with your team and clients. This is something that will get easier with practice. And if you’re a manager, make sure that you’re encouraging your people to speak. Find creative ways to help your staff gain comfort in speaking.

The post People Spotlight: Meet Santiago Gaja appeared first on Blog.

Fernando has been involved in various projects across the U.S., Europe, Africa and Latin America in a variety of sectors — from international development and cooperation to private institutions and the humanitarian field. In each one of those experiences, Fernando proposed and designed innovative tools for social research, stakeholder engagement, public and private cooperation and project management,  observing international norms and guidelines regarding social engagement, impact assessment and community participation.

He has 10 years of experience working on migration, and migration-related projects from refugee programs, to individual resettlement, returnee programs and community resettlement programs.

Tell us about what inspired you to join the industry

I was working in the development sector with a UN Agency, when I got a call from a friend who told me that ArchTam was looking for someone with experience in planning for a resettlement project. I had heard about the company before in Sudan, and thought it was a chance to change what I was doing, and work in resettlement in response to emergency situations, which is one of the main focus areas of my professional career.

What is your favorite ArchTam project that you’ve worked on and why?

Resettlement of Gramalote municipality, Norte de Santander. When the town of Gramalote, Colombia was destroyed after La Nina rains caused a landslide, thousands of residents had to be relocated. This was the first resettlement project in Colombia that responded to the impacts of climate change. I believe everyone involved with this project was madly in love with the work we were doing. 

 I have worked on resettlement for most of my career, first as a case worker in the U.S. on emergency response programs. Then in Sudan and Egypt I worked as a consultant on returnee reintegration programs. When I returned to Colombia, I worked in resettlement but on the development side. The Gramalote project was an opportunity to focus on emergency response once again. I started as a planner during the final stage of the project, and then I consulted on the implementation of strategies to build capacity with the Gramalote community. Finally, I took over the project manager’s duties and led the project to its successful completion.

Tell us a story of how your work positively impacted the community.

The Government of Colombia initially tried to implement the resettlement of Gramalote through its own agencies, without success. The climate emergency occurred in 2010, and by 2013, the communities were still living in tents, some of them migrating to urban centers that were relatively far from their territory. The Government of Colombia then turned to ArchTam to manage the relief efforts. In coordination with Colombia Humanitaria and Fondo de Adaptación, ArchTam provided shelter, food, and healthcare to the displaced families and oversaw the design and rebuilding of a more resilient town, while creating new sustainable livelihoods for residents. We organized the community, gave them a reason to believe in the project and implemented habitat restoration measures for nearly 1,000 families. The most challenging aspect of the project was finding a new place to build the town that didn’t have environmental restrictions and identifying preventative measures to manage the flood risk.

Share a piece of career advice

Build a team that you can trust, learn about their weaknesses and strengths, and share responsibilities accordingly. Knowledge and expertise sharing is one of the best ways to celebrate and recognize skills diversity within a team.

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In mid-November 2014, Carsten Floess — a geotechnical engineer with ArchTam and an adjunct professor at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in Troy, New York — sent out an email requesting volunteer travel mentors for the Engineers Without Borders (EWB) chapter at RPI.

The project required the installation of a rainwater collection system on Isla Popa, a remote island in the Caribbean off the coast of Panama. The exotic location and timing of the trip — early January 2015, a mere eight weeks from when the email was sent — caught my attention. Having installed water systems in Zimbabwe and Haiti over the past several years for humanitarian groups, the idea of volunteering for this project resonated with me. After getting approval from my wife and kids and buy-in from the RPI EWB board, I was committed. I knew no one from the organization and very little about the project, but for me, this was great. Usually, I was the one planning and organizing these projects, so to stand back and act as a technical resource was fantastic.

The students from RPI had been spending years planning this project. During three trips in as many years, they had gained the information they needed to install the system on the roof of one of the pavilions on the island’s small school. We met three times prior to the trip to get to know each other and for me to gain an understanding of the project. On paper, everything looked good, and everyone was excited.

RPI’s EWB team at the project site on Isla Popa, Panama (From left: Front row — Jesse Freitas and Anna Thonis. Back row — Ambar Mena, Tom Rebbecchi, Mike Kubista, Scott Underhill, Kyle Geisler and Paul Pagnozzi).

We arrived on the Isla Popa on a Tuesday afternoon with a barge full of sand, cement, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipe and two 600-gallon storage tanks. These materials were essential to the project, but weren’t available on the island, so we had to plan months in advance to purchase them on Isla Boca, the nearest island in Panama with a supply store. Once we purchased the materials, it took us three hours to transport them by barge to the island, where the community greeted us at the dock and carried all of the supplies up to the school — a good quarter mile up a hill. Over the next five days, we worked in intense sun and then rain, watching our work area transition from grass to mud. By the last day, as the tank was installed and the rain gutters put in place, we were covered in mud. And in the rain, we saw the first flush system get filled and then overflow into the collection tank, we were overjoyed! Job completed. No lessons learned? Hardly.

The students learned that materials in the U.S. are not the same quality as the materials in remote areas. When you have to drill pilot holes (small holes drilled before driving a screw into a piece of wood) to drive nails in, you know you are dealing with tough wood.

My favorite experience was watching a senior at RPI, who designed the PVC collection gutters, become frustrated because the PVC pipe was neither schedule 40 (pipe wall thickness measurement) nor fitting properly. Finally, he came to me and said, “What should I do?” I looked over to the four local hired helpers watching and said, “Ask them.” Within a few hours, we all stood back to see the gutters securely in place.

ArchTam’s Scott Underhill stands in front of the newly installed rainwater collection system (first flush piping to the left).

Everyone on the trip learned so much. Many Americans don’t even know where their water comes from, but all of the people on the Isla Popa do. For them, water comes from a storage tank.

If you have any questions or comments about my experience in Isla Popa or my involvement with Engineers Without Borders, please leave a comment below. Feel free to also share your EWB and international volunteer experiences as well.

Scott Underhill is a registered professional engineer in New York, and has 23 years of experience in the environmental remediation field. He is currently the program manager of ArchTam’s New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s standby engineering contract.
LinkedIn: Scott Underhill

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In September 2013, we entered an event called the Rickshaw Run, where we successfully drove 3,000 kilometers (1,864 miles) across India in a “7-horsepower glorified lawnmower,” or more commonly referred to as an Auto-Rickshaw or tuk tuk. We formed “The Brains Trust,” with the main objective of competing in the Rickshaw Run to raise awareness and funding for research into the debilitating neurological disorder called Dystonia. Helping Andrew’s mother, Lee, who is a Dystonia sufferer herself, was a key driver behind our willingness to complete the challenge. Over AU$11,000 was raised by The Brains Trust in 2013, and donated to The Brain Foundation.

After returning from India, our desire to help others was not quite satisfied. An opportunity arose to compete in another adventure, and this time we decided to pay forward our gratitude to the RYLA program. We set a goal to raise as much money as possible to sponsor young adults to attend the upcoming week-long RYLA seminar in January 2015.

The new adventure was called the Mototaxi Junket, where participants were required to travel up to 3,000 kilometers across Peru in an unreliable, underpowered Peruvian Lifan 150-cc mototaxi, or sofa-bike. Reforming under the name RIDE FOR RYLA, we had mixed success in completing our Peru challenge.

This time around, we weren’t so lucky with our vehicle. We were gifted a lemon, and it just couldn’t handle what we were asking of it. It was extremely slow and in attempting to make up for lost time, we had to drive at night down mountain passes in the pouring rain on roads with no guardrails and sheer drops into valleys below. We ended up accumulating rainwater in our fuel tank as the fuel cap didn’t seal properly. These are just some of the problems we had before we decided enough was enough. We also slept on someone’s garage floor one night as the town we finished up in had no available accommodation.

We managed to ride 5 days and approximately 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) across coastal desert, the Andes mountain range, and over the other side into the Amazon before having to transport our tired vehicle via truck close to the finish line due to constant mechanical issues.

Despite the Mototaxi Junket not going as well as we had hoped, the ultimate objective to sponsor youth to attend RYLA was achieved with enough funds raised to sponsor at least 21 young adults to attend RYLA at a cost of AU$500 per person. Before leaving for Peru, RIDE FOR RYLA had been guest speaking at over 20 Rotary Clubs in an attempt to raise the money and profile of the RYLA program, and we were fortunate enough to connect with and meet Rotarians in Lima, Peru.

ArchTam has invested in sponsoring at least two of its young Queensland graduates to attend RYLA, with hopefully more showing interest in attending.

Julian Buttigieg (Julian.Buttigieg@archtam.com) is an environmental scientist at ArchTam with 6 years of consulting experience. He works in the remediation, consulting and engineering practice in the Brisbane, Australia, office, primarily servicing client needs for water and soil contamination investigations.
LinkedIn: Julian Buttigieg
Facebook: RIDE FOR RYLA
Donate: RIDE FOR RYLA

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