UK engineering design consultancy Black and White Engineering, which specialises in mission-critical buildings and infrastructure, has expanded its civil and structural team from 43 to 77 engineers in five months, according to Ground Engineering, adding capacity across its Dubai, Manila, Milan, London and Paris offices alongside new bases in Manchester and Singapore.

The 79% headcount increase reflects rising demand from data centre clients across both established and emerging markets, with the department now supporting projects from concept through to construction information, as well as site due diligence, feasibility studies and third-party technical reviews.

Director of civil and structural engineering David Williams said: "The growth reflects the continued expansion of our work in the data centre market, with both existing and new clients. We have built the team around experienced people, many of whom we have worked with successfully before or who have joined us following strong recommendations."

The expanded team integrates civil, structural, MEP and design management expertise within a single project structure, enabling the consultancy to provide coordinated input across all design stages rather than at fixed intervals.

Williams said the department is also being engaged earlier in the project lifecycle: "Detailed design delivery remains central to our role, but we are also being brought into projects much earlier, including due diligence, feasibility work and technical reviews. That helps improve coordination, quality and delivery for clients."

Demand is currently strongest across Europe, with activity increasing from southern to northern markets. In Asia Pacific, the business is pursuing opportunities in Japan and the Philippines through its Singapore and Manila operations, and plans to establish a civil and structural capability in a new Saudi Arabia office this year.

Williams added: "Civil and structural engineering is becoming a more important part of Black and White Engineering's offer as data centre projects increase in scale, complexity and pace. It also gives us greater consistency across regions, which is important for clients delivering programmes in multiple markets."

Get the full picture on Black and White Engineering's civil and structural expansion and what it means for data centre delivery globally.