Developers building large artificial intelligence data centers are increasingly turning to temporary housing compounds known as “man camps” to accommodate the hundreds or thousands of workers required during construction.
The camps, which originated in the oil and gas industry, provide temporary living facilities for workers stationed at remote industrial projects.
Bloomberg reported that this approach is now being used in the rapidly expanding AI data center sector.
Temporary Housing Used For Texas Data Center Project
One example is in Dickens County, Texas, where a former Bitcoin mining facility is being converted into a 1.6 gigawatt data center.
Construction workers involved in the project are living in rows of gray housing units built near the site.
The facilities include shared amenities such as a gym, laundromat, game rooms, and a cafeteria that prepares meals for residents.
The housing complex is designed to support large workforces that typically move from project to project as data centers are built.
Target Hospitality Secures Contracts For Worker Housing
Temporary housing provider Target Hospitality has signed multiple contracts to build and operate the Dickens County worker camp.
According to Bloomberg, the agreements are worth a combined $132 million.
The site could eventually house more than 1,000 workers involved in constructing the data center.
Target Hospitality’s chief commercial officer Troy Schrenk said the surge in data center development represents a major opportunity for the company.
“The largest, most actionable pipeline I’ve ever seen,” Schrenk said, referring to demand linked to AI infrastructure projects.
Worker Camps Reflect Growing AI Infrastructure Buildout
The increasing use of worker camps highlights the scale of construction required to support the expanding demand for AI computing infrastructure.
Large data centers require extensive electrical systems, cooling infrastructure, and building construction before they become operational.
In many cases, projects are located in rural areas where existing housing options are limited.
Temporary worker villages allow companies to house construction crews near project sites during multi-year buildouts.
Scrutiny Of Other Facilities Operated By Target Hospitality
Target Hospitality also operates other large residential facilities, including the Dilley Immigration Processing Center in Texas.
The facility houses families detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Court filings related to the center have alleged issues with food quality and accommodation for detainees.
The filings claim that meals have contained worms and mold, and that children detained at the center did not receive adequate dietary accommodations for allergies or special nutritional needs.
Featured image credits: Hanwha Data Center
For more stories like it, click the +Follow button at the top of this page to follow us.