Luiz Andre Barroso had never designed a data centre until Google asked him to do it in the early 2000s. By the time he finished his first, he had overturned many conventions of the computing industry, laying the foundations for Silicon Valley's development of cloud computing.

Barroso built his data centres with low-cost components instead of expensive specialised hardware. He reimagined how they worked together to develop the concept of "the data centre as a computer," which now underpins the web, mobile apps, and other internet services.

Google senior VP Jen Fitzpatrick said Barroso left an indelible imprint at the company whose contributions to the industry are countless.

"We lost a beloved friend, colleague and respected leader," she wrote.

Barroso was also interested in music and had released an album alongside jazz musicians Zeca Assumpção and Sergio Reze, which featured a selection of Brazilian and American Jazz tunes.