{"id":19873,"date":"2020-11-19T07:00:22","date_gmt":"2020-11-19T12:00:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.alliedbuildings.com\/?p=19873"},"modified":"2024-08-06T08:37:26","modified_gmt":"2024-08-06T12:37:26","slug":"what-is-a-flex-warehouse-space","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.alliedbuildings.com\/what-is-a-flex-warehouse-space\/","title":{"rendered":"What is a Flex Warehouse Space?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Although the term \u2018flex warehouse\u2019 has only recently started to create a buzz, the logistics industry has been familiar with it for a very long time. Basically, it went by different names; \u201cPublic Space,\u201d \u201cPublic Warehousing\u201d or \u201cMulti-Client Space\u201d\u2014all of which refer to what\u2019s known today as a \u2018flex warehouse space.\u2019<\/p>\n
Keep an eye out for the growing demand for multistory warehouses<\/a> due to the increasing demand for industrial land intensification<\/a>.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n In this article we will discuss:<\/p>\n A perfect way to describe a flex warehouse space is that it\u2019s a commercial real estate\u2019s chameleon. It\u2019s basically a single-story building which can be utilized as both; a warehouse space and an office. With flex warehouses, users can either opt for a 100% office space, or a space that\u2019s part office and part storage facility. Typically, flex warehouses only have windows at the front of the building. Some of them also include docks and loading areas in the back with overhead doors.<\/p>\n For dynamic entrepreneurs and small businesses that find self storage insufficient and a traditional warehouse too big, a flex warehouse offers a perfectly practical solution. The customizability of flex warehouses allows users to subdivide the internal rental units of the building to suit the size of their enterprise. We have a passion for unconventional solutions that bring your vision to life.<\/p>\n Price Your Building Today<\/i><\/a>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n[vc_column_text]<\/p>\n Historically, companies have relied on traditional warehouses when it came to handling important business operations such as inventory management, shipments and deliveries. Statistics have revealed that the amount of space occupied by distribution centers and warehouses has increased by a staggering 86.2%<\/a> since the turn of the millennium. Due to this rapidly rising demand, the costs of industrial real estate have skyrocketed and it\u2019s become increasingly difficult for small businesses to lease or purchase traditional warehouses. Here are some of the reasons why flex warehouses have become a rising trend among small companies.<\/p>\n Prefabricated Steel Building Flex Warehouse<\/p><\/div>\n Customizability is perhaps the main attraction of flex warehouse spaces. For growing companies, it\u2019s essential to have the flexibility to make adjustments and move stuff around to accommodate their growing business needs. Fortunately, a flex warehouse space offers exactly that.<\/em> Whether you want to increase your office space or include additional loading areas, flex warehouse spaces can be customized to suit the needs of your company. Steel buildings<\/a> are a perfect solution, they lend themselves to all the flex warehouse flexibility requirements.<\/em><\/p>\n When looking for a commercial property to lease, you\u2019ll find that most properties include areas like large lobbies, hallways and office space that take up a lot of real estate. What you ideally want is a warehouse space that offers the exact space you need, no more and no less. With a flex warehouse space, you get the exact amount of space that you pay for.<\/p>\n Another benefit of a flex warehouse space is that it provides your employees with direct access to their working space. Instead of having to walk through lobbies and back doors, they can just walk straight up to the loading docks. Your employees having direct access to inventory, shipping and receiving areas will streamline your distribution operations, and have a positive overall impact on your business.<\/p>\n [\/vc_column_text]\n We have a passion for unconventional solutions that bring your vision to life. <\/p>\n Price Your Building Today<\/i><\/a>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n[vc_column_text]<\/p>\n The costs of building a flex warehouse space vary depending upon the requirements and specifications of your project. For instance, if you\u2019re planning on building a simple storage space, it\u2019s naturally going to be significantly less expensive compared to a refrigerated or a controlled humidity facility.<\/p>\n Generally, the type of flex warehouse space you require is dictated by the type of products you plan to distribute and store. And in turn, the type of distribution center you opt for dictates all your decisions\u2014from planning space layouts to selecting energy systems. Although each distribution center has its particular set of requirements, most warehouses can be generalized into 3 primary categories:<\/p>\n Additionally, a design that supports your workflow is a must if you want to enhance your operational efficiencies. This involves how items are received, stored and shipped throughout your distribution center. The primary focus during the designing space should be streamlining the movement of goods within the facility. Your workflow may dictate the need for a design that includes specialty features and ultra-heavy point loads.<\/p>\n It goes without saying that implementing an automated workflow, which includes conveyor and robotic systems, will also have a considerable impact on the total cost of the project. Most modern distribution facilities feature automated storage and retrieval systems (AS\/RS) as well as pick pods and conveyors. These systems allow the maximization of storage space with racks being piled vertically right up to the roof. Robots are used to place or retrieve items from high racks, and the whole facility basically works like a gigantic vending machine.<\/p>\n Prefab Steel Building. Commercial Industrial Warehouse And Office Space located in Panama PAcifico, Panama,<\/p><\/div>\n But, perhaps the biggest factor in warehouse construction costs is the construction materials and method you opt for. The majority of modern traditional warehouses are either built with pre-fabricated metal or concrete tilt-up construction.<\/p>\n Although costs mainly depend upon the requirements of your facility, pre-fabricated metal structures are significantly more cost-effective for most projects, which make them perfect for building a flex warehouse space.<\/p>\n [\/vc_column_text]\n We have a passion for unconventional solutions that bring your vision to life.<\/p>\n Price Your Building Today<\/i><\/a>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n[vc_column_text]<\/p>\n Prefab Steel Building. Commercial Industrial Warehouse And Office Space located in Panama Pacifico, Panama,<\/p><\/div>\n When estimating the costs of a flex warehouse project, there are several types of costs that need to be considered. These include soft costs, hard costs, financing costs and operational costs.<\/p>\n As soft costs vary wildly with every project, it can be quite a challenge to develop exact estimates. These basically include engineering and architectural design costs, permits, taxes, insurance, and more. It\u2019s essential to accurately plan for soft costs and, more specifically, land costs if you want to avoid the risk of your project going over the edge.<\/p>\n These involve costs that are easily foreseeable, such as material and labor. Although it might seem easy to plan for hard costs, the reality is sometimes the opposite. The cost of construction materials can fluctuate widely depending on supply, market conditions and government regulations.<\/p>\n When you consider the overall costs of your facility over its entire lifespan, operations and energy costs can potentially exceed construction costs. Therefore, it\u2019s crucial to have a Life Cycle Cost Analysis (LCCA) and an energy-efficiency analysis performed on your project. These will help you determine what sort of ROI you can expect from the project over the course of its life. They also provide you the solid figures you need in order to make informed decisions.<\/p>\n Last but not the least, how you intend to finance your project has a significant bearing on the overall costs of the facility. The majority of owners opt to finance their new facility. However, if you take the financing route, you need to ensure that everything is in order in your financial house. This involves accurately estimating the projected costs and value of the facility you intend to build.<\/p>\n The projected costs and value of your facility will have a significant bearing on the lender\u2019s decision to finance your project. Furthermore, it\u2019s prudent to keep about 10% of your projected soft costs in a contingency reserve for the unexpected.<\/p>\n [\/vc_column_text]\n We have a passion for unconventional solutions that bring your vision to life. <\/p>\n Price Your Building Today<\/i><\/a>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n[vc_column_text]<\/p>\n Prefab Steel Building. Commercial Industrial Warehouse And Office Space located in Panama Pacifico, Panama,<\/p><\/div>\n While each warehouse construction project has its unique requirements and specifications, there are a lot of design goals, which can be beneficial for distribution center projects of all shapes and sizes. Aside from meeting the specific objectives of your enterprise, you\u2019ll want a design that:<\/p>\n Now that we\u2019ve gone over the design goals that can help you get the most value from your flex warehouse space, let\u2019s go over some cost-effective design and material solutions that are guaranteed to move the needle in terms of minimizing costs and maximizing ROI.<\/p>\n With any type of structure, walls are obviously a critical element. Two of the most popular wall construction methods used for modern warehouses are pre-fabricated metal and concrete tilt-up construction. Both of them have their unique advantages and both provide varying degrees of customizability.<\/p>\n Concrete tilt-up construction involves concrete panels being prepared on-site before they are lifted into place by a crane and attached to the adjacent units, the foundation and the roof system.<\/p>\n Pre-fabricated metal wall systems, on the other hand, are factory-assembled before they are shipped to the build site, customized to your project\u2019s specifications and then erected.<\/p>\n If you opt for the concrete tilt-up method for the construction of your facility\u2019s walls, you\u2019ll require a highly-skilled and organized construction contractor who has a proven track-record of successfully completing tilt-up jobs. On the other hand, pre-engineered metal walls provide better customizability, have lower up-front costs, and require less time and labor to build. The wall construction you opt for should depend upon the specifications of your facility and the results of your LCCA.<\/p>\n Steel building standing seam roof<\/p><\/div>\n When it comes to the construction of modern distribution centers, there are two roofing systems that reign supreme. These are Ethylene Propylene Diene Terpolymer (EPDM) and standing seam metal roofing systems. Compared to conventional roofing options such as asphalt shingles, both EPDM and standing seam metal roofs offer far superior long-term energy-efficiency and durability.<\/p>\n Both standing seam metal and EPDM roofs offer outstanding weather resistance, exceptional long-term durability and significantly lower water-damage risk. Furthermore, they perform well when combined with either concrete tilt-up or pre-fabricated metal structures. They can even withstand extremely heavy point loads if they\u2019re implemented with the proper design.<\/p>\n Most commercial projects that get LEED-certified often utilize numerous sustainable construction solutions that don\u2019t only reduce energy consumption but also offer exceptional cost savings.<\/p>\n Other cost-effective and energy-saving lighting solutions include passive solar lights and day-lighting. By implementing the right architectural design and strategically placing the windows and skylights, you can actually use the sun to provide most of your facility\u2019s lighting and heating needs. Furthermore, research has revealed that a well-lit facility can also have a positive impact on the worker\u2019s productivity and morale.<\/p>\n cold storage equipment<\/p><\/div>\n Other great ways to enhance your facility\u2019s energy-efficiency include:<\/p>\n However, the most effective strategy to minimize energy costs and consumption is to effectively communicate to your design team how you intend to use the facility. This will help the design team to identify the best energy-saving solutions, based on the needs of your enterprise and facility.<\/p>\n [\/vc_column_text]\n We have a passion for unconventional solutions that bring your vision to life.<\/p>\n Price Your Building Today<\/i><\/a>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n[vc_column_text]<\/p>\n\n
Flex Warehouse Space Defined<\/h2>\n
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The Benefits of a Flex Warehouse Space<\/h2>\n

Increased Flexibility<\/h2>\n
More Usable Areas<\/h2>\n
Direct Access<\/h2>\n
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Cost Factors of Flex Warehouse Construction<\/h2>\n
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Types of Construction Costs<\/h2>\n
Soft Costs<\/h2>\n
Hard Costs<\/h2>\n
Operation & Energy Costs<\/h2>\n
Financing Costs<\/h2>\n
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Design Goals to Consider<\/h2>\n

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Cost-Effective Design & Material Solutions<\/h2>\n
Efficient, Durable Walls<\/h2>\n

High-Value Roofing Systems<\/h2>\n
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Capturing Savings on Energy<\/h2>\n
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Take a look at our projects<\/h3>\n