Industrial Architecture Requires An Integrated Team
In the industrial and manufacturing industry downtime is the ultimate enemy. Efficiency and productivity are key elements to success. When an industrial facility needs renovation, expansion, or completely new space the plant manager’s concern is downtime, disruption, and safety risks that all impact productivity, wellness or employees, and the bottom line. In this type of work downtime is not a luxury that can happen and a slow disjointed design process will not work.
We approach industrial design like our other projects, without ego, listening for challenges and opportunities, and thinking about which partners will deliver the best success for our clients. We want to approach every project as an integrated team: owner, architect, contractor, engineer, and other stakeholders depending on the need. We don’t work in a silo that will slow the project. We know that minimal disruption ensures the best outcome.
Our designs all start by sketching out the idea after listening to our clients’ goals and analyzing the opportunities. We learn how products flow through a space, where potential bottle necks occur, and how departments communicate. Working with our client we hear from leadership, managers, operators, and their clients when needed to understand fully how their business moves. The granular questions are often the most telling: Where are the existing safety pitfalls? Does product bottleneck now? How does the assembly line sequence work and could it be better?
Learning how the facility operates helps us provide guidance on the changes needed. Even in new construction, we need to understand the flow of materials and people. The site access, circulation both interior and exterior, and vertical and horizontal shifts all feed the best solutions. We are not just designing a shell; we want to provide design for highly functional machines that complement the optimized workflow.
Our designs also ask the question, how will the team using the space feel about the space. Is it safe? Comfortable? Even Fun? Providing a space with healthy indoor environmental quality promotes employee retention and productivity. Bringing in daylight strategies where possible along with proper ventilation and zoning can help employee morale. This can also reduce fatigue and potential for safety challenges.
When time is the critical element which it is in most of our industrial projects, using an integrated approach to design saves time, money, and smooths out the unknown. It allows our design team to work hand in hand with the contractor, engineers, and clients to deliver the highest and best solution.
