WAYS E-COMMERCE IS CHANGING INDUSTRIAL DESIGN

Ever-changing demands of today’s e-commerce user create challenges related to the design and future functionality of modern industrial warehouse and distribution properties.  Chris Riley, Vice-Chairman of CBRE feels that e-commerce is affecting the ways industrial developers are dealing with the challenges of e-commerce and how their business operations are affecting and impacting industrial designs.  The biggest difference is in the design of the buildings.  The facilities are designed around how the material handling system will be utilized by the user.

The design is affected from the floor to the ceiling – including building dimensions, ever-changing demands of today’s e-commerce user create challenges related to the design and future functionality of modern industrial warehouse and distribution properties column spacing. Loading doors, clear span heights, electrical power, floor loads, and other factors important to e-commerce business.  The facility is designed around the receiving, storage, and shipping  operations.  E-commerce also requires excessive parking that most distribution centers do not require.  There are more employees at the facility.  This translates into more parking that requires more land area that means land costs will be higher than normal.

E-commerce facilities typically have large mezzanines that can be very expensive to construct and to dismantle, when the user moves.  If the user moves it is advisable to write into the lease the tenants responsibility to remove the mezzanine platforms.  If the mezzanines are removed the property can appeal to a wider audience of prospective tenants.  The excess land costs that are paid for by the developer up front may be able to be utilized for dedicated trailer parking or possibly the ability to add additional buildings in the future.