FM Cost Trends

Steel Manufacturing Facility

This 26,000-square-foot light industrial facility showcases the creativity of the steel manufacturer occupying it, from the curved steel roof to the steel reception desk. The two-floor structure features poured concrete columns and beams with a steel frame structure. The foundations are reinforced concrete with slab-on-grade, while exterior wall finishes are veneered with cultured stone and metal.

Office and shop spaces alike benefit from clerestory windows and plenty of insulation. A carefully planned site and staging area help move raw materials through the manufacturing process.

Green Manufacturing Center

Environmental innovation earned this light manufacturing facility LEED Gold certification. The 8,000-square-foot office space and 34,000-square-foot manufacturing, shop, and storage area are linked by a wall-to-wall window that illustrates the company’s dual nature. The conference room is insulated with straw bale walls that provide an R-value of 42. Low-tech earth tubes naturally cool air in the shop by passing it under the building, while large fans draw hot air up and through clerestories. A 189 kW solar system will soon allow the property to produce 90% of its own energy needs. Vegetated swales account for all infiltrated stormwater mitigation on site.