THE IMPORTANCE OF DEVELOPING A BUILDING PROGRAM
Developing a Building Program
Once the manufacturing requirements are established and the space has been defined to locate the equipment and personnel, the remainder of the building program can be developed. The effort is led by the architect and is based on 3 key factors.
- What additional spaces and uses are dictated by the type of manufacturing? Each manufacturing process has its own set of requirements. What are the supporting utilities and where will they be housed? What are the raw materials and where will they be stored? Is QC lab space required on the plant floor or in a separate lab?
- What are the owners’ business requirements? Every owner will have different requirements that are dictated by the way the
ircompany is managed. How many offices are needed? How many meeting spaces and break rooms are needed? - How do compliance requirements affect the use of the building? Many manufacturing processes have significant additional code compliance issues. Is special storage required for solvents or flammables? Are there egress issues?
The answers to these questions will dictate the remainder of the building program
Components of a Building Program
- Offices
- Conference Rooms
- Bathrooms
- Break/Lunch Room
- Locker Rooms
- Open Office Areas
- Storage Areas (H-2, S-1, F-1 are examples of Use Group classifications)
- Mechanical Rooms (Electrical, HVAC)
- Process Areas
- Labs (Production, Quality Control, and R&D)
- Production Areas
- Shipping and Receiving areas (Loading Docks)
- Vaults (If we have a client with precious metals or restricted access raw materials)
- Control Rooms
- Mezzanines (Sometimes used as a way to not have a second/third floor)
While we typically are guided by these factors, our approach to a building program project depends on the client’s specific needs. Please get in touch with us for specific examples, and sample drawings of projects we’ve done in the past so we can tailor an approach to your project requirements.