The old warehouse gets a new role in the global economy.

There was a time when warehouses were left to the unwanted edges of communities and were considered buildings that were best forgotten. Left to areas less visible, they were the unwanted necessity of commerce.

The new warehouse is very different. These are sophisticated buildings guided by well-trained people and well-run corporations. They are crafted for companies that require a complex and high performing system of logistics and product delivery. Efficient warehouses help to serve a nation that is demanding better goods and services and expects them to be delivered economically.

Today's warehouses are well-designed buildings, welcomed by the community. They are also a key component to the global economy.

Warehouses, known in the industry as "distribution centers," are growing bigger and taller, with clear heights typically reaching 36 feet. In addition, systems for handling the storage and shipment of products are more automated. These features enable companies to take advantage of more volume and stack goods higher, as well as use greater floor space more effectively than ever before. However, they also place large demands on buildings, strength floor slabs that are flat and level. These factors and the growing awareness of safe workplace procedures have necessitated that today's warehouses be equipped with the most advanced systems of fire protection and smoke control.

New design criteria and the impact of the new warehouse have begun to affect the way that companies think about these buildings. Firms are starting to realize that their warehouses can be focal points for a sophisticated workforce. Building a new warehouse provides an excellent opportunity for a company to express its core values to the surrounding community.

The clearest example of the modern warehouse is the Master Parts Distribution Center that KSS Architects designed for Mercedes-Benz. Currently constructed at 460,000 s/f, this facility is already slated to grow to a total of 1.2 million square feet.

Designed to reflect the Mercedes-Benz core philosophy, the warehouse incorporates functionality and style. The building is clad with a metal skin featuring glass in areas that are exposed to public view. A metal screen entrance element--reminiscent of a classic Mercedes-Benz automobile--graces the entrance. This feature diffuses southern light and announces the building while also expressing the identity of Mercedes-Benz to the surrounding community.

As sophisticated as the exterior of this building is, it is the interior that is most unique. The warehouse portion itself is unprecedented in its environment.

The area is surrounded in high glass clerestories providing an abundance of natural light. Its structural system provides for long spans with few columns. Its slabs are leveled to accommodate automated picking systems.

Recognizing the importance of this facility and its central location, Mercedes-Benz has also incorporated in this facility 60,000 square feet of offices, a training center, and amenity spaces for its work force. These are functions designed integrally with the warehouse and help to create what is truly a well-engineered machine for parts distribution.

As the Mercedes-Benz project shows, designing a building that is aesthetically pleasing yet functional is possible. Today's warehouses are no longer outcasts of communities, but are now an integrated part of the neighborhoods in which they provide for.

ED KLIMEK, PRINCIPAL

KSS ARCHITECTS