Construction was recently completed on a ± 267,000 square foot expansion to an existing Perishables Warehouse for Publix Super Markets, Inc. Set on the grocery giant’s ± 2-million square foot Lawrenceville, Georgia distribution and manufacturing campus, the expansion includes spaces designed for product storage at temperatures of -20° F, 28° F, 35° F and 55° F. The existing Perishables building was expanded on both the east and west sides. In addition to the new spaces an existing warehouse area was reconfigured to allow installation of several banana ripening rooms. Additional office space was designed and built to support the increased warehousing area.
The western expansion and related truck court maximized the owner’s useable space but also eliminated a surface-level pedestrian walkway. This walkway was the primary pedestrian access route to the cafeteria from the west side of the campus. Many concepts were proposed prior to finalizing the design solution. RPA’s use of Revit was an invaluable tool to quickly model and evaluate responses to this obstacle. BIM (Building Information Modeling) allowed the architect and owner to simultaneously visualize the possibilities and potential problems with each proposed alternative. Designers soon decided that the best strategy was not to re-route pedestrian traffic away from this area but rather to design an elevated, covered concrete and steel walkway above the truck court. This new walkway allows Publix associates quick and safe access directly into the existing cafeteria located on the second floor of the central office area. This is a unique design element seldom seen in industrial architecture and is successful in addressing the owner’s pedestrian circulation needs and safety concerns, as well as maintaining efficient tractor trailer access and movement through the area.
The recent expansion activities also included design and construction of a security post building and an “Over-The-Road” Trucker’s restroom building.
In 2002, Randall-Paulson completed an expansion to Publix’s dry grocery distribution facility doubling its capacity, and an addition to the Truck Maintenance building. Publix is one of Randall-Paulson’s long standing, repeat clients. This type of strong relationship is a central tenet of our philosophy as an architectural service firm.
