In the design or early construction phase, these projects represent just a sample of our current work.
KRAFT FOODS INCORPORATED SOUTHEASTERN DISTRIBUTION CENTER
Union City, Georgia
Construction recently began on Randall-Paulson’s design of a ± 977,418 SF distribution center for Kraft Foods, Inc. The facility includes refrigerated, freezer and dry storage warehouse areas as well as ± 24,500 SF of two story administrative office space. Located in Union City, Georgia, the facility will serve Kraft Foods Southeastern US distribution needs.
The challenge as a designer for a building of this size is resolving the issue of scale – building vs. human. Distribution centers by their very nature are more concerned with function than aesthetics – designers used this fact to inform the aesthetics. For instance, personnel doors for fire department access are set by code at 200’-0” on center. This module was used to break up the building’s long facades into more visually manageable sections by use of vertical and horizontal reveals and accent painting. Another functional requirement of the tenant was to provide natural light in the warehouse spaces. Clerestory windows were used to address this as well as to further break down the scale of, not only the building, but also the previously created modules into individual components – a secondary pattern. The tenant’s requirement for fresh air changes required louvers that were sized and spaced by designers to complement the clerestory and to provide a tertiary pattern or rhythm. All of these elements act in concert to not only make the building appear less immense, but also add visual interest for the user and passerby alike.
This idea of rhythm and pattern was expanded upon at the office element to also include plane change. Pilasters were used as vertical accents, atop which sits a horizontal cornice element. The windows in the office were recessed as far as possible into the wall. The pilasters and cornice encapsulate space for the windows to occupy. More importantly these elements - cornice, pilasters and recessed windows - provide space for the viewer’s eye to occupy, as well as to create shade and shadow to further delineate surface variations. By using the building’s functional requirements to address architectural aesthetic concerns the building becomes more than just a one million square foot warehouse.
Designed to apply for LEED certified status, creative sustainable design strategies are being incorporated. Among these strategies are parking for fuel and emissions efficient vehicles, white reflective roofing, no landscape irrigation, low flow fixtures with sensors, low-emitting interior finish materials, and efficient energy features. The primary building elements, steel and concrete, are comprised of more than 30% recycled content. During construction, at least 75% of the construction waste will be diverted away from landfills and into recycling centers.
