Storage Condo Building Design....get it right the first time!BUILDING DESIGN AND LAYOUT Storage Condo Design The building design was quite the process and took some time to figure out. It was a trial and error process. I tried to balance cost with quality. I wanted an economical building – not a cheap one. We all know what it feels like to be in cars, boats, and houses that are “cheap”. I looked at what amenities to provide and, of course, the look and feel of the development. The results have been excellent – I have sold many units and that is usually a sign that there is value in the product. Before I committed to the final building design, I analyzed all the components, their costs, and the benefits. I feel that the product we have is the "best value" building design. I managed each and every component and therefore the sum of those components. The goal was not to put up the “cheapest” building but to look at each component and the value it adds. I know you could build space cheaper but when you looked at the building and walked in it – that’s exactly what you would feel – cheap! I actually take great pride in what this building looks and feels like and I know others feel the same way. I have significant results which indicate a buyer’s approval of the building design. What it cost to give the building a “look and feel” an owner can be proud of was minimal and, it would be hard to duplicate 2500sf of space without actually copying my plans. (which are copyright protected). The building design is the best economical choice available. The only significant changes to the original building design and plans are a wider and taller overhead door and the clear span trusses. After 5 years, and 150 buildings later, I don’t want to change anything – a credit to the upfront work done on the building design. The only change we are considering today is to use a new LP product called “Smartside” instead of vinyl. It is a wood composite and it looks like cedar however, it’s about 20% more costly. It really adds richness to the exterior. I know because I tried it on my house. My house is a prototype StorageShopUSA building with an attached garage. Over the last 5 years, there hasn’t been any competition. I think real estate builders and developers can’t really compete with the building design and associated costs - not to mention the very diligent site selection process. I have had people ask me to build the StorageShopUSA building on their land – that means it is a good building design. The building design is a crucial element that allows me to achieve a unit price at or near the $100,000 level. The other element of course is the cost of the land which is covered in the site selection section. There are other building designs that work. I may consider a development with units that are not as wide. This design favors the “garage condo” buyers. There are some buyers that just want to park their stuff. The space can be smaller, narrower and a little less expensive. They would rather not pay for what they don’t need. I recognize that there are developments that cater to a certain demographic. The building design should reflect the buyer persona that the developer is trying to attract.
How big do I make the units? I started by researching the types, shapes, and sizes of buildings already in the in the real estate market. I was looking at properties that had small to medium heated space with access to a bath. I narrowed the research down to some building designs that were metal and had a long row of tall overhead doors. This was the starting point but I soon realized that the cost of that building design was more than I wanted to “put on the line” for something that might not sell – I needed less risk. I would rather build a smaller version of the typical metal warehouse building if I could. I looked into a “Cleary or Morton” smaller metal pole shed building. I noticed ads that gave a really reasonable price. In fact, the local Menards flyers show large outdoor sheds with very cheap prices. I realized very quickly that there is an “agricultural” pole shed and a “commercial grade” pole shed and they are very different in price. I narrowed the search to a “commercial” grade pole shed package that was 40ft by 60ft by 16ft with 2 overhead doors. This was the starting point for the building design. It was wide enough for 2 overhead doors (2 units) or, if the person wants flexibility to expand, they can buy the entire building. I thought wow, that is very nice, the person can buy a “stand alone building” This adds such a nice feeling for the buyer. Would you rather live in an apartment or a house? The price I got from a local company gave me a budget number and I figured it was good enough to move forward with finalizing the building design. Next, I looked at what people could actually put in the space. It was easy to get some vehicles in but, what if somebody wanted a bath or an office? The bath had to be 7.5ft wide (ADA requirements) and an office would be considered weird or dysfunctional if it was less than 9-10ft wide. It was also necessary to have some shelf space on both sides of a vehicle including enough room to get out. When you add up 3 ft of shelf space, allow 8.5 ft for a vehicle, (typical parking space size), another 3 ft for more shelf space, and then 10 ft for an office it comes to 24.5ft. This I believe is the optimum width for a unit. Whether the unit is wider or deeper, access to the space with a vehicle is limited unless there is another overhead door – exactly what we provided. Unlike most of the commercial space on the market, the StorageShopUSA building design provides 2 overhead doors for a smaller ~2500sf space. Now I can accommodate somebody who wants anywhere from 1400 to 2800 soft (25ft by 60ft). I rechecked the price of this and of course it was getting higher but more importantly I discovered something that I would ultimately shorten the unit size to 50ft. In Wisconsin, the commercial building code states that if a building is less than 50,000 cubic ft in volume, then the plans for that building, revisions, and additions would not have to be submitted to the State for their review. This approval is more complex and expensive to do. If under 50,000cf, an architect has to stamp and seal the plans representing that they are in full compliance with the codes. That process is much better suited for this smaller user storage condo development. I wanted to provide the most economical choice and every little bit helps. I determined that the 50ft depth would still accommodate most all motor homes, boats, trailers etc. I wasn’t trying to satisfy everybody’s need, just the majority. Trying to keep the building design under 50,000cf I had to drop the ceiling height to 14 ft - that was a blessing in disguise. The next part I am going to share with you was the biggest turn of events regarding the project - all because I dropped the ceiling height to 14ft! I originally accepted the 16 ft ceiling height because that is what came standard as part of the pole shed package – very typical. I didn’t consider the height such an issue as much the width and depth. It just had to be tall and long enough for motor homes. I did realized that people would put shelving up and whether or not the ceiling was 14ft or 16ft I don’t think mattered. In addition, I didn’t expect to see anybody put in a “second floor” because it would take away from the nice tall overhead door feature. I figured the space over the office/bath area would have 5 ft of headroom for storage. I don’t think the 14ft ceiling height would have any impact on the building’s function or utility. It did enable me to substantially lower the overall price structure of the building design. If the ceiling height was 16 ft, I had no other options other than to use a metal shed contractor. Since I wasn’t doing a large amount of buildings, the pricing they gave me was more “retail”. When I went to 14ft, I could use traditional wood frame structure. I had both buildings priced again to see the difference. It was very encouraging. I had to go get a few bids from framers, siders, roofers, etc to make sure I was comparing a finished product. The result was that the traditional wood frame building design was more economical. The reason for this is that I was tapping into “residential” labor market vs. “commercial” labor market. There are a lot more residential framers then metal pole shed companies. Naturally, the price went down substantially. I had a great deal of experience working in residential construction and could use the subcontractors I had developed relationships with. I could now build something at wholesale instead of retail. People always ask me “why don’t you build one (1) bigger building?” I say “it is hard to explain but let’s just say separate buildings are clearly the best economic choice - even if there are more exterior walls.” Why separate traditional wood frame structures? 
The price wasn’t the only reason, there are vast arrays of reasons why I built and continue to build separate 50ft by 50ft traditional wood frame structures.
Building structure and foundation I figured out the size of the building and now I have to determine the exact specifications on the foundation and general structure of the building design.
Exterior building design After I established the building size and the basic costs I realized that what I was building was a “big square box” 50ft by 50ft. I then hired an architect and as I gave the plans to them said “make this look better than a box without adding a lot of cost to it.” After several iterations, the building design and plans were finalized – the same ones we use today. Below, I explain a few features.
Interior design The interior was designed to make the place feel more like a really nice garage rather than a typical commercial warehouse or storage building. I wanted to create a very unique feeling. We accomplished this using the following criteria. The units are drywalled, painted and textured typical of a garage space. This is a very clean look and appeals to everybody. The entire plumbing, electric etc is in the walls. Most industrial warehouses use surface mounted conduit and plumbing pipes and is clearly not as clean a look. The walls are painted a two-tone medium gray and white with a band board appox. 8ft up the wall. The windows and doors are all painted and trimmed. We added a unique trim concept by using 5.5 in hardi-plank siding. This cement board siding is quite a bit wider than normal trim, ha a 25yr finish warranty (outside), comes pre painted, ad is ½ the cost of typical oak trim. This adds a very unique look that clearly adds value.
Office/bath build-out As a service to the buyers, I provide a standard cost for a typical office/bath build-out. It is positioned in the most logical space – not where you drive in and in the front. The office is in the very front with the bath right next to it. Refer to the building plans for more detail. There is storage above the office/bath that can handle up to 125psf of weight. All the walls and the ceilings of the office/bath are insulated and therefore the space can be heated and cooled separately from the warehouse. It is really nice to come into the office and turn on the heat/air conditioning PTAC unit and in minutes the place is very comfortable. The office is carpeted, and the bath has an epoxy coating. I also put in more outlets, painted the walls a 2-tone gray, install a double bowl shop sink and a water spigot for a hose. I really want to stress that I don’t have to do so much but it is very important not to give the space a feeling like corners were cut. The value added features are very well worth it. A vast majority of buyers choose the build-out and very rarely do I get a request for additional items. I might get a request for an outlet in a certain location but that is it. The build-out is a very complete product. Refer to the pictures. The cost for the build-out is very low for several reasons. First, I want the buyer to realize that it is a service and not a profit center. I hate when I go to buy something for an advertised price and then find out they up sell a bunch of other items - I don’t feel as good about the purchase. Secondly, I want them to have the opportunity to do the work themselves to save some money. At the same time, I want them to feel they don’t really have to and still feel good about the purchase. The build-out process is very important. This is where I get to know the buyer and what he/she wants. I try to make the process very easy for them. I am not afraid to give a little extra because I know they appreciate it. There is no “magic” other than simple straight-forward communication with a personal touch. It is all about… “Finding out what they want, giving it to them, and giving it to them in a way that is believable and embraceable” – the fine art of service!
Electric Typically, each unit has a single-phase 100 amp service panel with 40 circuits. This is more than enough power and circuits. Occasionally, someone requests 3-phase power. It isn’t critical because they can always use a use the single-phase converter with their equipment. As a general rule I don’t allow any woodworking, welding, or auto repair for commercial purposes which generally have more 3 phase requirements. The basic shell unit provides ample outlets, lights, 220v circuit, phone and cable. In addition, there is an exterior outlet in the front of every unit. The exterior lighting for the building is “hardwired” to a 35watt hps wall pack on the front. This cannot be shut off unless the breaker is off. It provides light for the building and the drive isle (exterior site lighting). This way everybody pays the same amount for site lighting and there are no electric charges billed to the association. This is very nice building design feature and it saves a lot of money on exterior site improvements. The ceiling is wired for 8 fluorescent shop lights 4 ft long and use 2-32watt T-8 bulbs. These are very efficient and bright. The space is nicely lit and shows very well. Don’t skimp on the lighting – it makes the building feel cheap. Occasionally, someone will hang a light down from the ceiling to an area they have defined as a work space. The bathroom has an electric heat register with a wall thermostat. This is mainly to satisfy code requirements. People respond favorably to this and it adds value. Each unit is wired with a 220 volt circuit for a PTAC unit (heat/air conditioning unit like the ones in hotel rooms.) This is important because the PTAC unit can satisfy the commercial codes for fresh air intake in a heated office space. Each unit has a ceiling fan and switch (pre wired) so they can add a fan anytime in the future. Plumbing Each unit has plumbing stubbed up through the concrete for an ADA accessible bathroom. In Wisconsin, if the commercial property has a bathroom, it has to be wheelchair accessible. It may be different in other states. One of the nicest features is the floor drain and the water spigot for a hose. A shop sink is installed and is a must for the shop even though there is a bathroom sink and it is right next to it. They are two totally different uses and a feature that adds great value. The water meter for each unit is installed on the inside of the corner of the office space. The office corner is out of the way physically and visually. It makes the space cleaner looking. It also comes up near the one designated plumbing wall (between the bath and the office). We use a 10gal electric water heater which is plenty for that space. Many people just turn the heater off if they really don’t care to have hot water so thy can save on utility costs. The hot and cold water lines are typically done in either copper or pex tubing. We use pex when the price of copper goes up drastically otherwise we use copper. Heating and air conditioning The most economical choice to heat the space would be using a gas unit heater that hangs from the ceiling. Around Wisconsin, they are very popular for shops and warehouses. They are approximately 80% efficient and non- condensing so they don’t need a drain nearby. Because the units are so well insulated, even the 80% efficient units are acceptable. We do offer an option for people to upgrade to a regular furnace and air conditioning. Our experience has shown that very few will do the upgrade. The unit heaters do a very nice job of heating. Most people realize that the units stay very cool in the summer because they are well insulated and there are very few window openings. I have been in the unit in the late part of august when temperatures are 90 degrees and humid and the inside of the unit is no more than 80 degrees. Some buyers are required to upgrade the systems because they have employees and under the commercial codes they must condition the air in the work space. The PTAC unit in the office area does satisfy the code requirements for the office but not the warehouse space. Miscellaneous design considerations Overhead doors The overhead doors we use are a special order size. We started out using a standard 10ft wide by 12ft tall door and although the units sold, people were concerned with it. A 10ft wide door will certain fit most all vehicles but it was backing in trailers boats etc that made them not as functional (still worked but not as nice a feature). All the doors today are 12ft wide and it really didn’t change the look of the building. The value far outweighs the added cost. The height of the door is now 13ft. After much research, we determined that even the biggest motor homes were less than 13ft. The 13 ft door height actually made the framing go a little easier because we didn’t have to frame down from the top-plate of the wall. The ceiling height left very little room for the operator – it just barely fits. As I said before, the exterior walls are 14ft studs. The added 3.5 in for the top and bottom plates gives the enough height so that the operator will fit. I would suggest not getting a cheap door. Pay a little extra and get a quality door with a high R value (11 or higher).
Fire ratings, exiting, and egress lighting Commercial codes dealing with fire ratings, exiting and egress lighting can increase the building cost and I make sure I am aware of what is required. One of the key benefits of the smaller (under 50,000cf), separate buildings is that the buildings do not have to be “sprinklered” (in Wisconsin). It is very important to check with each state to determine their requirements. In Wisconsin, a single unit itself doesn’t need fire exit signs, smoke detectors, or egress lighting. This is a substantial savings. The rule in our area is that if the space has only 1 exit and the distance from the farthest point to the exit is less than 75ft, the space is exempt from fire exiting requirements. I am sure each state will have a similar exemption. It is important to note that when there is divider wall separating the 2 units, (somebody buys a whole building) the space is not exempt and the added cost has to be considered. Another factor is fire separation between units. This can drastically change the materials used and definitely affect the cost. In Wisconsin, they basically look at the uses to determine fire separation. All our units are classified as type VB construction with non-separated uses. This means that as long as the uses between units are similar, a minimal 1 hr fire rated wall is acceptable. We are classified as office/warehouse/storage which many businesses etc fall under. To date we haven’t ever had a situation where we had to turn somebody away or reconstruct a higher rated wall assembly. We restrict woodworking, welding, and auto repair for “commercial purposes” (not personal use) because these uses fall into a different classification. In fact, our insurance company restricts us from allowing these uses because they know the risks. It hasn’t hurt sales at all. Getting fire separation between units can also be done by maintaining a specified distance – separate buildings. The distance between the buildings will affect the number and type of window, door openings, or it can change the material used to construct the wall. It is much easier and more cost effective to control the spacing between the buildings then to make changes to the building design. In Wisconsin, the required distance is 10ft. We wouldn’t want to go any closer than this anyway because it is nice to have the space between the buildings. The buyers like the fact that they are separate stand alone buildings and 10 ft gives enough room to have a 5ft (normal) walkway to their door. It doesn’t feel cramped. It is very important to get familiar with the fire codes in your area and/or state. The easiest way to do this would be to use the sample set of plans and pay a visit to a local architect to have them reviewed. You simple can’t afford to be wrong on this and need this information before you can work through the site selection process. Parking requirements Each building has generally 4 to 6 parking stalls out in front of the building. It is very common to see the zoning ordinances require a certain number of spaces for every employee, square foot of office, or warehouse space. The theory is that if the space is all office, they know you are going to have a lot of people there daily and would need parking. Or, if you have employees, they know the employees will come to the office either daily or occasionally. The point is they don’t know for sure but require you to provide stalls based on their projections. Our developments are designed for the smaller business that has maybe 1 or 2 employees or for personal use. Either way we feel that 1-3 stalls is very functional even if you have to park in front of your overhead door. It is good to understand how the parking works because it may affect the buyer and what they plan to build inside the unit. In addition, if they want to run a business and not just be a storage condo, they need parking! To date, we have never run into a problem with parking. It is very important to understand this parking issue. If you are designing for storage uses, you may not need parking. On the other hand, if somebody wants to run a business from the units, parking will be required. This will have a significant impact on the site layout and design. I have a few people want to create an upstairs (2nd floor). You could do this with 16ft ceilings but not with 14ft ceilings. It is actually good – here is why. If you create a second floor, the added space is used when calculating how many parking stalls are required. It is very likely that the ordinances will show you don’t have enough parking stalls in front of your unit based on the square footage of space. That means you would have to park in a “parking lot”. This not only takes up space, adds site improvement costs, but is not as appealing to the buyer. The 14ft ceiling doesn’t even provide enough headroom for a “2nd story” so any space created (i.e. space over the office/bath build-out) can’t be considered when calculating parking stalls – even though the space is very useable and functional. If the buildings are designed for just storage, then a second floor is most likely ok – you just can’t run a business from the unit. It is very important to position the parking in front of the unit. I say this because, I worked with somebody who had a “parking lot” and the people walked to their units. The parking should be reserved in front for the owner of the unit – no exceptions. This is like buying your house and having to park at one of your neighbor’s house or in the street. Done with building design? Now we need to know how fit them to the lot - site design Just download the entire building design section - a "workbook" is easier to work with than printed web pages.
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