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Thrilling Industrial Architecture: Sweetwater Distribution Center

By Matt Elliott, AIA

August 2, 2022
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Industrial architecture…yawn. Boring, right? It’s just big grey square metal buildings that all look the same. While sometimes not high design, industrial projects can be very exciting and impactful projects. Not only do these spaces have highly technical systems and complex layouts, but they often have integrated office and community space that can positively affect the lives of those who work there. Let’s take a closer look at one of our largest industrial projects – the Sweetwater Distribution Center.

 

This “warehouse” (if you can call it that) is a whopping 357,000 SF, which is roughly about the same square footage as 6 football fields!

There are two main building floors within the warehouse that are tied to a 3-level pick module in the center of the building. With all of that space, it’s no wonder that Sweetwater’s IT team came up with new custom technology that allows orders to be processed and filled faster for quicker delivery times.
Sweetwater Sound Distribution Center Conveyor Belt Sweetwater Sound Distribution Center Shelving
Sweetwater Sound Distribution Center Conveyor Belt Sweetwater Sound Distribution Center Shelving
Sweetwater Sound Distribution Center Shelving

What on earth is all that space used for?

Guitar processing and racking, shipping, packing, returns, customer pick up, receiving docks, and over 88,000 SF (over 1.5 football fields) of racks for temporary storage. Of course, there are multiple office areas, meeting spaces, and a Sweetwater catered dining facility/lounge for all the employees who work there.
Sweetwater Sound Distribution Center Shelving

Can you imagine all the coordination, the detailed specifications, specialty codes, material orders to organize and track, and just overall organization and planning of a space this large?

Even on a smaller scale, designing and constructing industrial spaces is not an easy task. From coordinating with the client, developers, contractors, specialty sub consultants, to thoughtful planning, construction detailing, and more, industrial architects have their work cut out for them.
Sweetwater Sound Distribution Center Conveyor Belt Sweetwater Sound Distribution Center Conveyor Belt
Sweetwater Sound Distribution Center Conveyor Belt Sweetwater Sound Distribution Center Conveyor Belt

Next time you hear about an industrial architecture project, take a closer look and see just how thrilling of a project it can be! DC is ready to rumble and take on the toughest industrial design challenges, with no project too big, too unique, or too small for our team to solve. Let’s get designing!

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