Mixed-use facilities require careful planning. When your building needs to function as both corporate office space and heavy industrial service center, you’re balancing competing requirements for systems, access, and space planning.
The Project
EquipmentShare’s 38,500-square-foot Technology Development Center in Columbia combines professional office areas with large service bays designed for heavy equipment repair and testing. The facility houses offices, conference rooms, kitchen facilities, and industrial bays under one roof.
Design Challenges in Dual-Purpose Buildings
Office space and industrial bays have different requirements. Offices need climate control, acoustic separation, and professional finishes. Service bays need high clearances, heavy-duty floors, large door openings, and industrial electrical and HVAC systems.
Getting both right in one building means coordinating systems carefully from the start. HVAC zones need to keep office areas comfortable without wasting energy on high-bay spaces. Acoustic barriers prevent noise from industrial areas from disrupting office work. Traffic flow has to separate heavy equipment from office visitors.
Managing Large-Scale Steel Construction
By late 2024, the project’s second steel framework phase was underway. Large steel structures require careful sequencing and coordination — especially when you’re building on a schedule that doesn’t allow for delays.
Project Manager Jason Bias and Superintendent Lonnie Paulson managed the steel erection, coordinating deliveries and crane schedules to keep the project moving forward.
Why Facility Type Matters
If you’re planning a facility that serves multiple functions — warehouse with office components, manufacturing with showroom space, or industrial with corporate headquarters — the contractor you choose needs experience with those building types. Generic construction experience doesn’t translate well when you’re dealing with specialized systems and competing requirements.
Prost Builders has delivered commercial, industrial, and mixed-use facilities across Missouri for over 75 years. We understand how to make complex buildings work.
Planning a specialized facility? Contact us to discuss your project requirements and how we approach multi-function buildings.