TABLE OF CONTENTS In this chapter we talk about the many things that have to happen between your decision to build and getting the keys for a newly constructed facility.
Once the decision to build or expand is made, you need to establish building dimensions, shape, and clear height. No matter how well everything else goes, if these fundamentals are not properly thought through, the project will not be successful. If a critical piece of machinery does not fit by a few inches, what was the point of building?
We strongly recommend that you let an experienced architect perform programming and preliminary design of your building: Architects are trained to analyze owner s needs and to offer solutions. Many years spent with architects under one roof have convinced the writer of tremendous improvements these design professionals can make to the original plans conceived by their clients. An architect often comes up with a completely different and better building layout. Unless you need a small basic rectangle of a building or must suit a preestablished equipment layout, let designers, not contractors, help you make design decisions. (Of course, the architect you select should be experienced in specifying metal building systems or at least should have read this book .)
The architect will help you identify your immediate and future space needs, prepare a preliminary cost estimate, and propose a timetable for construction. On your part, you have to determine whether adequate financing is available, a...
