Designing Better Industrial Buildings: Why Utilitarian Architecture Deserves Character
TLDR
Too many warehouses and tilt-wall buildings are lifeless, low-cost boxes. But with the right architectural strategy, utilitarian buildings can be efficient and dignified. This post outlines why it matters, the real costs of bad design, and how to do better with examples and practical tips.
Drive through any industrial district at 7 AM and watch the ritual unfold. Workers stream into buildings that could house anything—or nothing. Metal-clad boxes that announce no purpose, express no character, acknowledge no human presence beyond the cars in their parking lots. These facilities store goods, process materials, and house operations well enough. But as I watch people disappear into structures that seem designed to make them invisible, I can't help wondering: why can’t we do better?
This is the daily reality across the US, where utilitarian architecture has settled into a pattern of banality. We seem to have convinced ourselves that functional buildings must be ugly, that efficiency requires the elimination of character. But this assumption limits potential.
At Derrington Building Studio, we see something different when we look at industrial typologies. We see buildings with distinct purposes that, when clearly expressed, can achieve a poetic beauty unavailable to other architectural types. We see honest materiality and straightforward programs that offer opportunities for creative expression. And frankly, we see an entire category of architecture that remains under-considered, leaving vast potential untapped.
The Architecture of Less Friction
Here's what draws us to industrial work: these buildings have a clarity of purpose that cuts through architectural pretense. A warehouse needs to store things efficiently. A manufacturing facility needs to make things safely. A distribution center needs to move things quickly. When architects fight against these realities—trying to impose aesthetic concepts that conflict with operational requirements—this is not design. This is ineffective decorating.
Things fail when forced, so we follow a path of less resistance. Not less effort—less friction.
This philosophy guided our work on the Crux Pflugerville development, where we inherited a conventional solution: a large rectangular building surrounded by parking on three sides, with a mandated fire lane and detention pond consuming the rear. The layout met all requirements but left no room for outdoor amenities—a significant missed opportunity for attracting patrons. Rather than fighting to reduce parking or building area (both essential for the project's success), we examined the actual requirements behind each constraint.
The fire lane, seemingly mandatory, proved unnecessary once we researched specific access requirements. Fire hoses could reach all areas from the building's rear corners without the dedicated lane. This simple insight—following regulatory logic rather than conventional assumptions—freed 7,000 square feet. We maintained the required building area, actually increased parking, eliminated an expensive segment of fire lane, and gained substantial outdoor space for tenant amenities. The solution emerged from working with constraints rather than against them.
This approach defines our practice: achieving functional, practical, and affordable results by understanding programmatic requirements so thoroughly that harmonies reveal themselves. We don't bring a signature style to impose on sites. Instead, we work from a programmatic process, allowing beauty to emerge from elements that must exist anyway. When design follows the path of operational necessity, something remarkable happens—function becomes poetry.
This is the outdoor courtyard and entrance at Crux Pflugerville that replaced a lonely fire lane that was hidden behind the development. Photo: Leonid Furmansky
The Business Reality of Elevated Design
Let's address the practical concerns directly. Choosing architectural character over the usual industrial construction involves trade-offs that have to be considered.
The Costs Are Real: Design fees typically increase by 2-3% of total project cost for complex, integrated design (per RAIC's Guide to Determining Appropriate Fees for the Service of an Architect). Construction schedules inevitably extend due to system coordination and custom details. And while comprehensive cost comparisons aren't readily available, expect a construction premium for statement buildings over standard industrial. For projects with thin margins, these differences matter.
The Coordination Is Complex: Integrating systems as architectural features demands deeper collaboration between all disciplines. Natural lighting and ventilation strategies that shape facades require ongoing coordination between architects, engineers, and contractors. Details that express materials honestly—rather than hiding connections—need more careful development and execution.
The Market May Not Care: Some tenants prioritize low rent over workspace quality. Some communities lack sophistication to value design excellence. Some investors focus exclusively on first-cost metrics rather than lifecycle value. If your project serves only cost-sensitive markets, architectural character may not generate returns that justify investment.
But here's what these cautions miss: the benefits compound over time while the costs are one-time.
Well-designed facilities command lease premiums in the Central Texas market according “Tenant Demand Concentrated Among Highest Quality Office Buildings in Central Texas” (CoStar, 2024). More tellingly, CBRE reports 395 million square feet of positive net absorption in new buildings since Q1 2023, while older stock experienced net vacancy. Tenants are actively paying for better facilities—and better facilities absorb faster when brought to market, reducing carrying costs and improving cash flow timing.
Energy-efficient integrated systems reduce operating costs 25-35% annually (International Journal of Civil Engineering & Technology). Most significantly, they attract businesses planning for growth rather than those simply seeking cheap space.
The math becomes compelling when viewed across the building lifecycle rather than first-year returns. A building that costs more to build but generates higher rent while reducing operating costs pays for its design investment within a few years—then continues delivering superior returns for decades.
Your One Opportunity
Beyond the financial calculations lies a deeper question: what are you trying to accomplish? Every building project represents enormous commitment—months or years of planning, significant capital investment, consumption of land and materials, decades of operational impact. You get one chance to make these investments count.
This is where the conversation moves beyond ROI toward purpose. Every successful business owner we've met shares certain characteristics: they care about doing things right, they take pride in their work, they want their efforts to matter beyond immediate profit. These aren't only abstract values—they're practical drivers that separate thriving businesses from struggling ones.
When you build with character, you create something that reflects these values visibly. Your facility becomes proof of your standards before anyone walks through the door. Employees feel pride in their workplace, which translates to better performance and longer tenure. Clients and partners see evidence of the care you bring to everything you do. Community members view your business as an asset rather than a necessary evil.
There's also the legacy question. In twenty years, what will your building say about the choices you made? Will it stand as an example of doing the minimum required, or evidence that you seized the opportunity to create something that enhances its surroundings? Will it age gracefully, adapting to new uses and maintaining value, or become a liability requiring expensive updates just to remain competitive?
We've seen business owners energized by the possibility that their pragmatic project—their warehouse, their manufacturing facility, their distribution center—could become a source of community pride. The same resources required for commodity construction can create a landmark that people point to with satisfaction rather than regret. It's not about spending more money; it's about spending money more thoughtfully.
The Unconsidered Potential
This brings us back to that industrial district at 7 AM, to those workers disappearing into forgettable boxes. Imagine instead buildings that announce their purpose with quiet confidence. Facilities where natural light transforms the work environment, where outdoor spaces offer respite during breaks, where the architecture itself communicates the care and intention behind the enterprise within.
I curated a gallery of examples from Europe that I find particularly impressive below:
These aren't fantasies—they're proven approaches that forward-thinking developers are already implementing. The question isn't whether elevated industrial architecture works; it's whether you're ready to explore what it might mean for your project.
Every site has constraints. Every program has requirements. Every budget has limits. These aren't obstacles to overcome—they're the raw material from which architectural character emerges. The trick is learning to work with these forces rather than against them, finding the path where functional necessity and aesthetic ambition align.
At Derrington Building Studio, we're not waiting for the market to demand better industrial architecture—we're working with clients who recognize the opportunity before them. Clients who understand that if something is worth doing, it's worth doing right. Clients excited by the possibility that their practical project could achieve something unexpected.
If you're planning a utilitarian building and wondering whether it could be more than just functional, consider this an invitation to think differently about what's possible. Your project has inherent purpose, honest materials, and specific requirements that could become the foundation for something remarkable.
The only question is whether you're ready to discover what that might be.
