The Process Defines the Building, Not the Other Way Around: How to Design a Warehouse That Supports Operations

In this episode of Rozmowy Logistyków, Adam Sobolewski talks with Damian Kołata about how to design a warehouse that delivers on a company's business goals. They discuss why warehouse design should start from the inside, not from choosing a building, and what types of locations are available today.

LOGISTICS AS AN ADVANTAGE, NOT A COST

The starting point shouldn't be "which building will we lease," but "what process needs to run inside it." The Polish warehouse market is now 36 million m² and has doubled in five years — the vacancy rate holds at a healthy ~8%, so most available space is still under construction. That's a good moment to start from process analysis rather than square footage, because you can still influence the shape of the building instead of fitting the operation to an already-finished shell.

BUILD, LEASE CUSTOM-BUILT, OR LEASE READY-MADE

Three models for working with a developer: BTO (build to own) — the building becomes your property on handover, sensible for a stable, predictable business; BTS (build to suit) — a building tailored from scratch, usually within a logistics park, on 5-10 year leases; and leasing ready-made space in a park. The choice depends on whether the company can afford to freeze capital, and how confident the demand horizon is — with uncertainty about scale 2-3 years out, leasing offers flexibility that ownership can't match.

TECHNICAL PARAMETERS THAT HAVE TO BE SETTLED BEFORE DESIGN

Clear warehouse height depends on the goods — one thing for apparel in a pick tower, another for tires (fire codes force lower stacking here), another for cold storage (up to 40 m). On top of that: the fire protection standard (NFPA 13 or FM), floor load capacity and finish (AutoStore and mobile racking need a properly ground or thicker floor), lighting at a minimum 12.5% where people work, and power capacity and availability for sorters, conveyors, and AGV robots. Settling this before construction, even at the cost of a longer schedule, saves weeks at the tenant fit-out and equipment installation stage.

ENERGY AS PART OF THE DESIGN, NOT AN ADD-ON

Modern class A warehouses today come standard with a reinforced roof for solar panels, and the installation pays back in 3-7 years — provided the capacity is well matched to actual consumption, since the Polish grid doesn't always accept surplus power. An on-site energy storage system (as in a BREEAM-rated facility in Wrocław) lets a warehouse consume at night what the solar panels generated during the day. A BMS (building management system) complements the WMS, monitoring consumption, faults, and zone occupancy in real time.

FOUR DESIGN PRINCIPLES

Start from process analysis, not square meters. Leave room for expansion and discuss it already at the first building. Treat sustainability as a genuine operational saving, not just a compliance cost. And treat the developer as a partner for a conversation about the process, not just a contractor delivering square meters — changing the spec after the building is handed over is incomparably more expensive than settling it on the drawing board.