Using brand strategy to set high quality design standards

The Saddleridge Industrial Park is a large master-planned development in northeast Calgary near the international airport. After participating in a competitive RFP process, Triovest Reality Advisors asked us to complete the design twoof two warehouses of this new industrial park to serve as a catalyst for the aesthetic of the park and align with their client’s corporate brand strategy.

They wanted a custom design aesthetic that was on brand and in line with the client’s desired construction typology, budget expectations and wider building portfolio.

Since this facility was setting a precedent for future buildings and tenants, design work carefully considered the material and colour palette. Our challenge was to create a flexible package – whether it was for traditional warehousing of products, goods, and materials, or one that could also accommodate industrial tenants, office space, or commercial frontage to the industrial bays. Our goal was to create maximum flexibility for our clients to be an attractive option to a diverse range of tenants.

Due to the location’s proximity to the airport, there were many regulations to consider around materiality, construction style, sound and acoustics, reflectivity, and electronic signals that aligned with airport policies. We also considered the buildings’ orientation in relation to both the runway and the street to create an attractive energy around the park and provide a high degree of visibility for tenants.

Our design team conducted benchmarking and visioning sessions with the client to understand their brand, strengths, and differentiators within the context of the industrial market. Our intention was to help Triovest capitalize on their opportunity and create an attractive environment to a wide range of industrial clients.

We tapped into their vision and branding guidelines to create something new, yet recognizable to Triovest clients. Together, we explored colours and relief patterns for the façade of the building that could be durable and repeatable. We also ran full energy models on both buildings, to ensure we were exceeding sustainability requirements of the building code.

Designed using a suite of parts, we created two buildings, one with large bays and high clear height, the other with small bays that faced the airport’s runway. We used a warm colour palette that could be expanded or collapsed depending on the size of future projects. This equips Triovest with a custom branding opportunity for the whole park.

To bring in natural light, we provided corner windows on both the back and the front with sizeable expanses of glass at the entries and large high windows at the rear façade.

We involved our contractor throughout the design phase, which expedited the construction process and maintained our client’s unique qualities without compromising efficiency, siting, or usability. Sustainable design considerations included provisions to allow these buildings to support solar panel infrastructure in the future. We also used durable energy efficient precast concrete and high performance solar coated double glazing.

The results were balanced esthetics, flow, efficiency, and creating something that responded well to the client’s context.

Triovest attracted tenants quickly. We worked with them to adapt our design while under construction, so they could land the tenants that they wanted based on interest.

Since the pandemic, we’ve seen great impacts on the future movement, procurement, and storage of goods and products. Going forward, it’s important to create warehousing that’s not only flexible, but can also meet the needs of diverse tenants. This creates resilient business, and uniquely positions our clients in the market.