Warner Commerce Center

Summarize the project's program, features, and achievements: Warner Commerce Center is a modern two-building industrial expansion that was developed, designed, and managed by The Opus Group. Located in Tempe, Arizona, this space offers easy access to major freeways for ideal distribution of goods not only within the Metro Phoenix area but to Southern California & Mexico as well. Given the opportunity for impeccable warehouse distribution, The Opus Group Contracted Riggs Companies to construct 120 panels featuring 40 rear-load dock doors and four drive-in doors. Although this 18-acre site was formally known as an office space, The Opus Group saw the perfect location for a much-needed industrial property given that Tempe has one of the lowest vacancy rates in the Phoenix market.

What obstacles were overcome related to the schedule, budget, program, specification, site, etc. on this project? All construction projects will require a high level of coordination, planning, and attention to detail to avoid obstacles, however, a job with no challenges is almost unheard of. One of the biggest impacts that affected Warner Commerce Center in planning and scheduling is material availability. After the pandemic, materials for tilt-up construction became scarce and led to long lead times. This included but was not limited to lumber common forms, reveal, equipment, reinforcement, & formliner. Formliner in that period had a lead time of 8-16 weeks depending on the pattern choice, but the architectural creativity was not a factor worth sacrificing. To tackle this obstacle, all team members had to pre-plan and work closely with the design team to ensure that the vision proposed was accurate and feasible. Any errors or changes in the design within the construction stages of the project would have significant impact in the overall creation process, schedule, and cost.

Please communicate any engineering complexities or unique features of the panel design for this project. ? There are several key complexities and unique features that was implemented at Warner Commerce Center, two of these being formliner featured behind overlapping panels and intricate entrances. Consistently around the perimeter of both buildings, the design team wanted to showcase panels, typically 9’6” wide, that would sit back behind two other large panels. These accent walls attractively displayed triangular facet patterned formliner that matched the same Blustery Sky blue paint color as the entrances to create dimension and a cohesive, eye catching look. The lift sequence to achieve this vision was not only critical to ensure that the panels are properly placed and connected, but it resulted into a longer lift time, as the two adjacent larger panels would have to be placed first to set the smaller accent panels behind. Another unique aspect of Warner Commerce Center that offers multiple complexities are the entry ways. At the legs surrounding the large entrance panels, Riggs Companies created a ¾” recess on the bottom 9’ to incorporate a thin brick design element that would look flush with the surrounding concrete. This same large panel had two notched return walls and a spandrel that sat directly on top of the notches and seen behind the large entry panel. This spandrel was then creatively accented with a steel solar shade for a captivating and distinctive design. Just like before, the lifting sequence to execute a vision like this took a lot of planning and communication to ensure a safe and successful finish.

What is the potential for this project's impact on the community and/or environment? Warner Commerce Center offers several positive impacts to the surrounding community including economic growth and enhanced storage capacity. There is a positive correlation when it comes to industrialization & economic growth. Warner Commerce Center can potentially attract more businesses and industries to the area, which can lead to increased distribution of goods and more job opportunities. Furthermore, having a warehouse and potential office space offered in this project can provide much-needed storage space for businesses in the community. This would help organizations manage their inventory and supplies more efficiently, which can lead to cost savings and increased profitability.