Having your business outgrow its existing space can be both exciting and stressful. While growth is good, upgrading your space requires some thought. Should you lease or purchase a larger facility? Should you expand your existing one? Or should you build a new home for your business from the ground up? This article will explore the benefits of ground-up construction.
Why Ground-Up Construction Makes Sense for Growing Businesses
Ground-up construction, meaning the development of a completely new building on vacant land, contrasts with the alternatives by offering significantly greater flexibility.
Full Control From Day One
When you choose ground-up building, you remove the limitations put in place by someone else’s decisions. You don’t have to work with existing structures and have the freedom to make your company’s new home conform to your exact needs.
Built to Match Your Business Vision
When you’re stuck in someone else’s design, you often need shortcuts or workarounds to make the space fit your preferred workflows. Ground-up development lets you choose where you want open spaces, specialized areas, customer showrooms, and every other space you’ll work out of.
Design Flexibility That Renovations Can’t Match
When you renovate, you’re forced to work around load-bearing walls, position equipment near existing outlets, and design your spaces around predetermined room layouts. With the ground-up approach, you get a blank slate.
Customize Every Square Foot
Does your existing space have poor traffic flow? Could it stand to have more natural light? Customizations like this are easy with ground-up construction. Your ceilings can be as high as you want them, and your floor plan can be as open or as compact as you want.
Adapt Spaces to Industry-Specific Needs
Every industry has its own set of spatial requirements. Existing buildings rarely accommodate these perfectly. Whether you need specific ventilation systems, rooms suitable for running server farms, or more optimal flow patterns for customers, ground-up building allows you to address those needs in your design.
Long-Term Cost Savings Through Smarter Building
Many people are put off by the initial cost of ground-up construction. This ignores the long-term financial benefits that such construction provides, beyond the increase in productivity from a custom-tailored solution.
Energy Efficiency from the Ground Up
There have been dramatic increases in energy-efficient technologies in recent years. New construction can take advantage of modern insulation, HVAC systems, and smart technologies that reduce your company’s carbon footprint and its energy bills.
Lower Maintenance and Fewer Surprises
Older buildings often come with expensive surprises. Outdated systems and structural problems from wear and tear can hit you with unexpected repair costs. When you build from the ground up, you start with all fresh systems, complete with warranties.
When Ground Up Becomes the Smarter Investment
Deciding between ground-up construction and other options is easier if you evaluate your specific circumstances against the areas where ground-up development shines.
Ground-Up vs. Renovation: What’s the Real Difference
- Budget threshold: Small renovations are more cost-effective, but if the cost of renovation is over 60-70% of new construction, building from the ground up becomes a better long-term value.
- Timeline requirements: Ground-up construction doesn’t suffer from as many structural surprises and delays as renovation does. This may be an advantage if deadlines are tight.
- Growth projections: If your business is growing fast enough, a ground-up approach can avoid outgrowing the space again.
- Operational disruption tolerance: Renovations may cause business disruptions that make them a less viable option.
- Location flexibility: If your current location isn’t ideal, ground-up construction is a great way to relocate to a better one.
- Industry-specific needs: Some industries have specialized needs that aren’t easily retrofitted into every building.
Ready to Build a Space That Grows With You?
At Hammers Construction, we specialize in ground-up construction that helps Colorado Springs businesses grow. We have over 50 years of design-build expertise, enabling us to work efficiently and save you time and money. Contact us today to start building your company’s success from the ground up.
Image source: Lee Charlie// Shutterstock
