Article in Brief
- Built for a critical moment: The FUJIFILM Nexus Warehouse gave FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies receiving, storage, and distribution capabilities to support the national COVID-19 response.
- More than a warehouse: The 91,254-square-foot facility combines refrigerated storage, multi-tier racking, downflow booths, clean rooms, and hazardous material storage.
- Speed with purpose: An expedited 8-month schedule helped the owner start critical supply chain operations quickly.
Pharmaceutical manufacturing usually gets attention for the science behind it. But behind every product is a supply chain that has to receive, store, protect, and move materials reliably and on time.
That was the purpose of the FUJIFILM Nexus Warehouse. FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies selected Bartlett Cocke General Contractors as Construction Manager-at-Risk to deliver the 91,254-square-foot pharmaceutical and refrigerated storage facility in College Station, Texas, working with Energy Architecture. The facility provides essential receiving, storage, and distribution capabilities to support national COVID-19 response efforts.
Supporting a Critical Supply Chain
In pharmaceutical operations, storage and distribution are part of the work, not an afterthought. Materials have to be received, tracked, stored under the right conditions, and moved to the next step in the process without delay.
The Nexus Warehouse was built around that need. It gives FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies dedicated space for receiving and shipping, along with storage designed for the specific requirements of pharmaceutical materials.
During the COVID-19 response, that capability was especially important. A reliable supply chain helped keep critical work moving at a time when speed and dependability mattered most.
A Facility Designed for Specialized Storage
The facility’s interior goes well beyond typical warehouse space.
The finish-out includes:
- Receiving and shipping areas
- Refrigerated storage integrated with 3-tier storage
- 5-tier pallet rack storage
- Downflow booths
- Clean rooms
- Hazardous material storage
Each space supports a different part of the operation. Refrigerated storage protects temperature-sensitive materials. High-density racking makes the most of the building’s capacity. Downflow booths and clean rooms provide controlled environments for handling materials. Hazardous material storage keeps regulated materials separate and properly contained.
Putting these functions in one building creates a facility that works as a connected part of the owner’s operations, not just a place to store inventory.
Built for Durability and Speed
The building shell uses insulated tilt-wall construction and steel framing. Insulated tilt-wall gives the building a durable, thermally efficient envelope, which matters for a facility that relies on controlled storage conditions. Paired with steel framing, it creates a strong structural system for a large, open storage building.
Delivering on an Expedited Schedule
The Nexus Warehouse was completed on an expedited 8-month schedule so FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies could start operations quickly.
A schedule that compressed leaves little room for delay. Procurement, trade coordination, and construction sequencing all have to work together from the start. That is especially true for a facility with specialized systems such as refrigeration, clean rooms, and controlled storage, where each system depends on the work around it.
The Construction Manager-at-Risk delivery method supported that kind of planning. By involving the builder early, the owner and project team could align schedule, budget, and construction decisions before and during construction.
What Life Sciences Owners Can Take From the Nexus Warehouse
Life sciences projects naturally focus on laboratories and production space.
The supply chain supporting those operations is just as important.
The FUJIFILM Nexus Warehouse shows how storage and distribution facilities can be planned as critical infrastructure. Refrigerated storage protects materials. Controlled environments support handling. High-density racking increases capacity. An expedited schedule gets the facility operating when the owner needs it.
For owners planning warehouse, distribution, or storage facilities that support pharmaceutical or advanced manufacturing operations, it helps to ask an important question early: What does this facility need to protect, and how quickly does it need to be ready?
At College Station, the answer was a specialized facility built to support a critical supply chain on a schedule that matched the urgency of the moment.
