The growth of the retail and distribution sectors over recent years has led to the construction of many large, single-story distribution warehouses in the Moscow region, St. Petersburg and a few other major cities in Russia. Virtually all of these buildings are steel-framed and clad with structural insulated panel envelope systems.
The so-called "shed" sector, which includes such buildings, is now one of the most efficient and successful in Russian construction and is predicted to grow further over the next five years. This sector attracts the best project teams, who realize that it is not enough to just talk green.
The first BREEAM- and LEED-certified industrial buildings are starting to emerge in Russia. Building green warehouses not only allows companies to meet increasingly strict energy-efficiency regulations, but also to attract good tenants. A variety of approaches to the design and management of warehouses can improve energy efficiency and reduce running costs.