Grimshaw’s second building for Herman Miller forms the centre of its distribution operation and contains the warehouse for all raw materials and finished goods.

The industrial unit responds to the client’s need for flexibility and allows for future expansion and potential use for offices, manufacturing and paint spraying.

Structured by a simple primary and secondary beam system, the buildings columns sit on a 10 x 20 m grid. Enveloped by a straightforward rectangular envelope with gently curved corners, the pressed aluminium cladding panels give the facade variety and texture.

Conceived along similar lines as Herman Miller’s designs, they act as an interchangeable kit of parts. Solid panels, fixed windows, fire doors and personnel doors may be unbolted and moved to any location on the 2.4 x 1.2 m grid.

At the same time, further flexibility is encouraged by interchanging glass of any of the four apertures of each window frame with secondary components such as external lights, ventilation louvres and components to allow pipe transitions. The company’s democratic ethos is reflected in spaces for staff that are free of hierarchy; in turn they are flexible and responsive to the needs of the people who work in it.