Industrial cold storage: How tailored solutions can unleash innovation
August 06, 2025
Twentieth-century cold storage facilities are growing obsolete. Now¡¯s the time to raise the bar for spaces that keep food and drugs cold.
Demand for industrial cold storage is booming in the US and Canada. These specialized industrial spaces have unique design considerations. But we think they are well suited to the application of innovative solutions pulled from other types of highly specialized controlled environments.
Our society is increasingly dependent on industrial cold storage. Consumers in North America expect food to be safe, fresh, and available year-round. Cold storage is a part of a food supply chain that gets food from the farm to production, distributor, and retailer. Additionally, the pharmaceutical sector needs industrial cold storage more than ever. Drug makers and distributors must store vaccines, biologics, anti-biotics, and other sensitive medications in temperature-controlled environments.
Cold storage is expensive. It costs twice as much to build a cold storage space as it does to build a conventional warehouse. And yet, the market is growing. Demand for cold storage has outpaced supply, pushing up rents.
As we have learned at the I.CON Cold Storage conference, America¡¯s cold storage infrastructure is getting old. 80 percent of US cold storage is 30 to 40 years old. Meanwhile, the decentralization of the supply chain means we need more cold storage links to get products to their destinations. We think cold storage is ripe for modernization.
The term cold storage may sound old school, but from our perspective, it¡¯s a specialized room like others we design for other industries. An industrial cold storage space has a lot in common with warehouses, cold rooms, and automated factories. We can apply our best practices in controlled environments to the next generation of cold storage facilities.
The pharmaceutical industry is increasingly reliant on cold storage and cold rooms like this for product development and distribution.
So, what are the main design considerations for cold storage facilities? Where can we enhance their design with the latest solutions from similar types of spaces?
1.?Temperature and humidity control, monitoring, and back-up systems
Design consideration: Cold storage facilities must maintain an appropriate temperature. If they¡¯re too cold or warm, they can ruin the product. Operators need to maintain proper levels of light and humidity in these spaces, too.
Our approach: When we design cold storage for pharmaceuticals in healthcare settings, we need to be aware of strict and specific temperature ranges these drugs require. Vaccines, for example, need to be stored at 35.6 to 46.4 Fahrenheit. These spaces must carefully control humidity and air quality, too. We recently designed a specialty HVAC system to maintain the proper climate for an alternative food project facility and its temperature-controlled warehouse.
We can use smart systems, artificial intelligence (AI), and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies in cold storage. We can use them alongside specialized climate control systems used in food production and healthcare. Workers can optimize conditions and reduce costs.
2.?Complying with regulations
Design consideration: Cold storage facilities need to comply with food and drug safety regulations. Their design should allow regulators to perform inspections and track expiration dates.
Our approach: It¡¯s critical that these industrial spaces meet regulations and allow for inspections. That often means very specialized areas. We recently designed a raw materials warehouse. It complies with Current Good Manufacturing Practices (CGMP) and meets local regulations. It features special areas for quarantine, storage and expiration tracking.
The US cold storage market is poised for unprecedented growth over the next five years.?
3. Storage, access, automation
Design consideration: Who is accessing the space and how frequently? How do they get what they need while maintaining climate conditions? Storage layout and shelving are important to functionality of cold storage facilities. And both food and drug companies are increasingly turning to automation to assist in storage, inventory, and shipping.
Our approach: We address similar considerations in design for food production. We designed four distinct areas for a recent factory project. Each had its own equipment, processes, and operational needs. One custom area, for instance, featured automated crane systems to handle the product. For a new food packaging facility in New York, we engineered a variety of spaces with temperature controls and a custom automated storage and retrieval system.
Designers can customize industrial cold storage spaces in a similar way with individual temperature controls. We can reimagine cold storage facilities to maximize space for automated storage and retrieval. But we can¡¯t forget about that people are still part of the equation. We can incorporate ergonomics for workers that reduce fatigue while maintaining access for inspectors and technicians.
4.?Flexibility and space utilization
Design consideration: A dynamic market and volatile supply chain mean that storage needs can change. Operators in food and pharmaceuticals are looking for more flexibility. They want spaces that allow them to scale their operations seamlessly. Can a cold storage facility shrink or expand as needed?
Our approach: When demand spikes, cold storage facilities (or small cold storage warehouse and expansive distribution center) need to adjust. We can engineer these spaces so operators can manage peak periods. Modular storage solutions allow operators to add more storage to meet demand. And with scalable layouts informed by automation, operators can flex their space in real-time.
Increasing automation allows cold storage facilities to grow taller. Automated retrieval systems can reach higher shelves than their human counterparts.
5.?Speed to market
Design consideration: Time is money in manufacturing and distribution. Operators may need new facilities in months, not years, to meet their growth targets.
Our approach: We can use alternative construction methods. Recently, we designed a raw material facility to meet a pharmaceutical maker¡¯s tight schedule. We chose prefabricated elements that allowed the building to go up fast.
To build multiple automated warehouses, we used a design prototype and fast-track process. We can use similar methods to speed up cold storage building construction.
R-values indicate how well materials work as insulators. Data: Green Insulation Group, BuildingGreen, Ecohome
6.??Sustainability and carbon impact
Design consideration: Cooling a warehouse requires power. Can cold storage use less energy? Can it be better insulated? Can we keep the cool inside?
Our approach: We can cut cold storage¡¯s energy appetite. We¡¯re anxious to apply a suite of innovations in cooling technology, insulation, building envelope, and renewable energy to this building type. Natural refrigerants (CO? and ammonia) offer an alternative cooling solution to synthetic refrigerants. And magnetic refrigeration tends to be both efficient and low maintenance. Sustainable insulation materials and tight air seals can reduce cooling loss in cold storage. And they need to be well insulated underground and, on the roof, as well.
We can explore insulation for cold storage. Can we insulate with vacuum insulation panels (VIPs), rigid foam panels, aerogels, and elastomeric foam? What about hybrid mineral wool systems?
The frontier for efficient thermal management in cold storage insulation lies with phase change materials (PCM). PCMs can store or release heat when they transform between solid and liquid. They can be used in industrial cold storage spaces that require multiple-controlled temperature areas.
We design Passive House buildings to be airtight. We can apply this experience to reduce cooling loss in cold storage.
We approach all our industrial projects with sustainability as a priority. We took this approach on Frito-Lay¡¯s LEED Silver certified distribution center in Surrey, British Columbia. There, we used energy and daylight modeling to minimize building energy use.
We can apply our best practices in controlled environments to the next generation of cold storage facilities.
Why a tailored cold storage solution?
The cold storage space of the near future isn¡¯t an old school meat locker. It¡¯s complex and automated. We bring all the innovative approaches together in a tailored cold storage solution. A cutting-edge industrial cold storage facility will be highly customized.
In a tailored solution we consider the specifics of the facility and optimize for them. For example, we created zone-specific temperature control systems for a new frozen food packaging plant.
Tailored solutions help us meet the challenges that can be unique to each project. For example, in designing a manufacturing facility recently, we needed to ensure storage was off floors and away from walls to maintain product integrity.
We can apply innovative approaches to cold storage facility design. We can enhance their operational efficiency, lower their costs, and reduce their emissions. Industrial cold storage has a bright future.
