Definition of Commercial Buildings
A commercial building uses more than half its floor space for commercial purposes.
A commercial building is one that is dedicated to commercial activities. The technical classification of a commercial building for zoning purposes is that it has more than half of its floor space used for commercial activities.
1. Basics An alternative definition of a commercial building is a structure that is not used for residential or civic functions. Various retailers and other businesses lease space in commercial buildings in order to operate without buying a property.
Examples Common examples of commercial buildings include "stores, offices, schools, churches, gymnasiums, libraries, museums, hospitals, clinics, warehouses and jails. Government buildings are included except for buildings on military bases or reservations", according to TeachMeFinance.com.
Owners Commercial buildings are owned by various individuals and group entities who construct them or build them for profit. Developers build commercial properties with the intent to resell for profit or to lease for income. Other investors enter after construction for similar investment purposes. Some commercial buildings are developed by organizations for company operations.
The Types of Commercial Buildings
There are many types of commercial buildings in the U.S., ranging from traditional sandstone architecture to modern, multi-story, high-rise structures. Most of the new commercial buildings are constructed using techniques that reduce the building's carbon footprint using energy-efficient technology. New residential areas are often devoid of commercial buildings for environmental reasons -- councils using zoning restrictions which only allow for small corner stores and pollution-free cottage industries.
1. Shopping Malls o
Since the 1970s there has been a trend towards building large shopping malls in the suburbs away from the business districts that were traditionally the places to shop and conduct business. Today virtually every large suburb in the U.S. has a large shopping mall that includes everything from supermarkets and specialty shops to banks, movie theaters and restaurants. Certainly a one-stop shopping outlet, shopping malls have adequate parking, baby crèches and even medical centers incorporated into them.
Hotels and Pubs o
Large hotels are traditionally built in the main business districts of cities with fantastic landscaped gardens, spacious lobbies, restaurants and specialty shops, as well as luxury rooms with balconies that overlook the city. Architecturally, many large hotels are monuments to modern design and reflect the level of commercial tourism of the area. Smaller hotels stand dwarfed by their larger counterparts and include a mix of older, classic architecture and modern building techniques.
Retail Stores o
Free-standing retail outlets, like large electrical and furniture stores and fast-food outlets, are found scattered all over the country in semi-residential areas, along highways and near large shopping malls. Large commercial chains often build the same design, creating a
modern architectural icon recognizable from a distance as belonging to that company. Retail stores account for 48 percent of the country's greenhouse emissions and nearly 70 percent of the total electricity consumed, so efforts are being made to make retail commercial buildings more energy efficient.
High-Rise Office Skyscrapers o
Starting in the 1960s, the modern multi-story office block became popular and today you still see office blocks going up in every large city and coastal area. Often housing shops and banks on the ground floor, office blocks usually feature a central elevator and business directory on the first floor. They are built largely of concrete and glass and can be anything from 10 to 30 stories high. Office suites are leased to companies, providing them with individual offices, meeting rooms and staff lunch rooms.
Industrial Estates o
Industrial estates are built away from central business districts and residential areas because of pollution and noise factors, and they typically feature one- or two-story offices and warehouses with individual parking and loading bays. Commercial leasing companies build industrial estates in developing areas to lease to manufacturers, suppliers and service providers. Countries that do not have industrial estates have more inner-city traffic and their residential areas are littered with factory waste and pollution.
Commercial Building Types
The skyscraper is becoming more environmentally friendly.
There are dozens of different types of commercial buildings worldwide, ranging from basic laundromats and pubs to opulent hotels and majestic commercial banks. Commercial buildings usually consist of more than 50 percent space available for public use, and adhere to a different set of safety standards. Today, virtually all new commercial
buildings are constructed to reduce their carbon footprint with energy-efficient technology.
1. Banks
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Commercial bank buildings have evolved from turn of the 20th-century stately multi-story Victorian and Beaux Arts structures to signify stability, strength and integrity to "green" banks, such as San Francisco's New Resource Bank that uses solar-based energy technology and loans funds for similar community-based solar projects, according to aia.org.
2. Restaurants
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Commercial dining establishments are either standalone structures or housed in multibusiness commercial buildings. Restaurants are generally divided into a dining area, crew preparation workplace and kitchen. Contemporary décor in fast-food restaurants may feature LCD screen menus, a mix of retro and modern furnishings, and a modern and industrial architectural exterior design, according to retailtrafficmag.com. Australia Congress- interested? Town Planners Urban Designers
3. Hotel
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Most commercial hotel buildings, not to be confused with motels, have changed little in the basic presentation to clientele. The exception is that modern hotel buildings generally stand alone with an emphasis on updating services and rebranding prominent hotel names, such as Holiday Inn, to fit contemporary tastes. All must accommodate high-volume traffic that requires a sizable lobby, elevator, meeting rooms and rooms that feature a minimum of a bedroom and bath.
4. Office Building
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The office building, often in the form of a skyscraper in urban areas, requires significant working space and adherence to strict safety codes. Since 2000, architects have designed
commercial skyscrapers with an eye toward better use of floor space by using large-span mega-trusses and reinforced concrete core walls to eliminate interior columns.
5. Supermarket
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Supermarket commercial buildings are designed to offer the best use of floor space for marketing products with an emphasis on impulse buying and floor plan to promote customer convenience. Supermarket commercial design also focuses more on lighting and environment to encourage more comfortable shopping.
6. Shopping Mall
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The enclosed shopping mall has been part of the commercial building landscape since the 19th century, but became more common in the 1950s and also had a significant building boom in the 1970s. Constructed in suburban areas, vertical multi-use building designs and environmental-friendly technology are becoming the standard among mall builders, according to "Retail Traffic" magazine.
7. Retail Store
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Retail commercial businesses range from mom-and-pop convenience shops to massive "bigbox" discount outlets that provide all retail services, including a fast-food restaurant or tea room under one roof. Since retail store buildings account for about 48 percent of the world's greenhouse emissions and consumes 68 percent of the world's electricity, more aggressive efforts are being made to make retail commercial buildings more energy efficient.
The Best Commercial Buildings
The best office buildings command the highest rent and it is a common practice to categorize commercial buildings as Class A, B, or C properties. While commercial real estate professionals understand what is meant by each classification, there is no one, accepted definition, and how the term is applied varies according to regional characteristics.
Age
Class A buildings will generally be the newest buildings in the area, although there are many exceptions to this statement. Outstanding properties may be considered by local professionals as Class A based on attributes other than age, and older, renovated properties can be included in this category. The Empire State Building opened its doors in 1931, it has been continuously upgraded over the years, and is classified as an "A" type property.
Location
Some buildings will never be considered "the best" because of their location. Class A buildings are usually considered to be those that are located in the central business district of a bustling town. A beautiful, new building on the outskirts of a city, might never be called a Class A; if the rents are higher in other parts of town, then the case could be made for classifying this as a type "B" building.
Appearance
Class A office buildings are usually high rises and are well maintained with no signs of neglect. Although they don't have to be winners of architectural awards, they do have to be pleasing to the eye. Tenants will not pay prime rental rates to have offices in an ugly
building. The inside of the building is as important as the outside, and it must be clean and well maintained.
Amenities
The inside of Class A buildings must be well appointed with lavish furnishings, fast elevators, marble floors in the lobby, and perhaps an atrium. Tenants want to feel that they are renting space in one of the best buildings in town, and so, they are willing to pay top dollar. The building may have elegantly furnished conference rooms, with video conferencing capabilities, that are available to the tenants. The building will be wired for high-speed Internet connectivity.
Parking
Class A buildings are likely to have a covered parking garage and they might possibly offer valet parking to visitors. In a densely packed city like New York, this will most often not be the case, and tenants will commute by public transportation or rent monthly space in a public parking garage. In less populated areas, the Class A building tenants will be more apt to consider an attached parking garage as a necessary feature
