What’s Hot in Self Storage Design Today?
Merriman Anderson Architects' Chance Jones on the latest trends in the industry.
Interest from both investors and developers in self storage facilities continues to be high due to their resilient nature. However, to make new projects pencil out, they’ve recently tightened their collaboration with architects and designers.
Dallas-based Merriman Anderson Architects has been in the business for nearly 40 years, with its portfolio including projects across multiple commercial and multifamily developments, from industrial and retail, to student housing and self storage.
We talked to Chance Jones, senior associate at Merriman Anderson Architects about self storage industry trends, what users are looking for nowadays and how storage facilities will look like in the future.
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What are some of the biggest challenges developers and designers face when working on self storage projects these days?
Jones: As construction costs continue to rise due to factors like tariffs, disrupted supply chains, and increasing labor and material expenses, developers are exploring alternative financing options. To curb project construction costs, designers are being asked to take on a more active role in construction administration, which may lead to increased design fees. To stay within budget, both developers and designers are exploring alternative products and materials.
At the same time, site selection has made navigating the planning and zoning process more challenging. Self storage project sites are becoming more woven into the urban fabric, so jurisdictions are placing a greater emphasis on architectural site context and integration.
We have seen a growing number of developers who typically focus on other market sectors, jumping into the self storage market, presumably drawn by the perception of easy returns. Some may do this fully intent on flipping them, while others learn that they do not have the knowledge, technological advantages or brand recognition to complete. Therefore, although some small developers have been successful, we have seen the larger self storage companies purchase and rebrand most of these independently owned facilities.
What are some alternatives to traditional self storage facilities in the markets where you’re most active? What does that look like in practice?
Jones: The demand for self storage facilities in North Texas continues to rise. In response to this demand, along with the challenges faced by developers and designers, we are seeing a shift away from traditional large-scale facilities. Newer developments tend to be smaller and place a greater emphasis on higher design and architectural site context. Ten or 15 years ago, air-conditioned self storage was still novel and is now standard. Even traditional drive-up units, once the hallmark of early self storage, are increasingly built with conditioned environments.
A recent notable trend is the emerge of specialized storage facilities designed exclusively for private wine and liquor collection. They offer a highly climate-controlled environment that would be cost-prohibitive for many collectors to have in their own homes. Most of these facilities also have social rooms allowing clients to enjoy their collection onsite. Although we have only designed a few traditional self storage facilities with conditioned wine storage, interest in this niche is a growing trend.
Besides these specialized facilities, do self storage users in general have any specific expectations?
Jones: Users are looking for high-tech units and high-density locations. Advanced technologies for offsite security monitoring, as well as client-facing technologies like mobile phone control and video livestream, are becoming popular. Typical preferences also include site security, climate-controlled units and short push distances—measured from building entry to unit door.
What design trends would you say are shaping self storage development right now?
Jones: We see developers and clients looking for self storage facilities that are less cookie-cutter and more contextual. We are expecting facilities to integrate more into the urban fabric through program additions and building forms, leading to specialized self storage facilities for items like documents, wine, RVs, boats and art in becoming more mainstream.
One of our firm’s market sectors is multifamily. Apartment dwellers are one of the primary target audiences for self storage companies. Over the last 15 years, most of our multifamily projects have had onsite storage units for rent. Although they are typically not as big as the larger units at self storage facilities, they have become important revenue generators for multifamily developers and operators.
How do you balance aesthetics and practicality?
Jones: For most, if not all self storage companies, recognizable branding is as important to a successful project as any other aesthetic considerations. A self storage facility with orange automatically lets you know that it is a Public Storage building.
Most self storage prototypes are inherently practical, especially with respect to the structural systems. The structural system and construction type are determined by the number of floors in the building. Once a building is planned to be four stories and above, the structural system must be fire-rated, which adds to the cost of construction. A shorter building is less expensive to construct but may still be more expensive than purchasing a larger site. In many cases, the site is already small, but the need for a certain number of storage units to meet the proforma dictates a taller building.
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With the structural system and fire rating predetermined based on the height of the facility, the skin of the building becomes the biggest variable in cost. Although developers are becoming more sensitive to aesthetics and context, the skin has often been dictated by zoning requirements or architectural standards. In the case of Public Storage, their signature orange color, and the glass band on the top floor with the doors behind it make their facilities recognizable even without their name on the side. To get approval in certain jurisdictions, compromises are negotiated regarding the quantity and location of the orange allowed or what facade materials must be used to create the orange.
One element has been more important than any other and that’s location. Although neighborhoods are beginning to see more self storage facilities, likely due to the cost of land, location has historically been the most critical in determining the success of individual facilities.
In our first meeting, the client’s design director noted that one of their facilities was visible from Yankee Stadium. I turned on a Yankee playoff game a few days later and the self storage facility that they told us about was on prominent display in the television shot. That certainly drove home the importance of location.
How do you approach self storage design to reduce environmental impact?
Jones: The most common sustainability features we see in self storage are LED lighting and smart climate control systems. Given the typically narrow profit margins in this sector, sustainable design features must be economically viable. Since lighting and HVAC are significant operational expenses, investing in efficient systems often makes financial sense.
In reality, all commercial buildings must meet minimum energy codes standard for sustainable/efficient HVAC, lighting and building envelope systems. Therefore, all self storage buildings are going to outperform their older counterparts. Exceeding those minimum standards will come down to initial cost versus long-term savings. Companies that typically hold their buildings long term are more apt to spend more upfront for the long-term benefits over those who flip their buildings within five years.
Can you share your thoughts on converted facilities? How common are adaptive-reuse practices in the sector and do you see it as a solid alternative to ground-up projects?
Jones: We have had client interest in self storage adaptive-reuse projects, but few work out because of spatial concerns like floor-to-floor heights, building size and building efficiency when converted. We have provided test fits for conversions, but none of them have penciled out. I would expect to see conversions becoming more economically viable as the cost of land and/or the cost of new construction continues to rise.
Where do you see self storage design heading in the coming years?
Jones: We are already seeing a growing interest from developers in incorporating more technology-driven features within the design of self storage facilities to increase user convenience. We expect this trend to accelerate in the coming years. While the convenience of technology will continue to improve, location will likely remain the primary factor influencing any facility’s success.
Although secure document storage or conditioned wine or art storage may see increased demand, the core driver of self storage’s long-term viability is rooted in lifestyle patterns. Whether it is accumulating more belongings than space allows or downsizing without letting go of unused items, the American tendency to hold on to our things ensures a steady demand for storage spaces. Unless that changes, the self storage market will remain resilient.
