Metal office buildings

It's clear to many buyers that commercial steel buildings are a fast, cost-effective alternative to traditional construction. Often, though, the first image that comes to mind when the topic of steel buildings comes up is of a bare-bones metal box: a warehouse with corrugated steel sides.

If you're interested in a metal office building, you may have some work to do to overcome this perception. You should be able to address the most common concerns by arming yourself with these suggestions.

Metal office buildings don't have to look like metal buildings
It may seem counterintuitive, but it's true: spending a little extra on the design and finishing of your metal office buildings can make it look as respectable as traditional construction. Here are some of the areas to emphasize in your design if you want to avoid the traditional metal building look:

• Upgrade the façade. This is the most apparent way to improve the look of your building. Your supplier should be able to offer brick, stucco, and other types of façades to hide the sheet metal walls.
• Include landscaping. Don't overlook the importance of good landscaping. Bushes and other plants can help your metal office building blend into its surroundings and look much more natural.
• Coordinate the interior. You'll have get carpet and interior wall treatments to avoid the metal box look – while you don't have to hire an interior designer, you should consider the furniture you'll be moving, your company colors, and the options you have for interior fabrics and surfaces. If you can, bring in someone on your staff with a good eye for colors.

Of course, all of these extras cost more. One of the reasons a basic metal building is cheap is that it doesn't include many of the more common finishing elements found in traditional construction. While this negates some of the advantages of prefabricated construction, you should still save money over "stick-built" construction.

Choose the right dealer
The dealer you choose to buy from will ultimately have a big role to play in how your metal office building looks. You'll find that some steel building suppliers are more focused on producing the big ugly boxes: great for metal warehouses, but not appropriate for an office building.

When you talk to potential suppliers, make it clear that you understand an upgraded building will cost more and they should be able to work with you to design and install a metal office building that you can be proud of.